S01E01 The Reluctant Revolutionaries: 1763-1774
In 1763, the capitol city of America is London, George Washington is lobbying for a post in the British army, and no one thinks of Boston harbor when they hear talk of tea parties. In...
Liberty!
S01E06: Are We to Be a Nation?: 1783-1788
Peace comes to the United States, but governing the world's newest republic is no simple task. Congress is ineffectual and individual states act like sovereign nations. By the time the Constitutional Convention convenes in 1787, many wonder if the country can survive. The long ratification process helps define what sort of nation the United States is to be—a process that continues to this day.
Overview
Dramatic documentary about the birth of the American Republic and the struggle of a loosely connected group of states to become a nation.
Episodes
S01E02 Blows Must Decide: 1774-1776
A total break from Great Britain remains hard for Americans to imagine, even after shots are fired at Lexington and Concord. Words push matters "Over the Edge" in 1776. Common Sense argues that it is...
S01E03 The Times That Try Men's Souls: 1776-1777
Days after the Declaration of Independence is signed, a British force arrives in New York harbor. Washington and his troops are driven to New Jersey. With only a few days of enlistment left for many...
S01E04 Oh Fatal Ambition: 1777-1778
The "united" states remain in dire need of funds and military support. Congress dispatches Benjamin Franklin to France in hopes of creating an alliance which will provide both. Meanwhile, a British army marches down the...
S01E05 The World Turned Upside Down: 1778-1783
The British hope to exploit the issue of slavery and to enlist the support of loyalists in the south. They fail. After a series of brutal engagements, the British army heads for Virginia, only to...
S01E06 Are We to Be a Nation?: 1783-1788
Peace comes to the United States, but governing the world's newest republic is no simple task. Congress is ineffectual and individual states act like sovereign nations. By the time the Constitutional Convention convenes in 1787,...
Cast
Victor Garber
John Dickinson
Donna Murphy
Abigail Adams
Alex Jennings
King George III
Anthony Heald
Philip Vickers Fithian
Colm Feore
Alexander Hamilton
Peter Donaldson
John Adams
Stephen Lang
George Washington
Jefferson Mays
James Madison
Edward Herrmann
Narrator
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Joseph Plumb Martin
Jane Adams
Sara Scott
Jake Weber
Virginia Officer
