Sustaining Engagement in Long Films

Thirteen colonies rose up, rebelled against an Empire, and won their independence. These unlikely victors built a new nation on democratic principles that inspired similar movements around the world.

How should we tell the story of our nation’s founding? Guests Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, who co-directed The American Revolution with Ken Burns, explain how chronology and characters shape their longform PBS documentaries and accompanying curriculum materials, in a bonus episode of the History Matters Podcast.

“We always work chronologically. We don’t work thematically. And I think when teaching history, I have been fairly convinced that that’s the way to do it,” says Botstein. “When you teach thematically, you silo things. When you work chronologically, you show the complexity, the nuance, unbelievable heroism, the ways people do great things and terrible things all at once, particularly in the story of a war.”

Children are “capable of understanding these complex stories,” Schmidt says. “I think you can trust children’s intelligence a little more than we often do.”

The filmmakers describe the important role that characters play in keeping learners and viewers engaged. Their series follows George Washington and other leaders, as well as a native community in the Shenandoah Valley, young soldiers who volunteered for the fight, and Betsy Ambler of Yorktown, Virginia, who ages from 10 to 18 during the war.

“She lived much of her life as a refugee and her town was completely destroyed by that war. She never witnessed a battle, but she was impacted by the war every day,” Schmidt says. “These are people who are not dissimilar from you and me.”

“If you are following stories of these other people, you’re worried about what George Washington might do, because you are worried about them,” Botstein says. “It makes students understand why history matters. We’re all impacted by decisions that leaders make and by world events—small, medium, and large.”

They also discuss how visual artifacts like paintings and maps are especially engaging for young students and can help them understand a history story from different points of view.

“It’s really important when teaching history to show a variety of perspectives,” Botstein says. “To have empathy and openness and generosity, to try to understand why people did good things and why people did bad things, and how we can be optimistic in learning about history to make a better future, and make better on the promises that the revolution tried to inspire.”

This podcast is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign and StandardsWork, on behalf of the History Matters Campaign. Follow the History Matters Campaign on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X. Search #historymatters to join the conversation.

Production by Tressa Versteeg. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea.