Fresh Air Ken Burns On The American Revolution
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Oct 20, 2025 
Ken Burns, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker renowned for his PBS series on American history, dives deep into the complexities of the American Revolution. He highlights the often-overlooked stories of women, Native Americans, and Black individuals who played crucial roles. Burns discusses the war's brutal nature and persistent national divisions, the motivations behind loyalists and patriots, and how social class influenced participation. He also addresses the troubling legacy of the Declaration and advocates for inclusive storytelling in history.
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Revolution Was Global And Brutal
- Ken Burns frames the Revolutionary War as both a bloody civil war and a global conflict involving European powers and Caribbean colonies.
- He emphasizes the war's vast scope and economic stakes tied to Caribbean slave-based plantations.
Division Rooted In Land And Loyalty
- Divisions in the colonies were deep and personal, with loyalists and patriots often trading violence and revenge.
- Key revolutionary drivers included taxes, representation, and intense desire for Indian land expansion.
Founding Families Torn Apart
- Benjamin Franklin's son William became a royal governor, was deposed, imprisoned, and later led violent loyalist reprisals.
- Burns uses this to show families and communities often split, switching sides and escalating local terror.
