Ken Burns: Revolution Was a Civil War

Filmmaker Ken Burns' latest documentary, "The American Revolution," presents America's founding conflict not as a singular pursuit of independence, but as a deeply divided civil war.

The six-part, 12-hour docuseries, co-directed by Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, spans from the 1754 French and Indian War through the Revolutionary War and its aftermath. Botstein notes the nation's persistent polarization, stating, "We were divided at our founding, and we've been divided at every celebration of the American Revolution."

The series features over 400 voices and nearly 200 firsthand accounts, with actors like Meryl Streep and Samuel L. Jackson bringing historical figures to life. This approach incorporates extensive new scholarship and research by writer Geoffrey C. Ward.

Filmmakers emphasized bringing stories of women, children, and people of color to the forefront. The series examines how enslaved Black people were exploited for freedom by both sides, and how Native nations faced accelerated expansion and cultural erasure regardless of their chosen alliances.

Botstein views the revolution as a war for North America, emphasizing its impact on Indigenous lands. She believes her experience on previous war documentaries helped her visualize the conflict, challenging sanitized historical narratives and providing context for current geopolitics.

"The American Revolution is obviously in part about breaking away from a mother country and a very serious civil war where families and communities were torn apart," Botstein explained. "but it was also a war for the prize of North America and what is and should be remembered as Indian land."