The Revolution

The opening episode of The American Revolution vividly brings to life the controversies and conflicts that led up to the war, including the Stamp Act riots, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the battle at Lexington and Concord. A Continental Congress convenes and we are introduced to some of the major political players involved in the rebellion.

Rebellion escalates into war with the Battle at Bunker Hill. The Continental Congress establishes an army and appoints George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. But Washington faces nearly insurmountable obstacles in turning the motley militias into a battle-ready army. When the Continental Army surrounds British troops that occupy Boston, Britain sends additional troops and its three best generals--William Howe, John Burgoyne, and Henry Clinton--to take over command in the insurgent colonies. The Continental assault from Dorchester Heights forces the British and Loyalists to evacuate the city.

Finally, in 1776, noble ideas and long-desired dreams of independence ring out as the Declaration of Independence is signed and America is born. Yet, many dark and devastating struggles lay ahead, challenging these hopes and leaving few Americans believing that the glorious cause will survive.

The newly proclaimed nation stares at the stark realization that it could soon be dead. Desperate and determined, General George Washington gambles on a brilliant yet dangerously daring stroke to save his army and America.

In this series, we cover the years between the Boston Tea Party and the ratification of the Constitution. In this hour, America's elder statesman, Benjamin Franklin, descends on Paris to seduce the French to join the fight against their common enemy, England. British General William Howe delivers a crushing blow to George Washington's troops at the Battle of Brandywine taking Philadelphia, the American capital, as his prize. But to the north, another American general enters the spotlight--Horatio Gates defeats British General John Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga. It is this victory that convinces France to enter the fight, turning the American Revolution into a world war.

George Washington's losses are adding up and some in Congress begin to question his leadership.  Washington's main concern, however, is sustaining and rebuilding his ragged, starving and dwindling army through the frigid winter at Valley Forge.  With the help of Baron Von Steuben and Nathanael Greene, the Continental Army becomes a more professional fighting force.  And Washington rebuilds his reputation by holding back the British at the Battle of Monmouth.