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History - it's often presented
as a set of facts and dates,
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of victories and defeats,
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00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,920
of monarchs and presidents,
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all consigned to an unchanging past.
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Huzza!
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Huzza!
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But it's not like that at all.
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History is the knitting together
of rival interpretations,
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deliberate manipulations
of the truth,
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and, sometimes, alternative facts.
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In this series,
I'll be lifting the lid
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on three of American history's
greatest national stories.
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The Civil War.
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Was it really a battle
to reunite the nation
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and liberate the slaves
in the south?
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The Cold War supremacy.
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American dream or nuclear nightmare?
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And in this programme,
the American Revolution.
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How a British colony
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won its freedom from
the biggest empire in the world.
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This is the story of the birth
of the United States.
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It's a tale of David and Goliath
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with high ideals and heroism
and the ringing of the Liberty Bell.
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It's a story that continues
to inspire in politics,
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literature and even on Broadway.
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But how much of America's
founding story
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is founded on fact?
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Did the Liberty Bell really ring out
on July the 4th, 1776?
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Who really won
the War of Independence?
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American rebels
or the King of France?
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The Americans could never have
brought themselves up
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by their own boot straps.
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And was George Washington
a man who truly believed
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in liberty and equality?
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It shakes the very foundation
of American history.
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Generations of politicians
and poets and protesters
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have used the story
of the American Revolution.
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Sometimes to unite
the American people,
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sometimes to divide them.
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And the story they've told
often super-sizes the truth
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and comes with a side order of fibs.
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Early in July 1776,
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a future American president
wrote a letter to his wife.
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He was a leader
in the American Revolution.
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And the previous day,
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the United States had declared
its independence from Great Britain.
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John Adams knew that this day
would be celebrated
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for generations to come.
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He said that it ought to be
solemnised
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with pomp and parade.
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BAND PLAYS
And games!
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And guns! And bonfires!
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And illuminations!
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From one end of America
to the other.
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The 2nd of July, he said,
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would become the most memorable day
in American history
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and he was very nearly right.
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But the 2nd of July, of course,
was soon forgotten.
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The wording of the Declaration
of Independence
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wasn't finally approved
until two days later.
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BOTH: Happy 4th of July!
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Happy 4th of July!
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Happy 4th of July!
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ALL: Happy 4th of July!
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APPLAUSE
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MUSIC: STAR SPANGLED BANNER
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The British Empire's
first American colony
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was founded in Virginia in 1607.
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By 1732, Britain had 13 colonies
along the Atlantic coast.
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But in the 1760s,
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American rebels rose up
against British taxes.
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They called themselves Patriots
and, after eight years of war,
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a plucky army of rebel farmers
won its revolt
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against the British Empire.
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Heroic General George Washington
became the first president
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of the "land of the free".
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A nation promising liberty
and equality to all.
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This version of the story is central
to America's national identity
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and it's given the American people
a sense of special destiny -
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that their country is going to lead
the rest of the world to freedom.
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But just as with any type
of history,
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the line between fact and fiction
is blurred.
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The American Revolution,
so the story goes,
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started with a tea party.
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In December 1773,
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three British-owned ships
sat in Boston harbour
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laden with tea.
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But the people of Boston wouldn't
let them unload their cargo
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because that tea
came with a British tax,
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levied by a parliament in London,
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where Americans had no votes
and no voice.
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The disgruntled American colonists
wanted to send the British
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a clear message - no taxation
without representation.
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So one night, they dressed
up as Mohawk Indians,
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they came storming onto the ships,
they cracked open the crates,
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then they threw the tea...
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..right into Boston Harbour.
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Yes!
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This has been celebrated in history
as a jolly jape in fancy dress.
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A glorious stunt
that sparked a revolution.
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Huzza!
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But the protest came after years
of dark and bloody violence
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between American colonists
and British troops in the city.
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And the rebels were disguised
as Mohawk Indians to avoid arrest.
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This wasn't called a tea party
at the time.
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Many in America saw it as a crime.
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Now, some influential people -
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people like Benjamin Franklin
and George Washington -
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thought that the destruction
of the tea was a bad idea.
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Destroying private property?
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That could even damage their cause.
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The Mohawk stunt also allowed
the British to condemn
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the American colonists
as a criminal mob.
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So the destruction of the tea was
originally a violent, aggressive,
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illegal action.
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When did it become
this sort of cuddly tea party?
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Well, it became known as
the tea party about 50 years
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after the event, in the mid-1820s,
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and that was at the time when
a lot of those who took part
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in the tea party were
beginning to die off.
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So, there was an attempt, then,
beginning around that time
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to reflect back on that act
and it was not thought of
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as an act of destruction, but rather
something that was more patriotic
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and that had become
sort of a cornerstone
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of the revolution itself.
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One of the people
who remembered the event,
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although he reportedly was only
about five years old at the time,
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gave this vial of tea, in 1840,
gave it to this institution,
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and so this tea says,
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"Tea thrown into the Boston
Harbour, December 16th, 1773."
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Do you believe it's the tea?
I'm doubtful that it's the tea.
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Well, you should be doubtful,
but I think it's possible.
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And the point is that in 1840,
when he gave it to this museum,
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he was wanting to remember...
Exactly.
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..this cornerstone
of American history...
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Whether it's real or not doesn't
really matter. It doesn't, does it?
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It's just the story that's told.
It's the story.
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It was all part of this renewal
and revival of this event that
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by this time, much of the violence
associated with it was forgotten.
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The story of the tea party
takes on a new meaning
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00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,040
with each retelling.
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In the 19th century, it became
patriotic fun with dressing up.
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In the 1970s, it was used
to support calls
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for Richard Nixon to be impeached.
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And in the 21st century,
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it's been adopted by the radical
right's Tea Party movement.
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We are going to make America
great again.
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Thank you.
Thank you very much.
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Thank you.
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CHEERING
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Back in the 18th century,
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the tea party provokes a dramatic
response from the British.
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In 1774,
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George III and the British
Parliament punished Boston.
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Political meetings were shut down.
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And the port was closed.
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Tensions mounted.
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In 1775,
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the rebels were stockpiling
guns and ammunition,
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they were getting ready for war,
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but the British were onto them.
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British troops were ordered to
go to seize and destroy weapons
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that were being stored
in the Massachusetts towns
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of Lexington and Concord.
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The American Patriots
got wind of the British plan,
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so they set up a signalling system.
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When the British mobilised,
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lanterns would appear in the tower
at the North Church here in Boston.
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One lantern meant that the British
were marching to Concord.
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Two meant that they were travelling
by boat.
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At the signal, a Patriot would
ride through the countryside
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to alert the local militia.
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Paul Revere was a local craftsman.
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That night, he would become
a folk hero.
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Paul Revere is celebrated
as the single courageous hero
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who rode through the night
to warn the Americans
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that the British were coming.
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But this is actually
something of a fib.
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And it was all cooked up
by one of America's greatest poets.
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In 1860, 85 years after the event,
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
wrote a stirring poem
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about Revere's ride.
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It's been learned by generations
of American school kids.
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Listen, my children,
and you shall hear
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of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
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Listen, my children,
and you shall hear
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of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
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But the poem isn't the only
version of the story.
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Revere himself described his ride
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in a statement made
soon after the event.
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He then wrote a more elaborate
version 23 years later.
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In each retelling of the story,
though,
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events become more dramatic
and Revere takes a different route.
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In the poem, Revere sees the signal
in the church tower and sets off -
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a lone rider in the moonlit night.
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The fate of history
is in one man's hands.
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But according to Revere's
own account,
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there's a second rider - Mr Dawes.
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Revere rode north of the British
route to avoid discovery,
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while Dawes rode to the south of it.
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After stopping at Lexington
to warn rebel leaders,
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they then headed towards Concord
with a third man.
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But poetry prefers a solitary hero.
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David taking on Goliath.
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00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:03,520
Longfellow's poem takes
Paul Revere, the lone hero,
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00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:07,280
step-by-step through
the Massachusetts countryside.
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By 1am, he reaches Lexington.
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00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,040
2am, he gets to Concord.
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00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,280
Hurray! He's in time to wake
the sleeping locals.
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Mission accomplished.
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00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:22,760
Now, here's a funny thing.
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If you look at Revere's own
accounts, this is one of them,
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00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:31,520
you discover that he never actually
made it to Concord that night,
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00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:36,160
because after leaving Lexington
he was captured by the British.
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00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,280
In reality, it was the third rider
who warned Concord
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that the British were on the march.
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But Longfellow's poetic version
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guaranteed a place in history
for Paul Revere.
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The morning after Revere's ride,
the local militia in Lexington
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00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,600
were ready and waiting
for the British.
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00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,280
GUNFIRE
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But the British Army overwhelmed
the rebels.
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00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,520
A company of British soldiers
then marched to the bridge
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00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,480
in the neighbouring town of Concord.
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00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,280
By the time the British
got to the bridge,
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there were 500 militia men
waiting for them on this side
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00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,680
and battle broke out.
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00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,520
The British had only sent
100 soldiers.
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00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:32,040
They were pretty soon
outnumbered, overpowered,
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00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,880
and they began to retreat
back towards Boston.
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00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:41,040
73 British soldiers were killed
in Lexington and Concord,
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and 50 Americans.
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00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,280
At the battlefield in Concord
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00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,920
is a memorial to the American
colonists who fought here.
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These men were not
professional soldiers.
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00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,120
They were the local militia.
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00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,040
In the colonies,
all men were trained to fight
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00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:04,800
with their own muskets
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00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,040
to protect their communities
in an emergency.
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00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:13,760
This statue celebrates the militia
men as ordinary farmers.
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00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:18,040
He's just a regular bloke,
if implausibly handsome.
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The statue was put up
100 years after the battle,
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00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,280
and you can tell he's ordinary
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00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,680
because he's not wearing
a military uniform
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00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:27,920
and, although he's carrying
a musket,
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00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,280
he's brought his plough with him,
too.
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00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:36,280
At the foot of the statue are lines
of verse from the Concord Hymn,
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written by the poet
Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1837.
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00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:46,520
The poem talks about the Patriots
as "the embattled farmers"
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who "fired the shot heard
round the world".
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00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:54,040
These are the little people
taking on the forces of history.
252
00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:57,520
They are amateurs taking on
the professional British Army.
253
00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,520
Once again,
it's David and Goliath.
254
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:05,040
This image of brave farmers
taking up arms to beat the British
255
00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,280
has become a central part
of the powerful mythology
256
00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,760
of the American Revolution.
257
00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,520
But it's a distorted version
of what really happened.
258
00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,520
So, these amateur soldiers,
259
00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:20,680
were they the men who really
defeated the British?
260
00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,040
That's what we're supposed to think,
isn't it? That is the ideal.
261
00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,360
That's why we have the statue of
somebody going back to his plough,
262
00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,680
but in fact, the American leaders
knew that they couldn't do that
263
00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,040
with just militia troops,
so they needed a professional army,
264
00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,640
what became the Continental Army,
to win the war.
265
00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,520
Three months after Lexington
and Concord,
266
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,280
Congress created
the Continental Army.
267
00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:48,000
At first, it united the local
militias from across the colonies.
268
00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:49,520
Take aim.
269
00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,040
But under General George Washington,
270
00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:56,280
it started recruiting and training
as a professional army.
271
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,040
Fire!
272
00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,280
So this Continental Army,
this proper army, it won the war.
273
00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,080
What happens next?
There was great rejoicing.
274
00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:08,520
Everybody was...celebrated the
victory
275
00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,960
and then the army disbanded.
276
00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,040
This was because the United States
felt it was safe
277
00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,760
now that Britain was recognising
its independence,
278
00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,680
and because they did not want
the expense
279
00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,520
or the possible danger of
professional forces hanging around.
280
00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,040
What's the danger? They're here to
keep us safe, aren't they? Tyranny.
281
00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:32,040
Tyranny. The possibility
of a military dictator
282
00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,040
or an oligarchy of rich men
283
00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:39,640
taking over our fine, fragile
republic was the idea.
284
00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,040
At the end of the war,
even General George Washington
285
00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:48,040
resigned his post and returned
to his farm in Virginia.
286
00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,280
A new nation would have no
major professional army,
287
00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,520
but men would continue to bear arms
and serve in the local militia.
288
00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,760
They felt that the ideal citizen
was somebody who had land,
289
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:05,040
a family, a business,
and was rooted in the community,
290
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,040
and not one of these restless
soldiers obeying orders
291
00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,200
from some higher power.
292
00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,280
So, your ideal citizen
owns his own gun.
293
00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,280
At that time, yes. To be fully
a member of the community
294
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,520
in its self-defence, you needed
to be part of the militia,
295
00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,160
and that usually meant
having your own muskets.
296
00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:31,280
This belief that the founders
had in their citizen soldiers
297
00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:36,040
was so important, it got enshrined
in the new nation's Bill of Rights.
298
00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,760
The Second Amendment says
that having a militia
299
00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,760
is absolutely necessary
for security.
300
00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,040
And it says that the people's right
to bear arms
301
00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,760
shall not be infringed.
302
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,760
This statement still forms the basis
of US gun law to this day,
303
00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:57,040
almost as if Americans are still
living in the 18th century.
304
00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,280
And to me, the irony is
that it wasn't even
305
00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:04,040
these normal blokes with guns
who defeated the British anyway.
306
00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:11,040
At Lexington and Concord,
the first shots of war were fired.
307
00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:12,520
GUNFIRE
308
00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:17,040
But this wasn't yet a revolution
to topple a king,
309
00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:22,040
so now a new battle began
over how to use the story
310
00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:26,040
of the conflict
to win support from George III.
311
00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:31,280
Each side produced conflicting
eyewitness accounts.
312
00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,280
The British claimed that they
weren't looking for a fight,
313
00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,520
they just wanted to capture
those military supplies.
314
00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,280
They said that the American rebels
fired first
315
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,760
so they were only acting
in self-defence.
316
00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,760
Also, the Americans abused the dead.
317
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:48,680
They cut off their scalps.
318
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,800
Though the Americans said
the British started it.
319
00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:54,760
"They attacked unprovoked."
320
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,040
Also, they were thirsty for blood.
321
00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,040
The British are supposed to have
chucked pregnant women
322
00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,720
out of their beds and killed
unarmed people in their own homes.
323
00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,520
Whatever really happened,
American patriots hoped
324
00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,040
that George III would intervene
325
00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:15,280
when he understood the injustice
against his colonial subjects.
326
00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,280
The Patriots chartered a fast ship
327
00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,040
to take their version of events
to England.
328
00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:28,520
It arrived two weeks before
the British Army's own account.
329
00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,280
In mid-1775,
330
00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:37,040
the majority in America
were still opposed to independence.
331
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,760
Their beef was with Parliament.
332
00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:44,040
They remained loyal to George III.
333
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:48,040
But radicals, inspired by
Enlightenment thinking,
334
00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,040
wanted a revolution.
335
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,040
And they could only justify this
if the King was seen
336
00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,760
as a tyrant, acting against
the interests of the people.
337
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:03,040
If America was going to make a go
of it as an independent nation,
338
00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:07,280
then the Patriot leaders
needed to convince the people
339
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,800
that George III was a cruel tyrant.
340
00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,520
In the 1760s,
the King had been celebrated
341
00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,280
for defending the colonists
against Parliament.
342
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,880
As recently as 1770,
343
00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:25,040
a statue to George III
had been put up here,
344
00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,040
in New York's Bowling Green Park.
345
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,760
But, in 1775,
346
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,760
further bloodshed in Boston
convinced King George
347
00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,000
of the Americans' treachery.
348
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,520
In August 1775,
George III proclaimed
349
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:45,280
that his American subjects
were now definitely in a state
350
00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,040
of open rebellion
351
00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,040
and that his troops must do
their utmost to put it down.
352
00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:56,280
Now, to the Americans who still saw
themselves as loyal to George III,
353
00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,280
this was a terrible blow.
354
00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,520
Their king had just turned them
into traitors.
355
00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:07,680
At the opening of the British
Parliament in October 1775,
356
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:11,520
the King repeated his accusations
of rebellion.
357
00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,160
And when the news reached America,
358
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:19,520
a piece of propaganda was about to
make the King look even worse.
359
00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,760
This is the Pennsylvania
Evening Post
360
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,760
for the 9th of January, 1776.
361
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,760
This edition contains the whole
of the King's speech.
362
00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,040
It goes on for quite some time.
363
00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,760
It finishes here on page 15,
and down here is an advert
364
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:40,040
for a new pamphlet to be published
on the very same day.
365
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,280
The topic is the tyranny
of the monarchy.
366
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,280
The title of the pamphlet
is Common Sense
367
00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:49,560
and the author is Thomas Paine.
368
00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,280
Thomas Paine was a British-born
radical
369
00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:57,040
who became a leading voice in both
the American and French Revolutions.
370
00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:02,040
He believed independence was
the answer to America's problems.
371
00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:06,120
Common Sense was his argument
for a revolution.
372
00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:10,280
Now, Thomas Paine was really
brilliant at using simple,
373
00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:14,040
persuasive language
that appealed to a mass audience
374
00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:18,040
and Common Sense became
an almost instant bestseller.
375
00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:21,760
In it, he never directly names
King George III,
376
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,520
but, by implication,
he was pretty rude about him.
377
00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,040
Paine talks about
the "Pharaoh of England"
378
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,280
and the "Royal brute".
379
00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:35,520
He was casting George III
as the villain of this story.
380
00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,520
Within six months of the publication
of Common Sense,
381
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,680
in July 1776,
382
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,520
the United States
denounced the monarch
383
00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,280
and proclaimed itself
an independent nation.
384
00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:54,280
America's Declaration
of Independence is remembered
385
00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:58,040
for its high ideals
of liberty and equality,
386
00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,520
but that's just one line.
387
00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:05,280
The bulk of the document
was a tirade of grievances
388
00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:08,400
against a tyrannous King George.
389
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,520
After a public reading
of the Declaration of Independence
390
00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:16,520
here in New York, this little square
got taken all to pieces.
391
00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,760
There had been crowns
on the top of these railings,
392
00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:21,520
which were hacked off.
393
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,280
You can still see the marks
of the blows.
394
00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:28,040
And the metal statue of King George
III that had stood in the middle
395
00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,520
was pulled down,
his head was cut off,
396
00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:34,520
and his body was melted down
and turned into musket balls
397
00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,520
to be used against
the King's own troops.
398
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,760
The toppling of King George's statue
looks like a violent,
399
00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:46,520
revolutionary act.
400
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,040
But this isn't the image of 1776
401
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,560
the Founding Fathers
wanted us to remember.
402
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,760
In 1817, the US Congress
commissioned
403
00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:04,520
John Trumbull's painting,
The Declaration Of Independence.
404
00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,280
It hangs in the nation's
Capitol Building
405
00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,280
in Washington, DC.
406
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:15,040
It shows Thomas Jefferson presenting
the draft of the Declaration
407
00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:17,520
to Congress in Philadelphia.
408
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,040
At the moment of its birth,
409
00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,520
the new nation was at all-out war
with the British Empire.
410
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,040
But history paints the founding
of the United States
411
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,280
as a calm, formal scene,
412
00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,760
speaking of harmony and high ideals.
413
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:44,040
The Declaration of Independence
was signed in this room.
414
00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:48,520
It explains why America
is fighting its war,
415
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,760
why it wants to be independent,
416
00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:54,040
how it's going to form itself
into a nation.
417
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:57,280
It's quite a practical document
for the short term.
418
00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,040
It explains how things
are going to unfold.
419
00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:04,040
But the values it presents
for the long term
420
00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,520
have turned it into
almost a sacred text.
421
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,040
What makes us exceptional,
what makes us American,
422
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:18,040
is our allegiance to an idea
articulated in a declaration
423
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,640
made more than two centuries ago.
424
00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,520
We hold these truths
to be self-evident
425
00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:26,920
that all men are created equal...
426
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:31,040
That they are endowed
by their creator...
427
00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,280
With certain inalienable rights.
428
00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,880
Among these are life, liberty...
429
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,720
And the pursuit of happiness.
430
00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,520
The Declaration of Independence
has gone down in history
431
00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:47,360
as a unanimous statement
of the beliefs of a new nation.
432
00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:50,520
But the writing of the Declaration
433
00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:54,040
exposed a series of highly-charged
disagreements.
434
00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,520
The document had to satisfy the
demands of people from 13 states
435
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,040
with opposing views
on divisive subjects
436
00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,160
like religion and slavery.
437
00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:11,360
Professor Danielle Allen has studied
the drafts of the Declaration
438
00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:13,040
line by line.
439
00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,000
So, the first draft had
an incredible paragraph
440
00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,040
condemning King George for
a slave trade that was violating,
441
00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,040
in the language of the draft,
the "sacred rights
442
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:27,040
"of life and liberty
of a distant people in Africa."
443
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,280
And that was cut out by Congress,
that was a pro-slavery moment
444
00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,280
where it was too much to say
explicitly that Africans
445
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,520
had the same rights of life
and liberty as everybody else.
446
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,760
But then we get the anti-slavery
moment, which is in the phrase,
447
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,200
"Life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness".
448
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,040
So, the tradition of thinking
about rights and the law of nature
449
00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,520
that emerged in the 17th
and 18th century
450
00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,520
often invoked the idea that
what governments should do
451
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:53,800
is defend life, liberty
and property.
452
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,920
In the American context,
the concept of property had become
453
00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,200
closely connected to a defence
of slavery, so there was a debate
454
00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,120
between the happiness concept
and the property concept.
455
00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:05,040
The happiness concept won.
456
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:09,040
It's a compromise concept, because
the people who were against slavery
457
00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:12,520
could see it as eroding
the justification for slavery.
458
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,520
The people who were in favour
of slavery could think,
459
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:18,040
"Yes, my enslaved people
make me happy!",
460
00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,640
so they too had a way of seeing
themselves in the document.
461
00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:26,040
Do you think that this is really
a very clever document indeed,
462
00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,280
because everybody can look at it
and see what they want to see.
463
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:31,000
It's a beautiful compromise.
464
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,520
Well, we've forgotten these days,
but one of the core elements
465
00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,640
of democracy is compromise,
466
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:40,040
which is interesting, because often
in the US we like to think,
467
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,760
"Oh, what was the original
intent of the founders?",
468
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,520
and the fact is, there isn't
a single answer to that,
469
00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:49,040
because they had these moments
of choice, they'd pick an action,
470
00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,160
they agreed on the action,
but for different reasons.
471
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:56,520
Even the Declaration's
most memorable statement,
472
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,040
"That all men are created equal",
473
00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,280
was open to interpretation.
474
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:05,520
Did the fact that everybody
was equal, in the basic sense
475
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:07,520
of their wellbeing mattering,
476
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,760
mean that everybody should
participate in political power?
477
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,520
And the answer to that question
for them was no.
478
00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,280
John Adams writes to his wife
Abigail when she says,
479
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,040
"What about the ladies?
Where are they in this?"
480
00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,520
He writes to her and says,
"Yes, your wellbeing,
481
00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,560
"your life, liberty and happiness
are a part of this,
482
00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,840
"but we men, we will be in charge
of ensuring that the government
483
00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:30,760
"succeeds in delivering that."
484
00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:34,040
Those white men with property
who are going to control power.
485
00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:39,040
Every 4th of July,
the Declaration of Independence
486
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,040
is celebrated
as the birth of the United States.
487
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,760
But it wasn't the end of the war.
488
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:53,280
America still had to beat
the British on the battlefield.
489
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,760
But the Americans didn't have
enough arms and ammunition
490
00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:00,760
to win a war by themselves.
491
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:05,280
So, to get rid of one king,
they turned for help to another -
492
00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:08,040
King Louis XVI of France.
493
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,040
Within a week of signing
the Declaration of Independence,
494
00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:18,120
the American revolutionaries sent
a copy to the French monarch.
495
00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,480
The British were France's
greatest enemy.
496
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,320
Raaarrr!
497
00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,120
Raarr!
498
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:30,000
In 1756, Britain and France
had gone to war
499
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,160
over territories in North America.
500
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,520
This became known as
the Seven Years' War.
501
00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,360
It was a battle for
imperial supremacy.
502
00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,040
But the British...came out on top.
503
00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:47,920
And the French weren't happy
about it.
504
00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,240
France lost all of its Canadian
colonies to Britain,
505
00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:54,880
as well as parts of the Caribbean.
506
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:58,920
And all they had to show for
their efforts was crippling debt.
507
00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:02,520
Sacrebleu!
508
00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,760
Imperial France saw
the American War of Independence
509
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:08,960
as the chance to get its revenge.
510
00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:16,680
In 1776, they began smuggling arms
to support the Patriot cause.
511
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,280
Then, in 1778, the French
joined the United States
512
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,040
as official allies.
513
00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,680
The main thing that changed
was the introduction
514
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,760
of the French Navy
into the force. Mmm.
515
00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,040
The British were always dependent
upon their Navy to keep themselves
516
00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,040
supplied from London,
517
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,040
to move troops around
from place to place,
518
00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:40,280
and with the French Navy
now on American shores,
519
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,280
all of that was cut off.
520
00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,040
Britannia no longer ruled the waves.
Mmm.
521
00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:49,320
And for them, it changed completely
the nature of the war.
522
00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:52,040
Do you think that America
could have won
523
00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:56,040
without this help from France?
No, absolutely not.
524
00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,880
America could never have won
the war without France.
525
00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,600
This is not the story
of the plucky little Americans
526
00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,760
with their muskets and their ploughs
going out and having a go
527
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:07,040
against the mighty, evil British,
is it?
528
00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,520
And it never was true
and it was never a good fit.
529
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:13,760
Erm, the Americans could never
have brought themselves up
530
00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:15,520
by their own bootstraps.
531
00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,760
In fact, the real story
of the American Revolution
532
00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:22,040
is that the United States
became the centrepiece
533
00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,760
of an international coalition
which together fought
534
00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,640
to achieve a common purpose -
to defeat a common adversary.
535
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:37,520
The last major land battle of
the Revolutionary War was in 1781.
536
00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:42,040
In Yorktown, Virginia,
the British surrendered
537
00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:46,280
to George Washington's army
of American and French troops.
538
00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:52,040
But the decisive role of Imperial
France in the American victory
539
00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:54,480
was very quickly played down.
540
00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,040
The war was over, yet the battle
to control the story
541
00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:03,280
of the revolution
was just getting started.
542
00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:07,960
# Oooo-ooo-oooh... #
543
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:11,280
The early histories
of the revolution told the story
544
00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:15,520
almost as a morality tale
with good triumphing,
545
00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:20,040
and that's because the new nation
was still finding its feet.
546
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,040
It needed stability and purpose.
547
00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,040
Meanwhile, the French,
548
00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:28,520
well, they were now having a
violent revolution their own.
549
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,520
They were busy chopping
each other's heads off.
550
00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:36,520
Emerson wrote his Concord Hymn
in 1837.
551
00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:41,520
By this time, Americans saw
themselves as triumphant underdogs.
552
00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:45,520
His embattled farmers
were celebrated in poetry,
553
00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,880
set to the tune of an old psalm.
554
00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:52,760
# By the rude bridge
that arched... #
555
00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:57,760
The revolution was becoming
remembered as a sacred story
556
00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:01,040
outlining America's
God-given destiny
557
00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,040
to lead others towards liberty.
558
00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,520
In the 1840s,
its conquest of Mexican
559
00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:09,760
and Native American territory
560
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,520
was presented as the divine destiny
561
00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:15,240
of an exceptional nation.
562
00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:18,280
The idea that we controlled
our own destiny
563
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,800
did not fit very well
with the idea that we depended
564
00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:25,520
upon European powers
to support our birth
565
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,680
and so that part of the story
became left out over time.
566
00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:30,280
# Free
567
00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:35,440
# Bid time and Nature
gently spare... #
568
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,040
In the first half
of the 19th century,
569
00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,520
the nation's patriotism
was growing ever stronger.
570
00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:47,200
People were eager to tell stories
of America's revolutionary heroes.
571
00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,760
And if they don't exist,
then why not make them up?
572
00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:53,280
Mm-hmm!
573
00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:01,040
Take the story of a woman
named Molly Pitcher.
574
00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,760
Legend has it that Molly wandered
the field at the Battle of Monmouth
575
00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,040
in 1778, bringing water
to her husband
576
00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,040
and his fellow soldiers.
577
00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:17,760
Suddenly...
GUNSHOT
578
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,040
Ah! Molly's husband
is shot in the head.
579
00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:21,760
He falls to the ground.
580
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,760
She drops her pail of water
and she cries out,
581
00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:29,360
"Lie there, my darling,
I will avenge thee!"
582
00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,520
Molly Pitcher bravely takes
up her husband's position
583
00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:35,680
at the cannon and battles on.
584
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,280
CANNON FIRE
585
00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:42,040
The next morning, George Washington
himself gives Molly a piece of gold
586
00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,720
and assures her that her services
will not be forgotten.
587
00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:49,040
But, in some versions of the story,
588
00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,280
George Washington also
makes her a Sergeant.
589
00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:55,280
And in others,
the husband isn't killed,
590
00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:57,040
he's only injured.
591
00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,520
And in yet others, it's not a bucket
that Molly's carrying around
592
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:04,760
the battlefield, it's a pitcher,
and the thirsty soldiers shout out,
593
00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,280
"Oi, Molly, we're thirsty! Bring
your pitcher! Molly, pitcher!"
594
00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:09,760
Molly Pitcher.
595
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,760
Molly is an appealing heroine
596
00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:18,280
and her battle-scarred
19th-century image
597
00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:22,240
still appears in 21st-century
schoolbooks.
598
00:36:22,240 --> 00:36:25,040
But Molly Pitcher is a fib.
599
00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:29,520
You'll find lots of books about her,
but there are no first-hand accounts
600
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,760
that place her
at the Battle of Monmouth.
601
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:36,040
She's probably an amalgamation
602
00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:39,320
of several brave Patriot women.
603
00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,520
Some people think that
she's Margaret Corbin,
604
00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,520
a woman wounded in battle
at Fort Washington
605
00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:48,520
who received a war pension.
606
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:53,040
Others claim
she's Mary Hays McCauley.
607
00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:55,840
Mary even has a memorial
608
00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:58,440
claiming her as the original
Molly Pitcher.
609
00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:04,040
But Molly's legend sprung up
in the 1830s and '40s,
610
00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:07,760
when the people who'd lived through
the revolution were dying out.
611
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,520
Historians started collecting
anecdotes second-hand
612
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,760
and historical accuracy
was often sacrificed
613
00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,040
in favour of a good story.
614
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:19,520
Fire!
615
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,040
The Liberty Bell
is another late arrival
616
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,280
in the story of the birth
of the United States.
617
00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:40,280
The bell used to hang in the tower
above Independence Hall,
618
00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,840
where the Declaration
of Independence was signed.
619
00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:48,680
It was put up in 1753
to call politicians to meetings
620
00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:52,520
and to alert the public
to important announcements.
621
00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:58,040
When the Declaration of Independence
was first read in public
622
00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:01,520
and the Liberty Bell
was sounded in celebration,
623
00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:06,040
a witness said it rang
as if it meant something.
624
00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:09,720
In our time,
it means something still.
625
00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:16,520
But the Liberty Bell's starring role
in the American Revolution
626
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,520
only entered the story
627
00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:23,040
71 years after the Declaration
of Independence was signed.
628
00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:31,280
In the 1840s, George Lippard was
the bestselling author in America.
629
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:37,520
Lippard was best known for his
sensationalist Gothic tales,
630
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:40,760
filled with gory murders and vice.
631
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:47,520
But in 1847, he turned his hand
to historical fiction.
632
00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:57,520
Lippard wrote a story that was set
on the 4th of July, 1776.
633
00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:02,760
He introduces the character
of an old man in humble attire,
634
00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:05,280
but he still has a gleam in his eye.
635
00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:09,520
He's the kindly bell-ringer
who's in charge of the Liberty Bell.
636
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:13,280
And then there's a young boy
with flaxen hair
637
00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:16,360
and laughing eyes of summer blue.
638
00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,040
The story goes that
the blue-eyed boy
639
00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:22,520
had the job of signalling
to the old man
640
00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:26,480
to ring the bell when the men
below declared independence.
641
00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:30,040
And what a super-exciting moment
it is.
642
00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,040
The little boy,
swelling his little chest,
643
00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:37,040
raised himself on tiptoe
and shouted a single word,
644
00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:38,520
"Ring!"
645
00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:42,760
Now the old man is young again,
his veins are filled with new life.
646
00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,520
Backward and forward
with sturdy strokes,
647
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:49,040
he swings the tongue,
the bell speaks out!
648
00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,520
Everybody goes absolutely wild.
649
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:56,520
The bell speaks to the city
and to the world.
650
00:39:58,040 --> 00:39:59,760
It's a great story.
651
00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:03,040
It's the Hollywood version
of the 4th of July
652
00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:05,760
before Hollywood even exists.
653
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:08,280
And it's also entirely made up.
654
00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:14,280
It sounds like heresy,
but there's no evidence at all
655
00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:18,040
that the Liberty Bell was rung
on the 4th of July, 1776.
656
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:23,040
On July the 8th,
some of the city bells were rung
657
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,760
to announce the public reading
of the Declaration,
658
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:29,280
but the steeple at the old
statehouse was in disrepair,
659
00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:34,080
so it's unlikely that Old Liberty
was ever rung that week.
660
00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:37,040
But you can't keep
a good story down.
661
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:41,520
Five years later, a significant
historian called Benson Lossing
662
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:45,720
published his Pictorial Field-Book
of the American Revolution,
663
00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:49,280
and he too included
the "blue-eyed boy"
664
00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,560
giving the signal to ring the bell.
665
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,520
Two years after that,
666
00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:57,760
and a biography of George Washington
is published,
667
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,520
complete with the "bright-eyed boy".
668
00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:06,520
So, in less than a decade,
Lippard's historical fiction
669
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,520
has become accepted
as historical fact.
670
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:17,040
Thanks to Lippard,
the Liberty Bell has become
671
00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:20,560
a central part
of the American story.
672
00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:25,040
The body of Abraham Lincoln
was brought to Philadelphia
673
00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:28,520
to lie in state
next to the Liberty Bell
674
00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,280
after his assassination in 1865.
675
00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:34,280
In 1917,
676
00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:40,680
its image helps to raise 21 billion
for the US war effort.
677
00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:42,280
Thank you, all.
678
00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:45,520
And its legend has continued
into the 21st century.
679
00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:48,040
And each of the founders coming here
680
00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:50,760
would know the ring
of the Liberty Bell.
681
00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:53,280
It rang to announce
the first public reading
682
00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:55,360
of the Declaration of Independence.
683
00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:58,520
But in the late 19th century,
684
00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:01,760
a new symbol of the revolution
was forged,
685
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,280
and it would eclipse
even the Liberty Bell
686
00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,800
in the national consciousness.
687
00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:17,760
The Statue of Liberty is a symbol
of the American Revolution
688
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:20,560
at its biggest and boldest.
689
00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:25,040
Liberty, the central idea from
the Declaration of Independence,
690
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:28,320
was reimagined
as a 300-foot goddess...
691
00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,280
..armed with a guiding light
692
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:35,280
and a tablet bearing
the revolutionary date -
693
00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:38,040
July 4th, 1776.
694
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:42,760
But her meaning
has never been set in stone.
695
00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:46,040
She's come to represent
all kinds of different things.
696
00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:48,760
The revolutionary alliance
with France,
697
00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:52,280
America enlightening
the rest of the world
698
00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:55,520
and a nation that welcomes
immigrants.
699
00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:59,520
Each of these things, though,
comes with its own little fibs.
700
00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:06,320
The Statue of Liberty
was a gift from the French
701
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:11,280
to celebrate their almost forgotten
alliance in the American Revolution.
702
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:16,760
But this wasn't a gift
from the French Government.
703
00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:20,280
It was a message to it,
to guard against tyranny.
704
00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:25,520
The Frenchman who proposed
the statue, Edouard de Laboulaye,
705
00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:29,720
was worried about the lack
of democracy in his own country.
706
00:43:30,720 --> 00:43:33,760
He wanted a statue to honour
the United States
707
00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,520
as an example
of a successful republic.
708
00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:41,760
But this great American symbol
wasn't originally designed
709
00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:43,600
for the United States.
710
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:47,280
The sculptor,
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi,
711
00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:50,920
had been planning to build
a similar statue for Egypt.
712
00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,760
He travelled to Egypt
and he showed his designs
713
00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:58,040
of a gigantic figure of a woman
to stand at the entrance
714
00:43:58,040 --> 00:43:59,760
to the Suez Canal,
715
00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,400
and she was to be veiled
in the Egyptian fashion,
716
00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:06,280
she was to hold high a lantern
and she was to represent Egypt
717
00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:09,280
carrying the light of progress
to Asia.
718
00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:12,760
And this idea excited
the Egyptians initially,
719
00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:16,520
but the expense was so high and
they were expected to pay for it.
720
00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:18,280
They turned it down.
721
00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:22,040
So, he just redesigned it
so it would be a European figure,
722
00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:24,760
it would be a Roman goddess instead,
723
00:44:24,760 --> 00:44:27,880
and that it would represent freedom
and not progress.
724
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:34,280
The Statue of Liberty
was unveiled in 1886.
725
00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:42,040
But to some, a statue celebrating
the ideal of liberty was misleading.
726
00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:46,520
Women protested
at the unveiling ceremony.
727
00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:51,040
She might be Lady Liberty,
but she still couldn't vote.
728
00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:56,040
While African-Americans pointed out
that liberty and equality
729
00:44:56,040 --> 00:44:58,280
still weren't realities for them.
730
00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:04,320
Soon, a new meaning for
the Statue of Liberty emerged.
731
00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:07,760
During fundraising
to build the statue,
732
00:45:07,760 --> 00:45:10,760
a well-known Jewish poet
called Emma Lazarus
733
00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:13,280
had written a poem to raise money.
734
00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:18,520
Lazarus was an advocate for refugees
735
00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:24,040
and her poem gave Lady Liberty
a new political message.
736
00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:29,280
Lazarus's poem was called
The New Colossus.
737
00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:32,760
In it, she showed Lady Liberty
738
00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:37,040
almost standing on the doorstep
of America, welcoming people in.
739
00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:40,520
The line that everybody remembers
goes,
740
00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:44,040
"Give me your tired, your poor,
741
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,760
"your huddled masses,
742
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:50,480
"yearning to breathe free."
743
00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:57,040
Nearly 20 years after the opening,
Lazarus's friends had a verse
744
00:45:57,040 --> 00:46:01,040
from that poem engraved on a plaque
at the base of the statue.
745
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:06,040
And now the poem
was all the more resonant.
746
00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:08,040
In 1892,
747
00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:13,040
an immigration centre had opened
on neighbouring Ellis Island.
748
00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:17,760
Lady Liberty would now be forever
connected with the idea
749
00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:22,760
of the United States welcoming
immigrants from all over the world.
750
00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:26,760
Do you think that the key
to her success
751
00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:31,040
in becoming this symbol of America
is the fact that she's so flexible?
752
00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:34,040
She can mean almost anything
to anybody, can't she?
753
00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:36,760
Yes, scholars have called her
a hollow icon,
754
00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:40,040
and that means that because
she's really empty inside,
755
00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:42,680
she can be filled with
anyone's notion
756
00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:44,520
of what liberty means to them.
757
00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:48,040
That did transform her into having
all kinds of new meanings,
758
00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:51,040
like a symbol for immigrants,
759
00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:54,280
a symbol for American nationalism,
760
00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:57,080
a symbol for all sorts of ideas.
761
00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,040
What started out as a powerful
symbol of the French alliance
762
00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:06,160
in the War of Independence
had been overtaken by another story.
763
00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:12,040
But in the 20th century,
there would be new opportunities
764
00:47:12,040 --> 00:47:16,520
for the story of the revolution
to shape the American landscape.
765
00:47:17,520 --> 00:47:19,960
JAZZ MUSIC
766
00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:25,040
Jazz-age New York was the era
of the skyscraper -
767
00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:27,960
an emblem of a country
looking to the future.
768
00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:30,760
But at the same time,
769
00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:34,520
American architecture
was also looking to the past.
770
00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:39,760
Churches, post offices, schools
were being built in a style
771
00:47:39,760 --> 00:47:42,000
known as Colonial Revival.
772
00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:48,280
George Washington High School
was built in 1925,
773
00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:51,520
just five years before
the Chrysler Building opened.
774
00:47:52,760 --> 00:47:56,040
The name of the school refers
to the American Revolution
775
00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:58,760
and so too does its design.
776
00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:02,040
That red brick
and those white columns
777
00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:04,520
and especially the bell tower
on top,
778
00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:07,520
they all remind me of
Independence Hall in Philadelphia,
779
00:48:07,520 --> 00:48:10,520
or some of the 18th-century
buildings of Boston.
780
00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:12,600
JAZZ MUSIC
781
00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:18,800
Now, anybody could live in a home
or eat in a diner
782
00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:21,760
that looked like 1770s America.
783
00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:31,760
The Colonial Revival was pitched
as a truly American-style.
784
00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:36,040
You were supposed to look at it and
somehow feel the special qualities
785
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:37,760
of the Founding Fathers.
786
00:48:37,760 --> 00:48:40,760
Their courage,
or maybe their virtue.
787
00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:45,760
It was used for public buildings
to show people how to be American.
788
00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:50,520
In fact, architecture could be a way
to make America great again.
789
00:48:52,520 --> 00:48:57,520
But this is an idealised version
of the revolutionary era.
790
00:48:57,520 --> 00:49:01,760
It comes complete with
heroic Founding Fathers
791
00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:07,040
who embody the Declaration's high
ideals of liberty and equality.
792
00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:09,640
And it's another distortion
of the truth.
793
00:49:10,640 --> 00:49:14,040
In the heart of Philadelphia,
next to Independence Hall,
794
00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:16,520
is the site
of the President's House.
795
00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:20,040
Long before the White House
as we know it existed,
796
00:49:20,040 --> 00:49:23,760
George Washington, as President,
lived here.
797
00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:26,760
But the house that existed
on this site
798
00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:29,520
has a darker side to its story,
799
00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:35,280
because the unpalatable truth is
that Washington was a slave-owner.
800
00:49:36,280 --> 00:49:39,040
At the time of his death in 1799,
801
00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:41,520
there were over 300 slaves
802
00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:44,720
working on Washington's
Virginia plantation.
803
00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:50,120
Nine slaves worked for him
here in Philadelphia.
804
00:49:52,520 --> 00:49:55,280
When the foundations
of the President's House
805
00:49:55,280 --> 00:49:58,760
were discovered in the year 2000,
a campaign started
806
00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:03,280
to have Washington's Philadelphia
slaves remembered at the site.
807
00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:08,040
Now, their names are carved
in stone here
808
00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:10,520
and their story is recorded.
809
00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:13,280
But only after an eight-year battle
810
00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:16,160
fought by activists
like Michael Coard.
811
00:50:17,160 --> 00:50:20,280
Why do some Americans,
and some very powerful Americans,
812
00:50:20,280 --> 00:50:23,480
not want to think of Washington
as a slave-owner?
813
00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:27,440
It shakes the very foundation
of American history.
814
00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:31,760
If there were ever a man-god
in American history,
815
00:50:31,760 --> 00:50:33,520
it's George Washington.
816
00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:36,760
George Washington is the foundation
of what America represents,
817
00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:39,040
so if you find out that
at the very core,
818
00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:43,040
at the very foundation, this man
had such a horrific blemish,
819
00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:46,680
that blemish being slavery, people
don't want to admit the truth.
820
00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:49,560
If he's flawed,
then America's flawed.
821
00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:53,120
How did George Washington
treat his slaves?
822
00:50:53,120 --> 00:50:57,520
Well, any person who enslaves
any other person automatically
823
00:50:57,520 --> 00:51:01,000
treats them bad by enslaving them,
that's the first thing.
824
00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:02,960
But even beyond that,
825
00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:06,040
George Washington was
a miserable miser
826
00:51:06,040 --> 00:51:08,880
when it came to his
enslaved population.
827
00:51:08,880 --> 00:51:12,520
He was notorious for having them
run around in rags,
828
00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:15,840
having them hungry,
having them emaciated.
829
00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:18,040
In 1780, there was something called
830
00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:20,680
the Pennsylvania Gradual
Abolition Act.
831
00:51:20,680 --> 00:51:24,480
They passed a law saying, "Hey,
if you bring enslaved human beings
832
00:51:24,480 --> 00:51:27,520
"into this state and you hold them
for six straight months,
833
00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:29,760
"at the end of that six-month
period,
834
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:32,440
"they could petition for
their freedom." Yes, yes.
835
00:51:32,440 --> 00:51:36,520
So, what George Washington would do
is wait for five months, 29 days,
836
00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:39,760
take them across state lines
and then bring them back.
837
00:51:39,760 --> 00:51:42,760
Now, people say, "Well, yeah,
he kind of skirted the law."
838
00:51:42,760 --> 00:51:45,520
No, he didn't just skirt the law,
he broke the law.
839
00:51:45,520 --> 00:51:49,040
Nobody wants to hear that about
our great hero George Washington.
840
00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:50,760
Absolutely! Oh, my goodness!
841
00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:54,040
And it's so funny, because if you
want to say George Washington
842
00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:56,040
was a great general,
you can say that.
843
00:51:56,040 --> 00:51:59,040
If you want to say George Washington
was a great president,
844
00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:01,760
you can say that.
But can you be a great human being
845
00:52:01,760 --> 00:52:05,280
when you hold 316 fellow
human beings in brutal bondage
846
00:52:05,280 --> 00:52:07,520
and play the type of games he did
847
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:09,960
with Pennsylvania's
Gradual Abolition Act?
848
00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:13,040
Why is it important
to tell this story
849
00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:15,360
about George Washington,
slave-owner?
850
00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:18,760
It's important in order for America
and ultimately the world
851
00:52:18,760 --> 00:52:21,520
to be able to move toward
racial healing.
852
00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:24,280
We might not ever reach
that kumbaya moment
853
00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:27,040
where we all come together
as a human species,
854
00:52:27,040 --> 00:52:29,760
but at least we can begin
to respect one another.
855
00:52:29,760 --> 00:52:33,040
And you respect people when you
find out where they came from,
856
00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:34,520
what they're about.
857
00:52:34,520 --> 00:52:37,280
In order to reach the truth
you have to tell the truth,
858
00:52:37,280 --> 00:52:39,760
and you have to tell the truth
at the beginning.
859
00:52:39,760 --> 00:52:43,040
The beginning of American political
history is George Washington.
860
00:52:43,040 --> 00:52:45,280
You've got to tell the truth,
the whole truth
861
00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:47,000
and nothing but the truth.
862
00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:49,280
# Oooo-oooh ...#
863
00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:52,760
In the 21st century,
864
00:52:52,760 --> 00:52:58,520
a battle still rages to decide
whose version of history gets told.
865
00:52:59,520 --> 00:53:02,280
# Oooo-ooo-oooh... #
866
00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:06,520
And in 2015, that story
stepped on stage
867
00:53:06,520 --> 00:53:08,560
on Broadway.
868
00:53:08,560 --> 00:53:10,280
# Alexander Hamilton
869
00:53:11,280 --> 00:53:13,000
# My name is... #
870
00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:15,760
Hamilton is a ground-breaking
retelling
871
00:53:15,760 --> 00:53:19,840
of the birth of the United States
as a hip-hop musical.
872
00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:22,760
# Just you wait, just you wait
873
00:53:22,760 --> 00:53:25,280
# When he was ten, his father... #
874
00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:28,520
Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda,
it's based on the life
875
00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:31,400
of Founding Father
Alexander Hamilton.
876
00:53:31,400 --> 00:53:34,520
George Washington's right-hand man
on the battlefield
877
00:53:34,520 --> 00:53:37,280
and Treasury Secretary
in his Cabinet.
878
00:53:38,880 --> 00:53:42,520
It's been praised by critics
and presidents,
879
00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:45,520
won 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy,
880
00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:47,760
and a Pulitzer Prize.
881
00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:53,280
To its fans, the musical Hamilton
is a revolution in itself.
882
00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:56,040
It tells the story
of the American Revolution,
883
00:53:56,040 --> 00:54:00,040
but all the historical characters
are played by actors of colour.
884
00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:04,040
The only white one plays
poor old King George III.
885
00:54:04,040 --> 00:54:07,280
So, the stage is full
of African-Americans,
886
00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:10,040
Puerto Ricans and Chinese-Americans.
887
00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:12,520
There's a big sign on the front
of the theatre,
888
00:54:12,520 --> 00:54:16,280
and it says, "History is happening
here in Manhattan."
889
00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:22,240
Hamilton's racial diversity has made
the story of the Founding Fathers
890
00:54:22,240 --> 00:54:25,040
more accessible
for modern Americans.
891
00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:31,280
But historian Lyra Monteiro believes
that this masks the inequalities
892
00:54:31,280 --> 00:54:35,280
at the heart of a revolution
fought for liberty and equality.
893
00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:39,040
I saw the show the week
it opened on Broadway
894
00:54:39,040 --> 00:54:44,000
and I was blown away by, you know,
the quality of it as a work of art.
895
00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:47,040
But immediately I was, like,
"Wait a second, this is not..."
896
00:54:47,040 --> 00:54:50,720
It's not cool that these guys
are so cool, right?
897
00:54:50,720 --> 00:54:55,760
By turning the Founding Fathers
into these, you know,
898
00:54:55,760 --> 00:55:00,280
interesting, cool, clever, exciting,
you know, relatable guys, right,
899
00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:04,280
in suggesting that they're
just the same as, you know,
900
00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:07,080
African-Americans who were raised
in the projects,
901
00:55:07,080 --> 00:55:11,520
it ends up obscuring, really,
how much that founding moment
902
00:55:11,520 --> 00:55:15,520
was about the oppression of everyone
who wasn't a white man.
903
00:55:15,520 --> 00:55:17,760
It was not a revolution
for everybody.
904
00:55:17,760 --> 00:55:22,040
These are definitely people
who did not want the ancestors
905
00:55:22,040 --> 00:55:24,400
of the performers onstage
906
00:55:24,400 --> 00:55:27,600
to count as citizens
in the nation they created.
907
00:55:27,600 --> 00:55:30,600
Do you think it's possible
that there could be a generation
908
00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:34,040
of school kids who go away thinking
that all of the Founding Fathers
909
00:55:34,040 --> 00:55:36,040
were great guys, just like Obama?
910
00:55:36,040 --> 00:55:39,320
Yeah! I think there's a real
possibility of that.
911
00:55:39,320 --> 00:55:42,040
And I think there's a real problem
with that too, though,
912
00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:45,280
because it continues to perpetuate
this idea that
913
00:55:45,280 --> 00:55:48,520
in order to have a rightful claim
to power in this country,
914
00:55:48,520 --> 00:55:51,040
a rightful claim
to be in this country,
915
00:55:51,040 --> 00:55:55,040
you have to show that you have a
claim to the country's past, right?
916
00:55:55,040 --> 00:56:00,280
And so black men and Latino men
representing the founders
917
00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:02,760
is a way of saying,
"Look, we belong here too.
918
00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:05,040
"We're as American as white people."
919
00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:07,040
And I think that's kind of shitty.
920
00:56:07,040 --> 00:56:09,440
I don't think that we
should have to, you know,
921
00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:12,680
look back to that always in order
to make a claim that we belong,
922
00:56:12,680 --> 00:56:15,800
because, ultimately, we're still
leaving other people out.
923
00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:19,440
But isn't it "just" a musical?
How much does it matter?
924
00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:21,520
Sure, it's just a musical,
925
00:56:21,520 --> 00:56:24,760
but it's a musical about a very...
926
00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:28,560
erm, intensely symbolic moment
in American history
927
00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:32,680
that has an impact on how Americans
understand ourselves.
928
00:56:35,280 --> 00:56:37,520
At the centre of the story
of Hamilton
929
00:56:37,520 --> 00:56:40,520
is a line which becomes
the final song -
930
00:56:40,520 --> 00:56:44,520
"Who lives, who dies,
who tells your story?"
931
00:56:44,520 --> 00:56:48,520
# Who lives, who dies,
who tells your story?
932
00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:51,280
# President Jefferson,
I give him this... #
933
00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:54,760
This show is explicitly
asking questions
934
00:56:54,760 --> 00:56:57,280
about who gets to write history.
935
00:56:58,280 --> 00:57:01,760
# Who lives, who dies,
who tells your story? #
936
00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:05,280
Who controls the narrative
of the founding era?
937
00:57:06,280 --> 00:57:09,520
And in a story where some
of American history's
938
00:57:09,520 --> 00:57:13,520
biggest fibs abound, this can
surely only be a good thing.
939
00:57:14,520 --> 00:57:17,760
# Every other Founding Father's
story gets told
940
00:57:17,760 --> 00:57:21,280
# Every other Founding Father
gets to grow old... #
941
00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:25,760
The history of the American
Revolution has been mythologised,
942
00:57:25,760 --> 00:57:28,280
distorted, reimagined
943
00:57:28,280 --> 00:57:31,040
and sometimes just made up.
944
00:57:31,040 --> 00:57:35,280
And that's partly because it's
such an inspiring moment in time.
945
00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:40,040
America has such a powerful
national mythology.
946
00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:43,040
It makes Americans feel good
about their country
947
00:57:43,040 --> 00:57:46,760
and it's how their country
presents itself to the world.
948
00:57:46,760 --> 00:57:50,040
But if history teaches us
anything at all,
949
00:57:50,040 --> 00:57:52,760
it's that we have to ask questions.
950
00:57:52,760 --> 00:57:55,040
Who is telling us the story?
951
00:57:55,040 --> 00:57:57,520
How are they spinning it?
952
00:57:57,520 --> 00:58:00,760
And could they be telling us fibs?
953
00:58:04,160 --> 00:58:07,120
Next time, the American Civil War.
954
00:58:08,120 --> 00:58:10,360
You are darling, darling!
955
00:58:10,360 --> 00:58:15,160
Was Abraham Lincoln really
fighting to end slavery?
956
00:58:15,160 --> 00:58:19,600
Lincoln always did what was in
the best interest of his race.
957
00:58:19,600 --> 00:58:23,040
I'll uncover the fibs
in the story of a conflict
99145
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