Original subtitles

Previously on Sons of Liberty.

Taking your ship, you loyalist bastard!

All of this violence and unrest- it is bad for business.

It's all money for you. That's not what this is about.

You can't force us to drink your junk tea when it's at the bottom of the harbor!

Is nothing to be done to quash this insurrection?

General Gage.

Your service as governor has concluded.

General Gage is a cancer. He brings with him only suffering and death.

Is this how you treat loyal British citizens?

Not British. They're colonists.

And all of you will be treated however I see fit...

until you learn to submit to your king.

Well, I cannot leave a lady stranded. Let me take you home.

British oppression in Boston is constant and unending.

Boston has brought this outrage upon itself.

These men are not going to give you an army.

- And what would you have us do? - I suggest that you make one.

Mr. Adams, whatever you need, I am in.

James Barrett. Revere says you're a man who can be trusted.

Me and Paul go way back.

Word around Boston is that Gage is coming for you.

You'll be shot dead in the streets, a damned martyr. Is that what you want?

I want justice.

I know what you and your friends are doing and I want to be a part of it.

You actually witnessed Samuel A dams and John Hancock?

Good. I want to see them both hanged.

Get saddled. Gage's troops are on the march for Adams and Hancock.

We're gonna get there first.

We have to stay and fight.

Those men out there are giving their lives to protect us, to protect me.

Sam! If you die, this whole thing dies with you.

The Redcoats are coming!

Disperse now.

Not another inch of this field will you take!

Prepare to fire!

Let them fire first!

Second rank!

Fire!

Advance!

- Hey! Halt! - Oh, shit.

Shoot him, quick! Shoot him!

There he is! Get him! Don't let him get away!

- Hey!

It's all right.

Paul, are you hurt?

I'll survive.

John.

Thank you.

I'm going to head for Concord. You and him get to safety.

Paul.

Look after yourself.

Sir, Adams and Hancock have escaped.

They knew we were coming. Someone talked.

- Shall we return to Boston, sir? - Don't leave anyone alive.

We will carry out our orders. Prepare the troops to march to Concord.

Sir.

Bring me that one.

Where is Sam Adams?

Answer me.

Who warned Adams we were coming?

Answer me.

Kill him.

To Concord!

Left! Rear, hut!

Forward march!

Who are you?

What are you doing on my land?

I'm William Dawes.

I'm a friend of Paul Revere's.

The British are on their way with a full regiment of men.

Whatever you've got in that barn, all of Massachusetts knows you got it.

Are you able to hide it?

Gonna need to wake some people up.

- Hurry up!

Move the cannon forward!

Let's go!

Let's go!

Come on! Now!

More dirt! More! Now!

Hey.

- Where's the weapons? - Hidden.

Better hope so.

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left!

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left!

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left!

Hold up.

Twenty men back that way, back to the other side of the house.

The rest of you follow me.

Regiment, halt!

Forward march!

Captain James Barrett.

Been a long time since anyone called me "Captain."

Major John Pitcairn, His Majesty's British Marines.

Always a pleasure to meet a fellow military man.

At least I've heard that.

- Clear the tree line.

You fought against the savages, did you not?

Yeah, against them and with them. But those were different times.

Well, I suppose the thrill of war has a way of distorting time.

I never found war to be much of a thrill.

Well, I suppose war has a way of distorting judgment as well.

Flank to the left. Check on the left.

Right turn!

I just finished planting my bean crop.

So... afraid I don't have much to offer your men.

Nothing?

Some milk, a few chickens.

Welcome to it.

How about gunpowder?

Pardon?

Muskets, loading rods.

- Maybe even a cannon.

What the hell would I do with a cannon?

One of your old war comrades...

was sighted around these parts.

I'm sure you remember Paul Revere.

Why...

I haven't seen Paul Revere in ages.

We know that your farm is being used to store weapons...

and if you save us the trouble of searching for them...

I will personally see to it that you are not punished.

In fact, you'll be rewarded.

If, however, we are forced to search your farm...

and we do so much as find...

a single horn of gunpowder-

Very well then.

Tear the place apart!

Search everywhere!

Next party, left march!

Right party, search the house!

Left party, search the barn!

Search everywhere!

Leave nothing unturned!

Move yourselves!

Major!

Aha.

Well...

we found something.

Memento from the thrill of war.

Nostalgia...

is hardly treason.

Now, leave me to tend to my farm.

It's in great need of repair.

- Wait for it.

Well, nostalgia is what's going to get you killed.

Fire!

Form up on me!

Keep firing!

- Hit 'em again! - Fall back to the bridge!

Retrieve the colors!

Fall back! Retrieve the colors!

Fall back!

Fall back!

Fall back to the bridge!

Fall back!

Fall back to the bridge!

Fall back to the bridge! Help the wounded!

Your prize.

Let's dig up the weapons.

Time to take back our city.

Halt.

Dismount when reporting to your commanding officer.

Yes, sir.

What is this?

Their men fought viciously, like savages, sir.

Where are they?

Marching close behind. They may already be outside the city.

Where are Adams, Hancock, the rebel munitions?

I don't know, sir.

You've no excuse for your failure?

Sir, the rebels knew we were coming.

My men performed a thorough search of the property.

The munitions were gone and they had enough time to prepare an assault.

I alone gave the order to march, Major.

You and your officers were the only men who knew the objective.

Please do not question my officers' loyalty, sir.

Treason against the crown is a crime punishable by hanging.

We are servants of the king.

You have my word that not one of us has spoken against His Majesty. I'll swear to it.

Examine your ranks from the highest officer to the lowliest sentry.

No gambling houses, no brothels, no taverns.

Every British soldier will be either on report...

or confined to the barracks.

Yes, sir.

Make yourself presentable before you report to my office.

Perhaps then you can explain where your colors are.

Oh, you scared me.

Your doctor, Dr. Warren.

You've seen a lot of him.

You wouldn't happen to know whom he was friendly with, would you?

Samuel Adams? John Hancock?

Has your doctor ever mentioned either of those names?

No. I wouldn't know anything about that.

I- I hardly knew the man.

I know it was you.

What have you done?

Their blood is on your hands.

Traitor.

Breakfast?

When was the last time you ate something?

Is it true about you and Gage's wife?

You always looked out for me.

But this time I'm telling you.

Be careful.

I need a word.

Did you hear about Kelly?

Yes.

I'm sorry.

We'll have our revenge soon enough.

They've called for a Second Continental Congress.

They demand an explanation from you.

- What, they want it right now? - Yes, now.

Well, in case they hadn't noticed, we're in the middle of a fight here.

That's what they're afraid of.

What's the point? So I can watch them write another love letter to the king?

Gage's troops will be back.

More men, more firepower.

He's right.

They'll join the British.

They'll proclaim sides and they'll join the British against us.

No, he's right. He's right.

I've been around rich men my whole life, and they will not lose.

They will not lose their fortunes. Anything but their fortunes.

They will always take the side of power.

Now, gentlemen...

the crown, Gage, the empire...

they will stop at nothing to make these men turn.

And they will turn.

If they'd have offered it to me...

I would have taken it.

Warren and I will stay here, and we'll hold the line.

Fine.

But you're coming with us.

Draft a letter to Lord North.

Tell him Parliament must authorize...

a greater British presence here in the colonies.

If they can send 5,000 soldiers, demand 10.

If they can send 10, demand 20.

This is a war.

It's time you all started treating it as such!

General Clinton, secure the city.

- I want every exit sealed. - Yes, sir.

Your men are to shoot anyone trying to leave Boston.

I don't care if they're in full British uniform.

No one is above suspicion.

Dismissed.

I see no soldiers in the streets of Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania is not at war. New York is not at war.

Boston is at war.

None of this would have happened if it wasn't for him.

It's true.

If it wasn't for Sam Adams and his thuggish friends...

we wouldn't be in this position.

We would be leading our lives content...

and British.

You, sir...

have escalated this situation.

You and your band of rebels.

You weren't there.

None of you!

None of you have seen...

what has been happening in Boston.

Good men have lost their lives.

And you are sitting here, arguing, looking for somebody to blame.

Well, here I am!

I am here.

I'm here to work with you. I am here to work with you towards a solution.

To a problem you created.

This is not a good situation.

We need these men.

I know someone who can help.

So this is where greatness resides.

I am honestly amazed he's still alive.

No, I mean delightful. It was delightful.

- Shh-shh-shh.

Your usual fee and...

a little extra.

Oh, thank you.

- I'll see you next Thursday. - Yes.

- Okay. - Bye-bye.

Gentlemen.

What are you doing in my house?

We had an appointment, Dr. Franklin.

My name is John Adams.

Mr. John Hancock, my cousin Samuel Adams.

We're the congressional delegates from Boston, sir.

Hmm.

Well, as long as you're not here to ransack the place.

Come on in.

We have Boston surrounded.

Gage and his men still control the city, but now that we've cut off Charlestown...

they can't hold off much longer.

They'll be coming for us.

- What's the status of the militia? - We're growing every day.

But these men are untrained, they're unorganized.

Can we withstand a full-out British attack?

A few charges maybe, but a full-scale attack-

So, you want to operate your businesses...

without someone else taking it over?

Yes.

And, uh, live in your own houses...

without the fear...

of someone taking it?

Absolutely, yes.

You want the, um-

the right-

to not be at the whim of a king.

Exactly.

Well, gentlemen, um...

I have been in England for more than a decade...

and you are not going to get any of those rights or freedoms...

from them.

You're not talking about defending your rights as Englishmen.

You're talking about a new country.

A country?

Yes.

All the colonies united.

A new nation.

That's the only way it's going to work.

Is that really what you want?

- Well, I suppose it is- - Yes.

Well, that, uh-

that's an absolutely bat-shit crazy idea.

It's exactly what I want too.

So...

let's see if we can sell this idea to anyone else.

Mr. Jefferson, I hope we can count on your support.

You can consider me a friend to the cause.

- That was easy. - I talked to him earlier.

He was with us from the beginning.

Now, let's get to work.

- Ah, gentlemen. - Mr. Franklin.

I grant you that, but my good men...

I stand before you as a man who has taken the leap...

and as a man who, as a consequence, is reaping the rewards.

- I have to think about it.

Well, we are dependent on Britain to buy our cotton.

You know that I'm very close with the French, right?

I assure you...

that any saltpeter procured for any continental militia...

would come solely from the colonies.

Tell me what some of your concerns may be...

and perhaps I can find a way to alleviate them.

Gentlemen, I understand your concerns. Of course I do.

I think I have Button Gwinnett from Georgia.

All he needs is an assurance that we won't meddle with his land grants.

- It's not going to work. - It will.

It takes time.

Time is the one thing that we don't have.

Gage still has Boston.

Talking about purchasing more saltpeter from Rhode Island is-

Mr. Adams, you're missing the point. We need to appeal to their motivation.

And they're all different.

You're talking about starting a country.

What kind of country would that be?

Mr. Adams, you have a lot to learn, and I suggest you learn it quickly.

If 12 years standing in front of Parliament has taught me anything...

it's that politics is a chess match.

You must think five moves ahead.

And what happens five moves from where we are now?

We take their king.

Left, right, left, right, left!

Left! Left, right, left, right, left!

Tomorrow we break this stalemate.

You are Britain's best.

We shall not be outsmarted by these traitorous colonists.

With respect, sir, we're outnumbered and surrounded.

They may be colonists, but they still know how to fight.

I don't want your excuses. I want the scalp of every colonial savage in those hills.

There might be one way, but it will be costly.

We attack them across the harbor here at Bunker Hill.

If we can overtake them and secure the high ground around Charlestown-

Sir, the loss of life would be catastrophic.

The losses will be significant...

but reinforcements are on their way from London as we speak.

The one thing we can afford to lose is soldiers.

We can't afford to lose Boston.

"Significant," sir?

That's how you describe thousands of lives at stake?

- Enough. - I beg your pardon, sir. It's just that-

Silence!

We attack tomorrow at first light.

Ready the troops.

What we march to do today...

we do for king and country.

For king and country!

I need your hearts, your souls.

Many of us will die today...

and we will die with honor.

For king and country!

For king and country! Huzzah! Huzzah!

To Bunker Hill!

Left turn!

Forward march!

- They're coming in!

- They're coming in the harbor! Look!

Look!

Looks like they're going to come through Charlestown.

We need to fortify Bunker Hill. Let's move.

Mr. Revere.

Found some friends of mine. Thought you might want some help.

Welcome, gentlemen. We can use every hand we can get.

You heard the man. Go inside and get some axes.

- That's the last of it. - What do you mean, that's the last of it?

That's all we got.

Gage is on his way here with five man-of-war ships and 3,000 men, at least.

We don't have the ammunition.

We're going to get one, maybe two shots at most.

"Let them come up.

Beat your plowshares into swords...

and your pruning hooks into spears."

I know you're afraid.

There's no shame in fear.

Any man with something to lose fears death.

Dear God.

Here they come.

Send for reinforcements now.

Hold the high ground! They don't take this bunker!

- Ready your weapons! - Move it out!

Hand me that rifle.

Close up!

Stay in formation!

Get your heads up!

Alignment!

Right, left. Right, left. Right, left.

Over there!

Regiment...

halt!

- Ready!

- Cannons. - Cannons!

- Ready!

Rapid fire.

Rapid fire!

Back to the ring now! Get down!

Back to the ring now!

Hey, hey, look at me.

Hang in there.

Hurry up!

Hold fast. I'll be back.

Giddap. Hyah!

Let's get back in the fight!

Start the advance.

- Ready arms! - Ready your arms!

Conserve your ammunition! Fire only on my command!

Hold the advance!

- Advance! - March!

Stay in formation!

Hold your fire!

Step! Step! Step!

Steady.

Hold!

Wait. Wait for my order.

Fire!

Keep firing!

Hit them again!

- Fall back! Fall back!

Fall back!

They're retreating!

- Fall back!

Hit them on the right! Cannons!

- Halt the retreat. - Halt the retreat!

- Start the second advance. - Yes, sir.

Major.

Lead them yourself.

Second advance, prepare to move!

For the glory of the Marines, advance!

Advance!

We're running out of ammo.

Conserve your ammunition!

- Salem, aim for the officers. - Yes, sir.

- Fire!

Salem!

- He's been shot! Help him out! - Help him!

Left! Left! Left!

Left! Left! Left!

Left! Left! Left! Left!

I warned you our losses would be severe.

Be patient, General. You'll have your victory.

Fall back!

Fall back!

Warren! We have to get out of here!

Warren!

Warren! We need to get out of here.

Warren!

Dragoons, with me! Advance!

Mutilate the body.

There he is.

Help me out.

- Another one of ours. - Another one.

Just give me a hand.

We need some help.

Paul?

Is it him?

He is dead.

No, no!

I killed him myself.

The coward died trying to run away.

Pack for England.

You're on the next ship out of the harbor.

My wife is sick.

Restrain her if she attempts to leave.

Yes, sir.

No! Please!

No one is asking you to abandon hostilities.

We're not blind to the plight of New England.

Then why do you insist on being so unhelpful?

Our forefathers thrived on a sacred union with England.

I, for one, am not prepared to destroy that bond.

Not while war is still avoidable.

You are aware you're not the only delegate from Pennsylvania, right?

I am.

I still have to follow my conscience.

And I'm not?

There will be no peace.

We've just received news from Boston.

Hundreds of our militiamen were slaughtered...

by General Gage and his troops...

along with our friend, Dr. Joseph Warren.

These were all brave and true patriots.

We should observe a moment of silence.

No!

We have observed enough silence. We need action.

Mr. Washington!

General Gage is a ruthless, brutal tyrant who will stop at nothing.

I will ride to Boston. I will take care of him myself.

Are there any objections?

Good day, gentlemen.

Sam.

Assemble our reserve forces.

I want a full-scale attack as soon as our soldiers are walking again.

Sir, our victory at Bunker Hill has had little consequence.

We've lost hundreds of men.

We've suffered losses, yes...

but a hundred of ours means far less than 100 of theirs.

We attack again before they can replenish their numbers.

But, sir, the reinforcements from London should be here shortly.

- Let's bide our time. - Tell me, what did we fight that battle for?

We have them on the run. We must push forward at all costs.

Now.

What are you doing?

I'm going somewhere that I can be useful.

- You can be useful here. - Nothing's happening here.

We've been at this for weeks.

No, your cousin, Mr. Franklin, me- we have been at it.

You have been no help at all.

Can you deny it?

Have you done anything to convince these men?

These men-

These men are all terrified.

They're all just in it for themselves. They all want something.

Yes, they do, but you do not.

I didn't understand at first, but now I do.

All you want is for things to be fair for everyone.

If you leave, everyone else will leave.

You have to stay and convince them.

You have convinced me!

A man with everything to lose.

Look at me. Look at me.

I am broke.

This- This is all I have left.

You're the only one with no agenda.

You're the only one who can make these men hear the truth.

Good luck.

So we don't even have a third of the house yet?

No.

What about South Carolina?

I've no idea what South Carolina is going to do at this point.

Well, unless it's unanimous, it does us no good.

General Gage will pick us off colony by colony.

All right.

But enough of the bullshit. Let's try this my way.

Glad you're back.

- Did you see that? - Did you see it? Oh!

Mr. Revere? George Washington.

I am very happy to meet you.

I regret I was unable to arrive sooner.

That's a lot of men.

I gathered every militia from here to Philadelphia.

They're good men...

and they're prepared to fight for their freedom.

We could use their help.

Gage is most likely preparing for a final charge...

to break through whatever fortifications you might have left.

So we must be ready.

George Washington?

Yes, sir.

- How many soldiers does he have? - At least 6,000.

- We need to get out of this city. - It will be a fight.

They have Boston surrounded, and we've lost too many men.

Reinforcements from London are on their way.

No. Send a messenger to George Washington.

- Tell him I want to speak with him. - Yes, sir.

We need unity, one voice.

Any holdouts to the cause undermine our argument completely.

I'm sorry, Mr. Adams, but that's just a bridge too far.

I understand your trepidation, but a vote from you, sir-

- It's treason.

Is there something funny, Mr. Adams?

You still think you have a choice, do you, Mr. Rutledge?

They will take your possessions.

They will rip you from your home.

And they'll probably kill you.

Sure as I'm standing here right now.

I would think about it if I were you.

Leave us.

It's all right.

- George. - Thomas.

I see you finally found an army, if you can call it that...

willing to promote you to general.

They honor me with that title, yes.

It's not the first time you and I have stood by a fire...

in these godforsaken wilds.

There is something oddly comforting about that.

I was already a seasoned officer when General Braddock...

dragged me here along with 4,000 of his troops.

We were to save a colonial commander...

who failed to defend our borders here.

I'm sure you remember.

- Fort Necessity. - That is it.

Our position was lost to the French...

and yet Braddock appointed that same colonial commander-

you- as his personal aide-de-camp.

I have to say, my fellow officers and I were greatly surprised.

Nonetheless, I was honored to lead the advance attack.

Braddock and you, his ambitious errand boy...

were to hold the rear guard-

a chaotic mess of ill-trained pig farmers...

who dissolved into hysteria at the first sounds of battle.

You allowed the enemy to flank us...

and forced us into a devastating retreat.

Over 1,000 British casualties...

including General Braddock himself...

whom you had personally sworn to serve and protect.

That was a long time ago.

I've often wondered, General Washington...

what it was like as Braddock lay dying in your arms.

What must he have said to you.

He said...

"We shall better know how to deal with them next time."

And here we are.

You would do well to remember...

that I continued fighting alongside the British Army...

with those pig farmers.

But they learned.

A point of fact- You are here now because of them.

Yes, the irony is not lost.

Now, I expect you will be asking me...

to allow you and your men to leave Boston.

Yes, very good.

- And you'll give us free passage. - Why would I do that?

Well, if you don't, I'll burn Boston to the ground.

There are a great many homes in this city...

homes filled with the families of your soldiers.

So be it.

You never did get that commission with the British Army you so coveted.

No.

Thank God.

That's a shame.

It's a mistake. We'll have the city within a week.

Why give them free passage now?

We lost Bunker Hill because of their numbers, not their passion.

Why give them any further victory that would harm ours?

Boston blackened by fire, just as Charlestown was...

would be a blow to morale.

And we have a long war to fight.

We agreed to let them leave unmolested. They will not leave unfollowed.

So that we will better know how to deal with them next time?

That's George Read from Delaware.

Scare him.

Mr. Read.

...constituents. Some of them have been working very, very hard.

Mr. Franklin.

- John. - Sir.

At some point, this is all gonna come to a vote.

Somebody needs to preside over it.

It should be you.

You want me to preside over Congress?

But what about Sam?

Did you know I grew up in Boston?

Yes, sir, I was aware of that.

Your uncle was a- quite an impressive man.

At least in some ways...

to some people.

That he was.

You see, here's the thing, John.

I know where you've come from...

and I know now where you've ended up.

You're the right man for the job.

Ride back to your king!

Get out of here!

They think it's over.

So we have most of the room. Just a few holdouts.

Yes, we're close. We're very close.

It's time to write it down-

a document, a declaration of our independence.

The writer should be someone from outside the Boston circle.

A Southerner.

They're the ones holding us back. Someone young, someone likable.

- Exact opposite of you. - Yeah.

I have someone in mind.

- Mr. Jefferson. - Mr. Adams.

We have a task for you.

Good day to you, sir.

Good day.

Seems the British warships are heading south.

How many ships?

At least 60.

So, London sent reinforcements.

He's trying to finish this now.

Head to Philadelphia, Mr. Revere.

We must warn them.

Ready the men at once. We march at dawn.

I don't know how you do things in Georgia, but in Boston, that's not very funny.

If you gentlemen would excuse me just for two minutes.

- Oh, Sam. - One moment, Nathaniel. I'll be back.

Paul, what are you doing here? Four beers, please.

Gage's full fleet is approaching the harbor.

There's no longer any doubt.

They are going to attack New York.

- How long? - A couple of days at most.

- Are they joining the cause? - Most of them.

Well, we're out of time.

Whatever's going to happen here needs to happen right now.

Why don't you come say hello?

Gentlemen, apologies. I got you a fresh drink there.

I want to introduce you to a very close friend of mine, Mr. Paul Revere.

He brings news from General George Washington.

How do you do?

He's just fresh down from Boston.

That is a fine suit, Mr. Adams.

We have a full house. You just need to tell them the truth.

Are you ready?

It's now or never.

I know what most of you think of me.

That I'm a thug...

a smuggler, rebel.

That I started all of this...

asked for it...

a drunk who never did anything with his life...

and has caused all this trouble for everybody.

Well, I'm here today...

to tell you...

that you're right.

I am.

I am all those things, and more.

But in the eyes of the crown...

I'm nothing.

In the eyes of the crown, you are nothing.

You're just colonists.

Who do you want to be?

The answer actually isn't even important.

It's the idea that we even have the right to ask the question...

"Who do we want to be?"

We don't need a birthright.

We don't need a family crest.

And we certainly don't need the king's damn permission!

What we need is a fair and equal chance.

The freedom to live our lives the way that we see fit...

and the confidence that that freedom cannot be taken away from us.

That-

That is our God-given right.

And I, for one...

am willing to fight for it...

willing to die for it.

Independence, gentlemen.

Independence.

Maryland.

Aye.

New Hampshire.

Aye.

Virginia.

Aye.

- Delaware. - Aye.

- North Carolina. - This is going to happen.

Aye.

How do you want to be remembered?

- Rhode Island. - Aye.

I will be remembered however history sees fit.

- New Jersey. - Aye.

South Carolina.

Aye.

Pennsylvania.

You do whatever you're going to do.

I abstain.

Pennsylvania votes aye.

Massachusetts.

Sam.