The previews looked so enlightening that I couldn’t wait for PBS to run Ken Burns’ American Revolution. Having looked at all his previous films, I anticipated a well-done and factually accurate portrayal of my country’s quest for independence. I wasn’t disappointed with the production. I was disappointed in my country.

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As we approach the beginning of 2026, I find myself dreading what will be coming down from the present administration for the 250th anniversary of the creation of the United States of America. In 1776, a group of men penned and signed a document stating that they desired to live free of monarchal control and to govern themselves. I listen to the cries of “No Kings” now from protestors and wonder why it is we are living that scenario again, 250 years hence. While we weren’t yet called the United States of America in 1776, it was obvious that the people in the thirteen colonies wanted a better system. This desire is present again. We want — no, we need — a better system.

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Every night, I watched the hour-long film and suffered through every military confrontation of that period, because Burns and his partners brought forth all of them in minute detail. I learned things that I hadn’t learned in school, but I expected that, so it was not surprising. We were not taught accurate facts in school. The question remains why we didn’t receive an accurate history. No one wants to answer that question. Ken Burns tried.

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I am not a fan of watching violence, even if it is historical in nature. Trying to understand the decisions of generals and admirals of those times is difficult. Communication depended on a horse and a rider with a sealed parchment in his hands and miles or days of travelling. Many decisions, troop movements, and conscription efforts were made without complete support or instructions from congressional members or even other generals and admirals.

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The British often found themselves waiting for word from a king and government across the ocean. Word had to come by ship, which could take weeks if not months. The patriots might have been better off since there were only miles between different troop locations — but those were miles in wild territories. This war for independence took eight years, from April 19, 1775, to September 3, 1783. Today, wars still last for years.

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Burns showed very well the injustice towards Black men who volunteered to fight, choosing one side or the other, with a promise of freedom from slavery at the end of the war. Neither the loyalists, the British, nor the patriots lived up to their promise. Slavery continued to exist.

The British welcomed Native people into their ranks, as did the patriots, with the colonial government sanctioning the takeover of Native lands.

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The desire to self-govern sparked the move to independence; however, a desire for more land was paramount. Settlers were already advancing westward and creating settlements on Native lands. Our illustrious forefathers who so eloquently stated the desire for independence in that document that states, “All men are created equal and have unalienable rights for the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness,” were among those most harboring this desire. Black people and Native people had no rights.

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None of this was new information to me. These facts came forth from descendants of both Black slaves and those we used to call Native Americans.

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The series did not hold back on showing the behaviors of troops from both sides. Men raped women who were left at home when their husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers went off to fight. Troops took over properties, evicting the rightful owners, confiscated food, and destroyed farms and fields.

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The film states that this was not just a war for independence — it was a civil and global war. Civil in the sense that some family members fought for the patriots and some for the loyalists. Global in that it took place not just in the thirteen colonies but also in the Caribbean, the Appalachian area, and the Great Lakes, for interests other than achieving independence or keeping a monarchy. Troops from Germany fought for the British and eventually, France sent troops to the patriots.

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At the end of the film, a commentator states, “It was patriots who won our independence.” If much of what Burns displayed in this film is true, and I believe it is, this is not my idea of patriotism.

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Is it patriotism coming from those who support the idea of “making America great again?”

How great we were when we stole most of the land on this continent from its native peoples. How great we were when we enslaved ten million Black people from 1619 to the 1860s. How great we are — still fighting wars, killing people. How great we are when over 700,000 people are homeless in our country. How great we are with 35.9 million people living in poverty in the United States, with not enough resources to meet the demand for help.

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Ken Burns’ film has award-winning qualities. I did not enjoy it. Not because Burns didn’t produce it well, but for its truth in content. At the end, I did not feel proud. That is the sorrow I come away with that fuels the dread I have of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the rhetoric of false patriotism that I know we will hear.

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Published by Ruth Ann Angus on Medium 12/14/25 at https://medium.com/@yeswecanpeacebuilders1