( narrator )
Adventurers sail across an ocean
to start a new life. A nation is born, which becomes
the envy of the world. But in search of freedom...
friends become foes, and these new Americans... will wage a war against the
world's greatest military power. We are pioneers... and trailblazers. We fight... for freedom. We transform our dreams
into the truth. Our struggles... will become a nation. Captioning presented by<font color="#0000C0">
A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS</font> Shiploads of businessmen
and true believers are crossing
the Atlantic Ocean to create a new world. May 1610. 120 years after Columbus,
it's still a perilous journey. One ship, The Deliverance,
carries a cargo that will change
America forever. All hands over here. Onboard is John Rolfe, a 24-year-old
English farmer. Ambitious, self-reliant,
visionary. A born entrepreneur. What takes us six hours
today by plane was then a voyage
of more than two months. Seven of the early adventurers
out of every ten will be dead
within a year. ( man )
Land ahoy ! But the risks are worth it. North America is the ultimate
land of opportunity. A continent of
vast untapped wealth. Starting with the most valuable
resource of all... land. What will be home to more
than 300 million people lies under a blanket of forest
covering nearly half the land. More than 50 billion trees. Further west,
9 million square miles of vast American wilderness. 60 million bison
roam the plains. And underground,
there are rumors of gems, silver... and the largest seams of
gold in the world. The settlers expect
nothing less than El Dorado. But what Rolfe finds at
the English settlement of Jamestown... is hell on Earth. More than 500 settlers made
the journey before Rolfe. Hello ? Hello ? Barely 60 remain. It's called
"The Starving Time." ( "George Percy" )
Having fed on horses
and other animals, we ate boots, shoes, and any other leather
we came across. ( man )
Somebody, help ! Three months before
Rolfe arrives, a man is burned at the stake for killing his pregnant wife
and planning to eat her. The English arrive
unprepared for this new world and unwilling to perform
manual labor. Instead of livestock, they've brought chemical
tests for gold... that they never find. And this is
not their land. They build Jamestown
in the middle of a Native American empire. 60 starving settlers among
20,000 of the Powhatan Nation, armed with bows and arrows that
are up to nine times faster to reload and fire
than an English musket. They're soon enemies. Only one in ten of the original
settlers is left. John Rolfe didn't
come to plunder and leave like the others. He's got his own plan. There's money in tobacco,
and England is addicted. He's arrived with a supply of
South American tobacco seeds, but growing it is limited to
the Spanish colonies. The Spanish control
the worldwide trade. Selling tobacco seeds
to foreigners is punishable by death. But John Rolfe has got
his hands on some. No one knows how. And in the warm, humid climate
and fertile soil around the Chesapeake Bay,
Rolfe's tobacco crop flourishes. The first large harvest
produced by these seeds is worth more than a million
dollars in today's money. The great strength of
America is our people. If you wanna know what is the
defining strength of America, it is our people,
our immigrant tradition, our bringing in cultures
from all over the world. I know what goes into
making success. And when somebody's really
successful, it's rarely luck. It's talent, it's brain power,
it's lots of other things. Rolfe marries the daughter of
the king of the Powhatan Empire. Her name becomes legend:
Pocahontas. In England,
Rolfe makes her a celebrity when her face is put
on a portrait that sells all over London, advertising life
in the New World. Shakespeare
mentions the colony. England's rich invest
money here. All of London knows
about this land of plenty. Within two years, tobacco
grows in every garden. From a living hell, Jamestown is America's
first boomtown. Two years later, nearly 1,000
more settlers arrive, including 19
from West Africa... slaves. But some go on to own their
own land in Virginia. 12 years after the founding
of Jamestown, Africans were playing
a shaping role in the creation of the colonies. That's pretty incredible. 30 years later, there are over 20,000
settlers in Virginia. America is
founded on tobacco. For the next century
and a half, it's the
continent's largest export. Ten years after Rolfe
arrives in Jamestown, another group of English
settlers lands in North America. They come ashore on
a deserted beach 450 miles up
the coast from Jamestown and call the place Plymouth, after the English
port they sailed from. These are a different
breed of settler, a group of religious dissidents with faith at
the center of their lives. They made the dangerous
Atlantic crossing seeking religious
freedom in the New World. 24-year-old apprentice
printer Edward Winslow arrives with a group of
religious sectarians on a boat
called the Mayflower. By April 1621, their settlement
is taking shape. The Mayflower
returns to England. The Pilgrims are on their own
in an unknown land. ( "Edward Winslow" )
A great hope and inward zeal
we had of laying some great foundation for the propagating
and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts
of the world. They're 19 families. Goats, chickens,
pigs and dogs. They have spinning wheels,
chairs, books, guns. And no way home. If you create this environment
as a land of opportunity, then you're gonna
attract those type of people who wanna take that risk, who have--
wanna take that gamble and who believe in
a better life. They were heading
for the Hudson River, but they've landed 200 miles
further north at the beginning of winter. They have arrived in
the middle of a mini ice age, temperatures 2° colder
than today. Winters are longer,
growing seasons shorter. The soil is poor. Little grows. Food supplies run low. In the first three months,
more than half the Pilgrims die. William Bradford is the governor
of a community soon in desperate trouble. ( "William Bradford" )
It pleased God to visit us
with death daily. Disease was everywhere. The living were scarcely
able to bury the dead. They died sometimes
two or three a day. Of 100 and odd persons,
scarce 50 remained. At times, only six are
fit enough to continue building their shelters. Susanna White's husband dies
that first winter. Edward Winslow's wife
perishes a month after. Within weeks,
White and Winslow marry. They'll have five children. Today more than
10% of all Americans can trace their ancestry
back to the Mayflower. For a time, Plymouth provides
the sanctuary they sought. ( "Susanna" )
Edward ! Edward ! Edward, please go and
look over there ! But like Jamestown,
there were others here first. ( narrator )
April 1621. The Pilgrims have been in
the New World for five months. Barely half survive
the first winter. But they're not
the first Europeans to arrive on this coast. Five years before, European ships brought
light-skinned people and plague. Almost nine out of ten of the
local people are wiped out. The Pokanoket people
don't need enemies. They make peace
with the Pilgrims. They teach the English how to
grow crops in sandy soil, using fish for fertilizer. But they want
something in return. They have a common enemy--
a rival tribe. And the English
have powerful weapons. The Pilgrims aren't soldiers. But in the New World,
they have to fight to survive. On August 14, 1621, Pilgrims and Pokanoket,
shoulder to shoulder, will launch
a surprise attack that will seal their future
in this new land. ( "William Bradford" )
It was resolved to send
14 men, well-armed, and to fall upon
them in the night. The captain gave charge:
Let none pass out. ( screaming ) The rival tribe
doesn't know what hit them. Surrounded, they have no answer
for English firepower. Pokanoket and Pilgrims
find common ground... and a chance to survive. Two unlikely allies. A partnership all too rare
in North America. ( "Edward Winslow" )
We have found the Indians
very faithful in their covenant of peace with us. They are people
without any religion or knowledge of any God, yet very trusty, quick of
apprehension, ripe-witted... and just. Their victory brings a period
of peace to the colony. Their friendship
is celebrated in a feast. In time, it will become known
as Thanksgiving. One of the main themes
in the founding of America was a place to do business, a place to expand
your horizons, a place to live
a life of your own, practice your own religion. Those are the basic
themes that brought people to these shores
to colonize. It's the start of
a period of prosperity that will transform
North America. From Jamestown and Plymouth,
their descendants grow across the landscape. As more and more people
cross the Atlantic-- thousands,
tens of thousands, people with different
backgrounds, different
reasons for being here... America becomes the place for
everybody from everywhere. Rolling the dice, coming together
to create 13 colonies. From Jamestown, agriculture
spreads across the South, dirt farms transform
into sprawling plantations. Irish, Germans, and Swedes
push back the frontier. The Dutch bring
commerce to a small island at the mouth of
the Hudson River. In time, it will be
named New York. The colonists are 2 inches
taller, and far healthier, than those they
left behind in Europe. The Puritans average
eight children, and they are twice as
likely to survive to adulthood. They are 20% richer and pay only 1/4 of the taxes
of those in England. Many still think
of themselves as British, but each generation grows
further from its roots. Nowhere more so than Boston. May 9, 1768. Seven generations after
John Rolfe's first tobacco harvest, the British want a bigger
piece of the action. A British customs
official springs a surprise raid on The Liberty, a ship belonging
to John Hancock, one of the richest
men in Boston. But Hancock's
crew has other ideas. They're carrying 100 casks
of imported wine and don't want to pay duty. It's a radical act of rebellion
against taxes imposed by a king 3,000 miles away. To the British,
they're just common smugglers. This small skirmish
changes everything. The British
seize Hancock's ship, triggering riots that sweep
through Boston. We didn't wanna pay taxes to
a king and to a parliament where we didn't have a voice, and we didn't have
any representation. We have a natural resentment
toward government, which was how
we were born. The king sends 4,000 redcoats to
Boston to enforce his laws. Boston was a city of commerce,
culture, civilization, and revolution, unfolding right before
the eyes of the colonists and the eyes of the British. October 1768. British soldiers clamp
down on Boston, a port crucial to
the British Empire... and a hub of global trade
and commerce. Its dockyards are some
of the busiest in the world, producing 200 ships a year from
America's vast timber reserves. 1/3 of all British shipping
is built in the colonies. Timber fuels
the global economy... much like oil does today. Across New England,
marks identify the tallest, strongest trees selected by the
crown for British ships. England has lost
most of its forests. It wants American wood. In Boston, there's one redcoat
for every four citizens. It's a city
under occupation. Paul Revere is a silversmith and one of Boston's
prominent businessmen... an unlikely subversive. ( "Paul Revere" )
They formed and
marched with insolent parade, drums beating, fifes playing,
and colors flying, each soldier having received
16 rounds of powder and ball. ( man )
He is an
upper-middle-class figure, someone who has risen through
his own efforts, his own talent. He represents what we have
created on our own with very little help from our cousins
across the Atlantic. But when revolution comes
to North America... Revere will be
at the center of it. ( narrator )
Boston and the 13 colonies
are an economic powerhouse, critical to Britain. Nearly 40% of everything
exported from Britain makes its way to America. The fishing fleet ships
thousands of tons of salted cod to the Caribbean. Returns with sugar
and molasses... raw material for rum. Taxed by the British
after every exchange. In Africa, rum is the currency
used to purchase the most profitable cargo of all... African slaves. Between 1700 and 1800, more than 1/4 of a million
Africans are brought to the American colonies. More slaves than all those who
came of their own free will. Most wind up on large
plantations in the South. But they're also critical to
the economy of the North. 10% of Boston's
population is black. Boston is a melting pot,
and tension is building. ( woman )
Nobody likes invaders
in their homes. To have people here,
foreigners on your soil, is something-- is a great
incentive for people to fight. ( people shouting ) March 5, 1770. After three days of unrest,
an angry mob roams the streets. Hundreds of men who
lost their jobs and blame the British
gather on King Street... and face off against
eight redcoats... with orders not to fire. What's about to happen will
change America forever. A 17-year-old wig maker's
apprentice, Edward Garrick, lights the fuse. This is how wars start. ( men shouting ) Come on,
let's have it ! Private Hugh Montgomery
is hit with a club. ( men shouting ) An African-American,
Crispus Attucks, dies instantly. ( man )
Everybody, run ! When the smoke clears,
four more are dead. How Boston reacts will
change the course of history. Silversmith and political
radical Paul Revere captures the moment British
soldiers kill five colonists in the streets of Boston. His engraving will fuel
the fires of revolution as outrage spreads across
the 13 colonies. ( man )
Unhappy Boston
see thy sons deplore, thy hallowed walks besmeared
with guiltless gore, whilst faithless
Preston and his savage bands, with murderous rancor, stretch their
bloody hands. The most formidable
army in the world firing on an unarmed crowd. An explosive image
with a title that says it all: "The Bloody Massacre." ( man )
There was the old joke, "You give me a picture,
I'll give you a war." Those who wanted
to stir things up and to make a statement and maybe even
lead a revolution, it made them able to rally
others to their side. News spreads fast. The colonists
are avid readers, a legacy from the first
Bible-reading Puritans in Plymouth. Boston has the first
weekly newspaper. There are now more than
40 papers across the colonies. And the new postmaster general,
Benjamin Franklin... has introduced
a revolutionary postal-delivery system. Night riders cut
the delivery time in half. The communications network
connecting the colonies is one of
the best in the world. And the British have no idea. They hope the news
can be contained. Before news reaches England, most of America knows
about the Boston Massacre. It's a very American
spirit of an idea, this idea that everybody
should have access to knowledge. It's very much like that
pioneering idea, everybody should be able to
make their way in the world. A printer in Connecticut can
read the exact same story as a farmer
in North Carolina. December 1773. "The Boston Gazette"
breaks another story that will fan
the flames of rebellion. The rising tide of anger
and resentment forces England's hand. They repeal all
taxes... except one, on tea. It's not enough. In one of the most famous
acts of resistance in American history, Rebels dump over $1 million
worth of tea in Boston Harbor. When someone comes along
and smacks us, we don't turn
the other cheek. That's not who we are. ( man )
Move it ! The British respond by
shutting down Boston Harbor... one of America's busiest,
wealthiest ports. Come on, lad. Hundreds lose their jobs. The British mean to
strangle any resistance from the rebellious colony
of Massachusetts. America is about
to change forever. ( narrator )
Tensions escalate far
beyond Boston. Settlers are pushing west. Many have their eyes set on new
land west of the Appalachians. But to protect
Native American lands, England has banned
settlements along a boundary
called the Proclamation Line. Hundreds are evicted from their
homes on the frontier. September 5, 1774. ( "John Adams" )
We want liberty... Incensed at
the British actions, 56 delegates from across
the colonies gather at the First Continental
Congress in Philadelphia. It's the first step on the road
to American democracy. Among them are John Adams... Patrick Henry... and a gentleman landowner
from Virginia named George Washington. ( "George Washington" )
At a time when our lordly
masters in Great Britain will be satisfied with nothing
less than the deprivation of American freedom, it seems highly necessary
that something should be done to maintain liberty. Across New England, people
prepare to defend themselves. Smuggled arms are collected and
stashed in secret hideaways. But while
many expect conflict, most delegates in Philadelphia
want peace with Britain. A military action
would make a wound that would never be healed. ( man )
That's good, we don't have
all day, let's go, come on. The First Continental Congress
resolves that a British attack on any one colony will be regarded as
an attack on all of them. What emerges at Philadelphia
is solidarity. ( "Patrick Henry" )
The distinctions between
Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Englanders, and New Yorkers
are no more. I'm not a Virginian. I am an American. The future of the 13 American
colonies hangs in the balance. Spring 1775. Near Concord,
Massachusetts. Get those weapons
stacked up. We haven't got all day. Local gunsmith Isaac Davis
puts the town militia through basic training. ( man )
The American patriots knew that
they were doing the right thing. You're starting
the birth of a nation. You had to really believe
in what you were doing. ( "Isaac Davis" )
You've gotta keep
this clean here, sir. If you keep that clean,
it'll save your life. If war comes, this will be
America's first line of defense. A volunteer home guard
with weapons paid for by local citizens. Gentlemen, it's looking
good, it's looking good. Let's have some
breakfast and move out. They're farmers,
blacksmiths, and store owners. A fighting force of
ordinary Americans. ( man )
The militiamen of any
of the colonies were made up of just its citizens. It was a citizen-based
protection unit. And some of them
had some skills, but some of them were just
the carpenters. Some of them were just
the mason or the blacksmith. I mean, these were
the guys that-- they had something at
stake to protect their colony. So they started to
form together, just trying to
help protect each other. Every town across the colonies
has its own militia, but now they're
preparing to defend themselves against the British Army. ( "Isaac Davis" )
Better than yesterday,
better than yesterday. For six generations
across Massachusetts, men are expected to serve
as militiamen. In Massachusetts, 1/3 of all men
between 16 and 50 are ready to bear arms
at a minute's notice. Excellent, good shot. We keep this up, we're gonna
give those redcoats a scare, all right ? The British will not stand
for any armed resistance. April 19, 1775. After midnight, 900 redcoats
leave their barracks in Boston for Lexington and Concord,
about 20 miles away. Their orders: Arrest the Rebel
leaders and seize their weapons. News of the British attack
also reaches Paul Revere. His midnight ride
will alert local militias. Revere rides ahead of
the British troops. His warning
spreads from town to town, across the New England
countryside. Paul Revere
reaches Lexington... in time to spread the word. The British are coming. We need to
warn the militia. Get 'em together. Come on ! By 5:00 in the morning,
60 militiamen line up. They're commanded
by a farmer, John Parker. They're faced off against
hundreds of well-armed and highly
experienced British soldiers. What happens next will transform
the world forever. ( narrator )
Sunrise, April 19, 1775. On one side 60 men,
poorly armed and barely trained. On the other, hundreds of the most powerful
army in the world. Men who have only been
active for a handful of months vs. an army that in
the past 20 years has fought on five continents and defeated
everything in its path. For these Rebels, the fight is for nothing less
than freedom itself. These guys were revolutionaries,
they were scallywags, they were rebels, some of them were
gentlemen farmers, some of them were overeducated, some of them were
undereducated. It really was
the birth of a nation. The Lexington Militia gathers
on the village common. Dairy farmers
and shopkeepers. But also among them are free
African-Americans and slaves. It is a unique experience
that African-Americans have had in
the military in America. African-Americans fought
for the country even before it was a country. African-Americans
like Prince Estabrook. Give me training. You give me a weapon,
and I can perform as well as you can. Then there's
no power on Earth that's gonna hold me
down forever. Stand your ground. Don't fire
unless fired upon. But if we mean to have war,
let it begin here. Captain John Parker once fought
on the side of the British. ( horse neighing ) 1/4 of the men standing at
his side are related to him. ( gunshot firing ) No one knows who fires the first
shot at Lexington... ( horse neighing ) but it's the shot
heard 'round the world. I mean, the redcoats,
that's intimidating, the way they move, the way they march, the way they
execute on that open space. I imagine, on some level, for the guy who works
the printing press, this is overwhelming
beyond anything you could possibly articulate
in words. ( man )
Fire ! ( gunshots firing ) Prince Estabrook is
hit in the first volley. No army in the world can stand
toe-to-toe with the British, let alone a ragtag militia. ( man )
Fire ! The British fired up to four
times the rate of the militia. ( men shouting ) Within minutes of the first
shots fired at Lexington, eight Patriots
are dead, ten wounded. The American Revolution
has begun. The redcoats reach Concord
at 9:00 in the morning. Acting on a tipoff from
colonists loyal to the crown, they raid the militia's
arms stash. But the Rebels
have got there first... hiding almost everything. ( man )
That's good, we don't have
all day, let's go, come on. They continue to
search for weapons, giving the Patriots more time
to spread the word. The militia gathers just
outside the town of Concord. By late morning, more than 1,000 have arrived
from the surrounding villages. Their plan, to defend their
towns against the British. Let's go ! The British soldiers left
their barracks 15 hours ago. And now they face a 20-mile
march back to Boston. Shattered lives... an occupied city... blood in the streets
of Boston... and now Lexington. A people unified in the fight
against tyranny. Now the Patriots
have their chance. Gunsmith and militia leader
Isaac Davis takes a bullet through the heart. ( gunshots firing ) The Patriots seize
the upper hand and intend to make
the British soldiers pay. They shadow the redcoats' march, firing on them
the entire way. 1/3 are killed or wounded. Seven generations after
the first settlers left England, in search of prosperity
and freedom, their descendants will
have to fight for these rights. Standing in their way is
the might of the world's greatest military superpower. And they're not about to give
up their colonies lightly. Captioned by<font color="#00FFFF">
Soundwriters™</font>
