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==Summary== |
==Summary== |
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{{copypaste|14 May 2010|section|url=http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/articles/}} |
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{{cquote2|''America: The Story of Us'' is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented. With highly realistic CGI animation, dramatic recreations and thoughtful insights from some of America's most respected artists, business leaders, academics and intellectuals, it is the first television event in nearly 40 years to present a comprehensive telling of America's history. Elaborate, ambitious and cinematic, America The Story of Us takes viewers into the moments when Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress, from the rigors of linking the continent by transcontinental |
{{cquote2|''America: The Story of Us'' is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented. With highly realistic CGI animation, dramatic recreations and thoughtful insights from some of America's most respected artists, business leaders, academics and intellectuals, it is the first television event in nearly 40 years to present a comprehensive telling of America's history. Elaborate, ambitious and cinematic, America The Story of Us takes viewers into the moments when Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress, from the rigors of linking the continent by transcontinental railroad—the internet of its day—to triumphing over vertical space through the construction of steel structured buildings to putting a man on the moon. It is an intensive look at the people, places and things that have shaped our nation, and the tough and thrilling adventure that is America's 400-year history.|By The History Channel<ref>[http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/articles/about-america-the-story-of-us About ''America: The Story of Us'']</ref>}} |
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;Rebels (Episode 1) |
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In 1607, a small group of English adventurers lands in Jamestown. Thirteen years later the Pilgrims settle in Plymouth, New England. These men and women are all driven by the promise of a new life, and all face huge dangers from disease, starvation and conflict. The two colonies are very different, yet in time both grow. One man’s entrepreneurial dream, tobacco, and the first African Americans, turn the swamps of the South into a land of opportunity. The hardworking and resourceful Puritans forge the North into a trading powerhouse with shipbuilding at its core. Within 100 years, they have the highest standard of living in the world—a testament to a unique American spirit. Yet success and wealth prompt British jealousy, taxation, resistance and, finally, war. This is the story of how, over seven generations, a group of European settlers survive against all odds, claw themselves up and then turn against their colonial masters. A diverse group of men, women and children are about to become truly American. (TVPG) |
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;Revolution (Episode 2) |
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July 9, 1776. The Declaration of Independence is read to crowds in New York. Offshore, more than 400 ships bristling with soldiers and guns are massing. It is the largest British invasion force until D-Day. America’s 13 colonies have taken on the might of the world’s leading superpower. Within months, George Washington’s army has been decimated and defeat seems inevitable. Yet by 1783, America is free. It is a conflict that tests the resolve of Patriot soldiers to the breaking point. It takes us from the trenches of Manhattan, to the harsh winter camp of Valley Forge, and from the forests along the Hudson, to the spy-ridden streets of occupied New York—and finally, to victory at Yorktown. American forces learn the hard way how to master the landscape, new weapons and unconventional battle tactics. And with this elite force, forged through revolution, Washington saps the strength of the British Army to prevail in what has become a titanic battle of wills. As the British leave, a new nation, the United States of America, is born. (TVPG) |
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;Westward (Episode 3) |
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As the American nation is born, a vast continent lies to the west of the mountains, waiting to be explored and exploited. Yet this land is not empty—Native American Indians are spread across the land mass, as are Spanish colonists and French explorers. For the pioneers who set out to confront these lands, following trailblazers like Daniel Boone, the conquest of the West is a story of courage and hardship that forges the character of America. Armed with knowledge from hardened mountain men like Jedediah Smith, millions of Americans keep heading ever westward. Their journeys by wagon train are fraught with danger, across distances never imagined possible. But the allure of adventure, opportunity and economic gain is too strong. While some struggle to create new lives on the Frontier, others are rewarded with riches on a scale never seen before, as the world rushes in to mine California's gold. America now stretches from "sea to shining sea." And when American pioneers master the waters of the Mississippi basin with a radical invention, the steamboat, a new era opens. (TVPG) |
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;Division (Episode 4) |
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America becomes a nation at the moment a revolution in commerce and industry sweeps across the western world. The construction of the Erie Canal—an audacious feat of engineering achieved against the odds with black-powder and hard work—results in hundreds of workmen being killed, but the pay-off is immense. This vast new country, rich in resources, experiences a rapid change—in trade, transport and manufacturing—quickly turning America into one of the wealthiest nations on earth. New York booms, the factory town of Lowell becomes the cradle of the American industrial revolution, and in the South, with the invention of the cotton gin, cotton is king. Now two different Americas, united in prosperity, but divided by culture, face each other across a growing gulf. The issue is slavery. It underpins the prosperity of the South, but the North, though complicit, shows growing unease. There are violent clashes in Kansas. Abolitionist John Brown carries out a suicidal mission to try to end slavery in Virginia. He fails. With the election of Abraham Lincoln the stage is set for war. (TVPG) |
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;Civil War (Episode 5) |
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The Civil War rages. The terrible new technology of the minie ball is devastating Union and Confederate forces alike. It is 20th century technology meeting 18th century tactics and the result is a death toll never before seen on American soil. Still, strict discipline and an unshakeable belief in their cause have welded Robert E. Lee's Confederate army into a formidable force. And Lee is the ultimate military commander. His victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run leads him to within 20 miles of Washington, D.C. and it looks as if the Union might lose. But President Abraham Lincoln is fighting a very different kind of war than Lee is—one of technological innovation and military centralization. Lincoln uses the rail network, the telegram, supply lines and even advances in battlefield medicine and the media to mobilize men and machines as never before to fight the world's first technological war. As the battle reaches its bloody climax at Atlanta, the industrial capacity of the North is harnessed as Lincoln declares "total war." After General William Sherman's March to the Sea, the South is definitively crushed, and the industrial might that allows the Union to prevail leaves America poised to explode into the 20th century as a global superpower. (TVPG) |
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;Heartland (Episode 6) |
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In 1869, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America, more than 2,000 miles apart, are linked by continuous metal rails. The Transcontinental Railroad—the world's first—is the most ambitious human enterprise since the Great Wall of China, and much of it is built by Chinese laborers. The railroad doesn't just change the lives of Americans, it alters the entire ecology of the continent, and there are casualties. The vast Plains, where buffalo roam and Native Americans civilizations flourish, become home to farmers who build houses of grass—until daring loggers in the north drive lumber down the rivers to build the new homes and cities of the Midwest. It's the railroad that creates a new American icon—the cowboy—who drives cattle thousands of miles to meet the railheads and bring food to the East. But a simple new invention will change the lives of settlers, cowboys and Native Americans: barbed wire. Steel rails and now steel wire parcel up the Plains. In less than a quarter of a century, the heartland is transformed—not by the gun, but by railroad, fence and plough. |
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<ref> The History Channel http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us </ref> |
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==Commentators== |
==Commentators== |
Revision as of 05:22, 14 May 2010
Please do not use {{Infobox television film}} directly. See the documentation for available templates.
America: The Story of Us is a six-part, 12-hour documentary television miniseries[1] that premiered on April 25, 2010, on History.[2] Produced by Nutopia, the program depicts over 400 years of American history spanning from the successful English settlement of Jamestown on May 14, 1607, through to the present day.[3] The series recreates many historical events by using actors dressed in the style of the period and computer-generated special effects.
Episodes
Episode title[4] | First air date | Viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|
"Rebels" | April 25, 2010 | 5.674[5] |
"Revolution" | ||
"Westward" | May 2, 2010 | 3.881[6] |
"Division" | ||
"Civil War" | May 9, 2010 | |
"Heartland" |
Summary
America: The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented. With highly realistic CGI animation, dramatic recreations and thoughtful insights from some of America's most respected artists, business leaders, academics and intellectuals, it is the first television event in nearly 40 years to present a comprehensive telling of America's history. Elaborate, ambitious and cinematic, America The Story of Us takes viewers into the moments when Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress, from the rigors of linking the continent by transcontinental railroad—the internet of its day—to triumphing over vertical space through the construction of steel structured buildings to putting a man on the moon. It is an intensive look at the people, places and things that have shaped our nation, and the tough and thrilling adventure that is America's 400-year history.
— By The History Channel[7]
- Rebels (Episode 1)
In 1607, a small group of English adventurers lands in Jamestown. Thirteen years later the Pilgrims settle in Plymouth, New England. These men and women are all driven by the promise of a new life, and all face huge dangers from disease, starvation and conflict. The two colonies are very different, yet in time both grow. One man’s entrepreneurial dream, tobacco, and the first African Americans, turn the swamps of the South into a land of opportunity. The hardworking and resourceful Puritans forge the North into a trading powerhouse with shipbuilding at its core. Within 100 years, they have the highest standard of living in the world—a testament to a unique American spirit. Yet success and wealth prompt British jealousy, taxation, resistance and, finally, war. This is the story of how, over seven generations, a group of European settlers survive against all odds, claw themselves up and then turn against their colonial masters. A diverse group of men, women and children are about to become truly American. (TVPG)
- Revolution (Episode 2)
July 9, 1776. The Declaration of Independence is read to crowds in New York. Offshore, more than 400 ships bristling with soldiers and guns are massing. It is the largest British invasion force until D-Day. America’s 13 colonies have taken on the might of the world’s leading superpower. Within months, George Washington’s army has been decimated and defeat seems inevitable. Yet by 1783, America is free. It is a conflict that tests the resolve of Patriot soldiers to the breaking point. It takes us from the trenches of Manhattan, to the harsh winter camp of Valley Forge, and from the forests along the Hudson, to the spy-ridden streets of occupied New York—and finally, to victory at Yorktown. American forces learn the hard way how to master the landscape, new weapons and unconventional battle tactics. And with this elite force, forged through revolution, Washington saps the strength of the British Army to prevail in what has become a titanic battle of wills. As the British leave, a new nation, the United States of America, is born. (TVPG)
- Westward (Episode 3)
As the American nation is born, a vast continent lies to the west of the mountains, waiting to be explored and exploited. Yet this land is not empty—Native American Indians are spread across the land mass, as are Spanish colonists and French explorers. For the pioneers who set out to confront these lands, following trailblazers like Daniel Boone, the conquest of the West is a story of courage and hardship that forges the character of America. Armed with knowledge from hardened mountain men like Jedediah Smith, millions of Americans keep heading ever westward. Their journeys by wagon train are fraught with danger, across distances never imagined possible. But the allure of adventure, opportunity and economic gain is too strong. While some struggle to create new lives on the Frontier, others are rewarded with riches on a scale never seen before, as the world rushes in to mine California's gold. America now stretches from "sea to shining sea." And when American pioneers master the waters of the Mississippi basin with a radical invention, the steamboat, a new era opens. (TVPG)
- Division (Episode 4)
America becomes a nation at the moment a revolution in commerce and industry sweeps across the western world. The construction of the Erie Canal—an audacious feat of engineering achieved against the odds with black-powder and hard work—results in hundreds of workmen being killed, but the pay-off is immense. This vast new country, rich in resources, experiences a rapid change—in trade, transport and manufacturing—quickly turning America into one of the wealthiest nations on earth. New York booms, the factory town of Lowell becomes the cradle of the American industrial revolution, and in the South, with the invention of the cotton gin, cotton is king. Now two different Americas, united in prosperity, but divided by culture, face each other across a growing gulf. The issue is slavery. It underpins the prosperity of the South, but the North, though complicit, shows growing unease. There are violent clashes in Kansas. Abolitionist John Brown carries out a suicidal mission to try to end slavery in Virginia. He fails. With the election of Abraham Lincoln the stage is set for war. (TVPG)
- Civil War (Episode 5)
The Civil War rages. The terrible new technology of the minie ball is devastating Union and Confederate forces alike. It is 20th century technology meeting 18th century tactics and the result is a death toll never before seen on American soil. Still, strict discipline and an unshakeable belief in their cause have welded Robert E. Lee's Confederate army into a formidable force. And Lee is the ultimate military commander. His victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run leads him to within 20 miles of Washington, D.C. and it looks as if the Union might lose. But President Abraham Lincoln is fighting a very different kind of war than Lee is—one of technological innovation and military centralization. Lincoln uses the rail network, the telegram, supply lines and even advances in battlefield medicine and the media to mobilize men and machines as never before to fight the world's first technological war. As the battle reaches its bloody climax at Atlanta, the industrial capacity of the North is harnessed as Lincoln declares "total war." After General William Sherman's March to the Sea, the South is definitively crushed, and the industrial might that allows the Union to prevail leaves America poised to explode into the 20th century as a global superpower. (TVPG)
- Heartland (Episode 6)
In 1869, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America, more than 2,000 miles apart, are linked by continuous metal rails. The Transcontinental Railroad—the world's first—is the most ambitious human enterprise since the Great Wall of China, and much of it is built by Chinese laborers. The railroad doesn't just change the lives of Americans, it alters the entire ecology of the continent, and there are casualties. The vast Plains, where buffalo roam and Native Americans civilizations flourish, become home to farmers who build houses of grass—until daring loggers in the north drive lumber down the rivers to build the new homes and cities of the Midwest. It's the railroad that creates a new American icon—the cowboy—who drives cattle thousands of miles to meet the railheads and bring food to the East. But a simple new invention will change the lives of settlers, cowboys and Native Americans: barbed wire. Steel rails and now steel wire parcel up the Plains. In less than a quarter of a century, the heartland is transformed—not by the gun, but by railroad, fence and plough.
Commentators
Reception
The documentary received a 60% approval rating from Metacritic.com, receiving criticism by many of the people who saw it for having far too many "celebrities" express their opinions about the United States, instead of having more historians tell what occurred at specific events.[8]
References
- ^ Shales, Tom (April 25, 2010). "Review of 'America: The Story of Us': TV miniseries has flash but not creativity". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- ^ "America The Story of Us — About America The Story of Us". History.com. A&E Television Networks. 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
- ^ MacIntyre, April (May 12, 2009). "History announces 'America The Story of Us' 12 part series for 2010". Monsters and Critics. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
- ^ "Episode Guide". History. 2010. Retrieved 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - ^ Seidman, Robert (April 27, 2010). "Cable Top 25: NFL Draft, America The Story of US Top Weekly Cable Viewing". TVbytheNumbers.com. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (May 4, 2010). "Cable Top 25: Lebron is the King (of Cable), Celtics vs. Cavs, WWE RAW, iCarly Top Weekly Cable Viewing". TVbytheNumbers.com. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ About America: The Story of Us
- ^ Metacritic review