The American Revolution
The American Revolution
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The American Revolution

5.9
Yr 2025
Status Ended
Documentary War & Politics
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Series Brief

Overview

The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a war of conquest, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. It impacted millions from Vermont’s Green Mountains to the swamps of South Carolina, from Indian Country to the Iberian Peninsula. In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside-down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic Coast united in rebellion, won their independence, and established a republic that still endures. The American Revolution will present the story of the men and women of the Revolutionary generation, their humanity in victory and defeat, and the crisis that they lived through.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 92 /100

Ken Burns' 'The American Revolution' has been met with critical acclaim for its comprehensive and nuanced re-examination of the nation's founding. Critics praise the twelve-hour docuseries for moving beyond typical mythology to provide a definitive, intellectually rigorous account that incorporates a wider breadth of historical perspectives.

A recurring theme in reviews is the series' successful effort to center the experiences of those often sidelined in traditional narratives, including Native Americans, women, and enslaved people. By balancing the familiar stories of national icons like George Washington with these underrepresented voices, the series creates a fresh and complex picture of the war's global impact and internal diversity.

While the series is noted for its length, reviewers generally found the commitment to detail and emotional storytelling to be highly rewarding. Many critics have compared its cultural resonance to Burns' landmark work on the Civil War, suggesting that this project will leave a lasting impact on how audiences perceive the American Revolution.

“The series conveys how diverse America has always been and how this war affected everyone.”

“Rich with detail and vibrant with intellectual filmmaking that seeks to serve as a definitive record of its subject.”

“The program's historians make us think differently about the history we're witnessing.”

“The series explores both famous figures and lesser-known participants, while addressing the roles of Native Americans and Black people.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel
US • CA
PBS
US
BBC iPlayer
UK
Why fans love it

This documentary frames the conflict as a multifaceted struggle involving neighbors and global empires, rather than a singular march toward victory. The series adopts a detached and introspective tone, pulling away from standard patriotic tropes to examine the Revolutionary War as a war of conquest and a civil war. It sits comfortably in a space that feels more apologetic than celebratory, preferring to linger on the internal friction of the era.

With narration from Peter Coyote, the production navigates the complexities of a fledgling nation emerging through blood and rebellion. It highlights an often embarrassed look at the past, focusing on the humanity of the individuals navigating a systemic crisis. By grounding grand historical shifts in individual crises, the series provides a grounded perspective on how thirteen colonies fractured reality to establish a republic that remains standing today.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 61
Regulars 40
Longest run 6 eps
Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote
as Narrator (voice)
Adam Arkin
Adam Arkin
as James Parker / Ashbel Green / Andrew Hunter / Enoch Anderson / Timothy Dwight / Robert Morris (voice)
6 episodes
Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin
as George Washington (voice)
6 episodes
Josh Charles
Josh Charles
as Joseph Warren / John Peters / David Ramsey (voice)
5 episodes
Hugh Dancy
Hugh Dancy
as Hugh Percy / John Burgoyne / Banastre Tarleton / Comte de Vergennes (voice)
6 episodes
Claire Danes
Claire Danes
as Abigail Adams (voice)
6 episodes
Marcus Davis-Orrom
as John Barker / William Bamford (voice)
2 episodes
Alden Ehrenreich
Alden Ehrenreich
as Joseph Plumb Martin (voice)
5 episodes
Show 53 more
Craig Ferguson as John Murray / John Jones / John Purrier / Martin Hunter / William Harcourt (voice) 5 episodes Paul Giamatti as John Adams (voice) 5 episodes Amanda Gorman as Phillis Wheatley (voice) 2 episodes Charlotte Hacke as Friederike Riedesel / Hannah Davis / Lucy Knox / Martha Reeves (voice) 4 episodes Tom Hanks as (voice) 6 episodes Ethan Hawke as Anthony Wayne / John Andrews (voice) 4 episodes Maya Hawke as Betsy Ambler (voice) 5 episodes Samuel L. Jackson as Caesar Sarter / Lemuel Haynes / Boston King (voice) 4 episodes Joe Keery as John Greenwood (voice) 4 episodes Joel Kinnaman as Samuel Seabury / Nils Collin / Thomas Hutchinson (voice) 2 episodes Damian Lewis as King George III / Nicholas Cresswell / John Andre / Bartholomew James (voice) 6 episodes Laura Linney as Sarah Logan Fisher / Sarah Morris Mifflin / Eliza Wilkinson / Eliza Lucas Pickney (voice) 5 episodes Carolyn McCormick as Hannah Griffiths / Hannah Winthrop / Esther Reed (voice) 4 episodes Lindsay Mendez as Catharine Macaulay / Mary M. Campbell (voice) 3 episodes Tobias Menzies as Edmund Burke / Ambrose Serle / Cornwallis / William Pitt (voice) 6 episodes Edward Norton as Benjamin Rush / Philip Vickers Fithian / Philip Schuyler (voice) 5 episodes Mandy Patinkin as Benjamin Franklin (voice) 3 episodes Jon Proudstar as Canassatego / Chainbreaker / Old Smoke / Shawnee Delegate (voice) 4 episodes Matthew Rhys as Thomas Paine (voice) 5 episodes Liev Schreiber as Samuel Adams / Nathaniel Greene / Lewis Beebe (voice) 6 episodes Chaske Spencer as Tsiyu Gansini / Shingas (voice) 3 episodes Meryl Streep as Mercy Otis Warren (voice) 3 episodes Corbin Bleu as John Joseph Henry / Daniel McCurtin / Nathaniel Bacheller / Isaac Jefferson (voice) 4 episodes Kenneth Branagh as (voice) 6 episodes Jeff Daniels as Thomas Jefferson (voice) 4 episodes Bruce Davison as (voice) 2 episodes Domhnall Gleeson as Loftus Cliffe / Roger Lamb / John MacPherson / John Bowater / William Barton (voice) 4 episodes Michael Greyeyes as Joseph Brant / Uhhaunauwaunmut (voice) 3 episodes Josh Hutcherson as James Potter Collins / Thomas Mellen / Jabez Campfield (voice) 3 episodes Gene Jones as Landon Carter / Thomas Nelson / Moses Kirkland / Thomas Young (voice) 3 episodes Michael Keaton as Benedict Arnold (voice) 2 episodes Josh Lucas as George Rogers Clark / John Glover / Drury Mathias (voice) 4 episodes Joe Morton as Elisha Bostwick / Elias Dayton (voice) 3 episodes David Oyelowo as Olaudah Equiano / Sam (voice) 2 episodes Yul Vazquez as Henry Knox / José de Gálvez (voice) 3 episodes Leon Dische Becker as (voice) 2 episodes Bill Camp as (voice) 1 episode Keith David as (voice) 1 episode Christian Friedel as (voice) 4 episodes Dan Stevens as (voice) 3 episodes Lucas Hedges as (voice) 3 episodes Michael Mando as (voice) 3 episodes Jeremiah Bitsui as (voice) 2 episodes Tantoo Cardinal as (voice) 2 episodes Jonathan Groff as (voice) 1 episode Tracy Letts as (voice) 1 episode Wendell Pierce as (voice) 1 episode Tony Beck as (voice) 1 episode Martin Czembor as (voice) 1 episode Morgan Freeman as (voice) 1 episode LaTanya Richardson Jackson as (voice) 1 episode Reece Mccullagh as (voice) 1 episode Olivier Mercier as (voice) 1 episode
Production Board

Crew

Creator
Ken Burns
Director
Ken Burns Sarah Botstein David P. Schmidt
Producer
Ken Burns Sarah Botstein David P. Schmidt Salimah El-Amin
Director of Photography
Buddy Squires
Writer
Geoffrey C. Ward
Assistant Sound Editor
Jacquelyn Chin
Sound Designer
Isaac Derfel
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The American Revolution overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

american revolution revolutionary war detached america introspective documentary history american history apologetic embarrassed
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
November 16, 2025
Status
Ended
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
42