Jul 6, 2025
As America enters the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, director Ken Burns tells John Dickerson that the American Revolution was a "civil war" that became a "big world war by the end" and more.
0:00 Intro
0:26 How Burns to see the American Revolution as a civil war
1:16 How Burns thinks we should think about the American Revolution today
2:47 Division in America throughout history
4:09 What Burns thinks is a citizen's obligation to their country now
5:56 Engaging with U.S. history as an American
7:26 Burns on Thomas Jefferson's history as a founding father and a slave owner
9:36 Burns on President Trump's feelings about American history
10:54 Burns on Trump and diversity
12:47 Is Burns' work an intervention for those not in touch with history?
14:33 Is Burns worried about PBS?
17:03 Burns on what he's learned about slavery in America through his work
18:22 Burns on the othering of people
19:09 Burns on objective storytelling
20:23 Burns on the difference between the Revolutionary War and the American Revolution
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