Tag Archives: Ken Burns

The American Revolution | Full Episode 1 | In Order to Be Free (May 1754 – May 1775) | PBS

Ken Burns and PBS May 25, 2026 Watch more with Passport: https://to.pbs.org/amrevpbs American colonists oppose efforts by the British Crown and Parliament to seize greater control in North America, escalating simmering tensions over land, taxes, and sovereignty into violent confrontation. After protestors dump tea in Boston Harbor, the British government enacts martial law in Massachusetts. Fighting at Lexington and Concord ignites a war that will last eight years. Episode 1: In Order to Be Free (May 1754 – May 1775) | The American Revolution This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: https://www.pbs.org/donate Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR

The Civil War | Full Episode 1 | 1861: “The Cause” | PBS

Ken Burns Jun 1, 2026 Watch more with Passport: https://to.pbs.org/3SwZLNS Beginning with a searing indictment of slavery, this first episode dramatically evokes the causes of the war, from the Cotton Kingdom of the South to the northern abolitionists who opposed it. Here are the burning questions of Union and states’ rights, John Brown at Harpers Ferry, the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the firing on Fort Sumter, and the jubilant rush to arms on both sides. 1861: “The Cause” | The Civil War This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: https://www.pbs.org/donate Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR