Digital History

The American Revolution

Why should we care about the American Revolution?	Previous	Next
Digital History ID 3212

Altogether, Hollywood has made fewer than a dozen movies that deal more than superficially with the Revolution. These include:

• 1776 (1972), a musical about the nation's declaration of independence from Britain;
• Guns Along the Mohawk (1939), which looks at a young couple in upstate New York who face Indian raids instigated by the British;
• The Howards of Virginia (1940), the story of a Virginia couple of differing social backgrounds and attitudes toward American independence;
• The Patriot (2000), which centers on a hero from the French and Indian War who reluctantly becomes involved in the Revolution;
• Revolution (1985), the tale of a trapper drafted to fight for the Continental army and a rebellious daughter from a Tory family; and
• Sweet Liberty (1969), a comedy about movie company's attempt to adapt a college professor's historical novel.

The reasons for the failure of movies about the Revolution seem obvious. Modern-day audiences find it difficult to identify with characters from the late 18th century. They find the characters' powdered wigs, knee breeches, and formal speech patterns off-putting. Further, we live in a cynical age and hate being reminded of more noble times. There is a tendency to regard Revolutionary War movies as excessively patriotic and overly romanticized

Nevertheless, the American Revolution raises issues of enduring interest:

• What factors led a people who were the freest and most prosperous in the western world to launch a revolution?
• Were American patriots justified in asserting a "right to revolution"?
• Could the Revolution have been averted--and, if so, what difference would this have made?
• How were the American colonists, who had a long history of quarreling among themselves, able to prevail against the world's strongest military power?