Founding Fathers | 
| Directors: Mark Hufnail, Melissa Jo Peltier
Actors: Keith Arbour, Carol Berkin, Beau Bridges, Richard Brookhiser, Peter Coyote
Studio: A&E Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $14.08
You Save: $25.87 (65%)
New (33) Used (11) from $14.08
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 6045
Format: Box Set, Color, Dvd, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 200 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.5 x 1.3
MPN: AAED71003D
ISBN: 0767030931
UPC: 733961710038
EAN: 9780767030939
ASIN: B00004ZETI
Theatrical Release Date: November 27, 2000
Release Date: January 30, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 01/30/2001 Run time: 200 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
The four programs from the History Channel in this set profile America's Founding Fathers, noting right at the outset they were a "mismatched group of quarrelsome aristocrats, merchants, and lawyers." The story of how these disparate characters fomented rebellion in the colonies, formed the Continental Congress, fought the Revolutionary War, and wrote the Constitution is told by noted historians, and the production is enhanced with beautifully photographed reenactments as well as intelligent use of period paintings and engravings. The story begins with Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Boston, whose protests against British taxation led to the Boston Tea Party. Moving on to the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, the brilliant delegates from the South, particularly George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, appear on the scene, and the story is told of how an improbable cohesion between the colonies began. Other main characters, including Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, appear in turn, and each of the major participants is portrayed in a biographical profile. How these men all came to act together, despite the stark differences in their backgrounds and temperaments, becomes the main thread of the story. They were all quite human, as the historians who appear in interviews remind us. Some of them drank too much, some had illegitimate children, some owned slaves, and some could hardly get along with anyone. Yet these men with complicated private lives worked together and performed heroically. This is an intelligently rendered and captivating look at the men who formed the American nation. --Robert J. McNamara
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Founding lies January 19, 2009
Bartok Kinski (Prague)
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
This propaganda piece from American companies makes the Russian's work look good. Histrionics, lies, and all around elevation of men who were inherently less than idealistic than what most schools teach about. Your best bet is to look at this as nothing more than cheap agitprop or some type of hilarious cover up of wealthy white agrarian men with outdated values. Most of the "great Founding Fathers" owned slaves, denied expression to women, believed in wage-slavery, didn't think Native people were human and didn't want to pay centralized taxes for England's protection. America (USA) has never been a "democracy", it has always been controlled by a small minority of powerful and wealthy elites, using indoctrination, a contorted educational system, a specialized intelligence police force, and propaganda, such as this, to shape the masses.These are the "men" to blame for the gigantic, bureaucratic war state that is America today. Go read Orwell or Howard Zinn again, unless of course you like to believe in lies.
Another fine production by the History Channel November 16, 2008
Scott E. Rosenau (Hanover, PA United States)
Like most of the works by the History Channel, this production is aimed at the general public. It addresses some of the common myths and misconceptions about the founding fathers and gives short profiles of each of them as they emerge into the conflict of the Revolution. It also allows the viewer to experience the Revolution through the eyes of the Founders by using their own words as read by famous actors giving us a sense of how they perceived the world around them.
 A great teaching aid October 28, 2008
Robette C. Craven (South Holland, IL USA)
Our History classes at the high school used this DVD when the new text books did not arrive on time. It was a great visual aid and I would recommend it to all.
Great for American History buffs May 29, 2007
Christopher W. Damico (NYC)
This is a good dvd for someone who wants to know more about the circumstances that our founding father's were in back in 1776 or there about. I recommend this dvd.
 Aurgh February 28, 2007
J. Haworth (Midwestern US)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I suppose this production might have some value for introducing people to the Founding Fathers. It has the advantage of playing up their human side, which many people have a hard time getting in touch with. But overall, the history is superficial and at times inaccurate.
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