Tag: Documentary

“Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution” will debut April 7 and 14 at 9 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app.

In the series, on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, popular British historian Lucy Worsley investigates the sabotage, espionage, and unrest that led to the birth of a new nation. In 1776, 13 American colonies declared independence from one of the most powerful empires in the world, igniting a bloody eight-year war that claimed thousands of lives and ended in Britain’s humiliating defeat. But how did this historic rupture come to pass, and could it have been avoided? Over two episodes, Worsley delves deeper into the American Revolution by examining it from the British perspective, discovering the human drama, radical ideas, and political missteps behind this seismic split, and revealing how losing America changed Britain forever.

“Digging into the past is a true joy for me. So often history gets written by the winners: Lots of people know the U.S. side of the American Revolution, but much fewer the British one,” Worsley said in a statement. “Interrogating amazing sources and meeting people who can shine a light on this hidden history, I can’t wait to share the forgotten and surprising story of how losing America affected Britain and beyond.”

“Lucy is a PBS treasure, beloved by our audiences for bringing her signature wit and contemporary perspective to history,” Zara Frankel, senior director, programming and development at PBS, said in a statement. “As America approaches its semiquincentennial, I can’t think of anyone better to guide us through this story from a British point of view. By stepping outside the familiar narrative, the series invites viewers to see how the Revolution not only forged a new nation, but also fundamentally altered Britain and sent shockwaves across the globe.”

Episode one (April 7) takes Worsley to New York’s City Hall Park, where George Washington’s troops heard the Declaration of Independence read aloud — a rallying cry that inspired rebels to destroy a statue of King George III and melt it into musket balls. At the New York Historical, Worsley examines a relic of this defiance and asks whether the rupture was inevitable. She then travels home to England to uncover the British perspective, studying King George’s maps and visiting Benjamin Franklin’s London home. She traces British and American tensions rising from Britain’s punitive taxes and the Stamp Act of 1765. In Boston, Worsley explores how the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party were flashpoints that pushed Americans toward war. Finally, Worsley reveals the radical voices — John Wilkes and Thomas Paine — whose words crystallized America’s vision of liberty and independence.

Episode two (April 14) uncovers how the war reverberated in Britain itself. At Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, Worsley investigates James Aitken’s shocking arson plot to cripple the Royal Navy. She traces Franklin’s secret mission to Paris to secure French support, while British spy Edward Bancroft fed intelligence back to London. Worsley explores Britain’s growing fears as France — and later Spain — joined the conflict, and how Irish Volunteers forced Britain to lift trade restrictions between Ireland and America. Back in London, riots erupted, and George III agonized over the possibility of losing the empire. By 1781, Britain’s campaign collapsed at Yorktown, and two years later, Britain formally recognized American independence. Concluding her investigation at Grosvenor Square, the site of America’s first embassy in London, Worsley reflects on a revolution that created an independent America and reshaped Britain forever.

“Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution” is part of a slate of new programming for PBS America @ 250, a multiyear celebration of U.S. history, culture, and children’s programming that pays homage to America’s Semiquincentennial in 2026.

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