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The Battle of Yorktown & The End of the American Revolution

Season 1 Episode 6 | 10m 44s

Washington deceives the British into thinking he's moving north while his troops and the French navy move to surround General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown. The maneuver works, and the British are trapped. The combined American and French armies siege Yorktown, forcing Cornwallis to surrender. The Battle of Yorktown is over and the world will never be the same.

Episodes presented in 4K UHD on supported devices. Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Latest Episodes
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Philadelphia falls, but the American victory at Saratoga allows France to enter the war.
Washington abandons New York City and flees across New Jersey, before attacking Trenton.
Washington takes command of the Continental Army. Congress declares American independence.
Political protest escalates into violence. War gives thirteen colonies a common cause.
Extras
The filmmakers on how understanding the people of the Revolution can help us understand who we are.
The filmmakers discuss how they crafted imagery to help tell the story of the American Revolution.
Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt on the challenges of telling America's origin story.
The filmmakers discuss how the story of The American Revolution came together.
The American Revolution is not just the start of a nation, but an event that will change the world.
The filmmakers on how they tapped a broad range of influences to recreate the music of the era.
Filmmakers discuss how they used stories of both well-known and lesser known figures.
George Washington discovers that Benedict Arnold has abandoned his post and defected to the British.
Daniel Morgan leads the British into a trap, securing a crucial victory for the Patriots.
After days of fighting at Saratoga, Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates secure a Patriot victory.
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