American Revolution, History, and America at 250
Ken Burns joins Newt Gingrich to discuss The American Revolution and America at 250.
Newt Gingrich talks with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns about his new PBS series The American Revolution, the meaning of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington’s indispensable leadership, and why America’s founding still matters as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
In this episode of Newt’s World, Newt Gingrich is joined by Ken Burns, one of America’s most influential documentary filmmakers, for a wide-ranging conversation about the American Revolution, the founding generation, and the enduring power of the Declaration of Independence.
Ken discusses why the Revolution was far more complicated, divided, and consequential than many Americans realize. Together, he and Newt explore George Washington’s character, Abraham Lincoln’s connection to the Declaration, the meaning of “pursuit of happiness,” and the importance of understanding history honestly as America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.
Listen to their conversation below, or scroll down for an edited transcript.
Edited Transcript
This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
Newt Gingrich
I am really pleased to welcome my guest, Ken Burns. For 50 years, Ken Burns has been one of America’s foremost documentary filmmakers. His latest film, The American Revolution, is a six-part, 12-hour documentary series that tells the story of America’s founding struggle through the experiences of both famous leaders and ordinary men and women who lived through this extraordinary moment in our history.
Ken, welcome, and thank you for joining me on Newt’s World.
Ken Burns
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s great to be with you.
Newt Gingrich
Your most recent project, The American Revolution, is a six-part examination of America’s founding struggle. After spending years immersed in this period, what did you learn that most surprised you?
Ken Burns
It took us almost 10 years. What became so striking is that this is the most consequential revolution in history. Everybody up to this point had been a subject, and all of a sudden they were citizens. There are so many exhilarating aspects to this story. We don’t have a country without George Washington. He had flaws, of course, but he showed humility, inspired men, and gave up power at the height of both his military and political influence.
Newt Gingrich
I think we were much more divided than people realize. This was a much closer-run thing.
Ken Burns
We were way more divided during the Revolution than many people understand. This was not just a revolution. It was also a civil war. We were fighting our neighbors, our children, our brothers and sisters. It was also a global war over the prize of North America. There were many layers to what was happening, and that complexity is essential to understanding the Revolution.
Newt Gingrich
The people in that room writing the Declaration somehow understood this was not temporary. They were going to the very core of how we operate. When they said we are endowed by our Creator, they were breaking with the historic model of the divine right of kings.
Ken Burns
They knew it. The Declaration opened a door that could never be closed. Even though “all men are created equal” had limitations at the time, the words were deeply significant to people at the margins. Once you articulate natural rights, the cat is out of the bag.
Newt Gingrich
Lincoln is central to the country we become because he instinctively understood that the central spiritual document of America is the Declaration of Independence.
Ken Burns
Exactly. Lincoln understood that. The Gettysburg Address is really the Declaration 2.0. He goes back to the promise of the founding.
Newt Gingrich
To what extent do you think Thomas Paine’s The Crisis was essential in renewing American commitment and helping Americans understand the war would be harder than they expected?
Ken Burns
It was central. Common Sense changed the conversation about independence. Then, when things were going badly, The Crisis spoke to people at the moment they needed it. “These are the times that try men’s souls” helped people understand sacrifice, perseverance, and liberty.
Newt Gingrich
How do you choose a subject, and what currently intrigues you?
Ken Burns
The glib answer is that they choose me. If I had a thousand years, I would not run out of topics in American history. I’m drawn to Reconstruction, the Great Society, Martin Luther King Jr., and even a major history of the CIA. History is the greatest teacher, and we have numbed ourselves to how much we can learn from it.
Newt Gingrich
How will you be spending the Fourth of July?
Ken Burns
I’ll be at the lake with family. And I hope people go back and realize how blessed and fortunate we are. Yes, we have problems, and we always will. But we have the blueprint for working through them. The key is E pluribus unum. There is no “them.” There is only us.
Newt Gingrich
I want to thank you for a kind of intellectual patriotism that is all too rare. I also want to thank you for a lifetime of trying to educate the rest of us. Ken, thank you for your lifetime of work.
Ken Burns
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Happy Fourth of July.
About the Guest
Ken Burns is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has shaped the way generations of Americans understand their history. Over a career spanning five decades, he has produced acclaimed films including The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The Roosevelts, Benjamin Franklin, The U.S. and the Holocaust, and The American Revolution. Burns has received numerous honors, including 17 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Academy Award nominations. His films combine meticulous research with compelling storytelling to bring America's people, ideas, and defining moments to life.
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