Last night, saw the second installment of PBS Rebels and Redcoats: How Britain Lost America on our local PBS station. It was well-crafted and interesting. But very one-sided, biased, and misleading. Not honest history, but special pleading for the British "and their Hessian allies."
Some tipoffs can be found in the narration. When the Americans lose a battle, they "scarper," "retreat," "scatter." When the British lose, they "withdraw" or "find their way to safety." The Americans commit "lynchings," "massacres," "atrocities." The British only "alleged" misdeeds. Etc.
Watching the show made me happy that we still have American troops stationed in Britain, otherwise, they might still want us doffing our caps to them, bowing and scraping, and so forth.
As the PBS website says, "REBELS AND REDCOATS: HOW BRITAIN LOST AMERICA tells the story of the American Revolution from an unusual point of view - that of the British losers."
In a way, the silver lining might be that the broadcast demonstrates what a tolerant and truly liberal country America is; that in the middle of a war, after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, a government television network airs anti-American propaganda to celebrate Independence Day.
