by Rose of Sharon Winter
synopsis
This film is part one of a four-part series that looks at the human dimension of the events of the American Revolution. With re-enactments of key events, and through period artwork, the personal stories of the founding fathers are told. Voices are provided by actors including Burt Reynolds, James Woods, Brian Dennehy, Hal Holbrook, Michael York, Peter Coyote, and Beau Bridges. In this episode, the various taxes the British placed on their American subjects are the subject of discontent. These onerous taxes led to an unlikely alliance between two Bostonians: the failed businessman Samuel Adams and the wealthy, aristocratic John Hancock. Together, they staged the Boston Tea Party, and the Continental Congress was convened.
