The History Chicks: BONUS - The American Revolution on PBS – Interview with Co-director Sarah Botstein

Podcast: The History Chicks | QCODE
Air Date: November 6, 2025
Guest: Sarah Botstein (Co-director & Producer of PBS’s "The American Revolution")

Episode Overview

In this bonus episode, The History Chicks sit down with Sarah Botstein, co-director and producer of the new six-part Ken Burns PBS series, The American Revolution. Botstein discusses the immense scope of the show, the challenges of tackling such a well-mythologized subject, the process of bringing overlooked stories—especially those involving women and children—to the forefront, and her own roots in historical storytelling. The conversation delves into the resonance between past and present, the importance of empathy, and the ongoing journey of America’s national experiment.

Key Discussion Points

1. Origins and Scope of the PBS Series

• The series has been nearly a decade in the making and comprises six two-hour episodes exploring the American Revolution (00:54).
• Accompanying book: The American: An Intimate History by Geoffrey Ward and Ken Burns (00:44).
• The team's approach: balancing broad narratives with intimate, personal stories often left out of traditional retellings (03:40).

2. Sarah Botstein’s Journey Into Historical Filmmaking

• Botstein studied American Studies at Barnard and entered film through first working with Ken Burns on his jazz series (01:35).
• Her interest lies in the intersection of art, politics, and culture, favoring a collaborative research-driven process (01:35, 08:27).

"I was an American Studies major in college and I'm very interested in kind of cultural, political history and how art intersects with that.” —Sarah Botstein (01:35)

3. Reimagining the Revolution—Beyond Myths

• The Revolution is shrouded in popular mythology (Schoolhouse Rock, “the thing about the tea”) that often omits complexity (03:02).
• Botstein emphasizes the reality: “We were totally the underdogs… born in violence in a very divided time. Not everybody jumped to the patriot cause. Our American Revolution, in many ways, was actually a civil war.” (03:40)
• The documentary intentionally seeks out voices and perspectives often erased—women, children, the conflicted, loyalists, enslaved people (05:46).

4. Themes of Empathy, Civic Engagement, and Parallel to the Present

• Botstein sees direct parallels between the division, uncertainty, and idealism of the Revolution and contemporary America (05:07).
• The show’s aim is to foster curiosity and critical thinking—“ask questions and think about things in new ways” (07:22).
• The importance of empathy—understanding that people had genuine reasons to stay loyal or rebel (06:52).

"Empathy is a... is a good tool." —Sarah Botstein (06:52)

5. Research and Storytelling Process

• The team extensively researches scholars before interviewing them, aiming for rigorous preparation and a deep, rewarding conversation (08:27).
• Crafting 12 hours from years of research requires constant distillation—whittling down long interviews to their essence (09:29).

"We're always boiling... always crafting... trying to get whatever someone says to the essence of it. So the first time you see it, you pull a bite from someone in a show and that might be three paragraphs and by the end it's four sentences, right?" —Sarah Botstein (09:29)

6. Highlighting Overlooked Figures and Stories

• The show weaves in personal perspectives like Martha Knox (whose family were loyalists), children like Betsy Ambler, and Elizabeth Freeman—a formerly enslaved Massachusetts woman who sued for her freedom post-Revolution (05:46, 15:11, 16:01).
• Betsy Ambler: Her writings as a child refugee during the war form a throughline in the series (15:10).

"Anytime you do a story of a war, you should make a secondary film about the women. But instead, we just sew the women into the narrative where they're often left out." —Sarah Botstein (05:46)

7. Visualizing the Revolution and Connecting to Place

• Filmmaking challenges include the lack of archival footage; the team uses creative approaches to bring historical places alive—filming at significant sites like Saratoga battlefield, Yorktown, and in upstate New York (10:12, 11:42).

8. Emotional Resonance & Key Moments

• Botstein is moved by historic personal correspondence, especially between Abigail and John Adams, highlighting how personal the Revolution was (12:29).
• The Declaration of Independence is cited as a potent, world-changing document—with recognition of how far America has come in 250 years (12:29).

"There's a lot to celebrate there, and it was a really important moment. It changed the world... There's been a lot of progress made in 250 years." —Sarah Botstein (12:29)

9. Women in Historical Filmmaking

• Noting gradual change, Botstein reflects positively on the increasing presence and influence of women in documentary film, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and collaboration (18:43).

"I love the collaborative nature of the art form... I like being decisive and knowing what I think quickly to help the team... we stand on the shoulders of a lot of women and we have a lot of work left to do, but we've also done a lot." —Sarah Botstein (18:43)

10. Takeaways and Overarching Message

• The core theme: America is a great experiment, still evolving hundreds of years later.
• The story is "deeply inspiring, informative, instructive, complicated, surprising, exciting, and honestly, deeply patriotic" (20:03).
• Botstein wants audiences to understand America’s uniqueness and the importance of civic engagement.

"America is a great experiment. We are still getting our sea legs... We have a really, really special country. We need to take good care of it." —Sarah Botstein (20:03)

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• On the myth and reality of the Revolution:
  “Our American Revolution in many ways was actually a civil war. And our Civil war was in many ways our revolution. We were born in violence in a very divided time. Not everybody jumped to the patriot cause... The war took almost a decade to fight and to win.” —Sarah Botstein (03:40)

• On empathy and divided loyalties:
  "Brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor. You didn't know what side anyone was on, and it took a lot of convincing. There were many truly legitimate and understandable reasons to stay loyal to the crown." —Sarah Botstein (06:52)

• On the series’ aspirations:
  "I always hope that any work we do has people ask questions and think about things in new ways where they haven't thought about them before." —Sarah Botstein (07:22)

• On Abigail Adams’ letters:
  “Some of the beautiful quotes written at the time actually by Abigail Adams really surprised me at how moving and forward thinking she was and they were... she and her husband, John Adams, have a very famous correspondence, which, when you put it in its historic context, actually really becomes quite dramatic and wonderful.” —Sarah Botstein (12:29)

• On America as an ongoing experiment:
  "America is a great experiment. We are still getting our sea legs. Our country changes all the time in small and big ways." —Sarah Botstein (20:03)

Timestamp Guide to Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:06 | Introduction to PBS Series & Guest | | 01:35 | Botstein’s Path to Historical Filmmaking | | 03:40 | Myths vs. Reality of the Revolution; Narrative Choices | | 05:07 | Parallels to the Present; What History Teaches | | 05:46 | Weaving in Stories of Women, Children, and Lesser-known Figures | | 08:27 | Research Process for Documentary Interviews | | 09:29 | Crafting and Editing for Impact | | 11:42 | Visiting and Filming Key Historical Sites | | 12:29 | Abigail Adams, Emotional Resonance, and Social Progress | | 15:11 | Betsy Ambler’s Story and Inclusion of Children’s Perspectives | | 16:01 | Botstein’s Personal Connections to Historical Figures | | 18:43 | Reflections on Women in Documentary Filmmaking | | 20:03 | Botstein’s Final Thoughts: Theme and Takeaways |

Memorable Moments

• The perspective that the American Revolution was “a civil war” and the focus on the reality of divided loyalties (03:40, 06:52).
• The intentional inclusion of overlooked voices, particularly children and women, such as Betsy Ambler and Elizabeth Freeman (05:46, 16:01).
• Reflections on how the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the correspondence between Abigail and John Adams still resonate emotionally today (12:29).
• Botstein’s candid thoughts on leadership as a woman in film and the importance of lifting up others (18:43).
• The episode’s conclusion that America is an ongoing, imperfect, and remarkable experiment—urging continued responsibility and engagement (20:03).

This episode is an engaging, thought-provoking preview of a nuanced and ambitious retelling of the American Revolution—one that challenges, questions, and inspires audiences of all backgrounds to see American history with fresh eyes.