List Price: $39.95You Pay Only: $23.99 You Save: $15.96 (40%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: HISTORY CHANNEL
EAN: 9780767046190
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
ISBN: 0767046196
Label: A&E Home Video
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: July 30, 2002
Running Time: 200 minutes
Sales Rank: 10593
Studio: A&E Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: June 25, 2002
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Editorial Review:
Description:
The 'self-evident' truths were intensely debated. In America's first years, Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Adams, Madison and Burr struggled to transform their disparate visions into an enduring government.
Based on Joseph Ellis' Pulitzer Prize winning book, Founding Brothers examines six moments when the collisons and collusions of these towering figures left an indelible imprint on the nation: the secret dinner that determined the site of the capital and America's financial future; Benjamin Franklin's call for an end to slavery; George Washington's farewell address to the nation; John Adams's term as president; Hamilton and Burr's famous and fatal duel, and the final reconciliation between Adams and Jefferson.
Drawing on the words of the founders and incisive commentary from leading scholars, Founding Brothers is an elegant and engaging portrait of America's origins in personal conflict and compromise.
Amazon.com:
The political wrangles of a fledgling country may sound dull compared to the drama of a war, but the early history of the United States only gets more fascinating as the Revolutionary War is left behind. Founding Brothers, a documentary from the History Channel, examines the struggle to not only establish democracy, but to give it the economic strength and governmental structure that will allow it to survive and thrive. George Washington grappled not only with politics, but with questions of style and propriety--how should a president, as opposed to a king, behave? Understanding the conflicts between Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson will illuminate ideas that have shaped the government of the U.S. ever since. Founding Brothers provides a wealth of portraits and illustrations from the time, as well as discreet dramatizations, that bring the rise of party politics to life, humanizing these historical figures with tales of the scandals and squabbles they faced as well as their political achievements. An excellent introduction to the roots of the American experiment, and a bracing illustration of what Jefferson meant when he said of the presidency, 'No man will bring out of that office the reputation which carried him into it.' --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - America's "young" and oh so "restless"
I decided to watch "Founding Brothers" as background research for my class on the American Presidency. My surprise was great when I realized the beginnings of America resemble a modern day soap opera, with just as much drama and deception. This production of the History Channel is based on the best-selling book of the same title by historian Joseph Ellis, and presents an intricate, highly political and oftentimes highly manipulative picture of America's first steps towards self-government.
The series is four hours long and covers the first three presidents - George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson - in all their mandates, along with the politics that surrounded not only them as individuals but their cabinets as well. There is superb acting from the cast in period clothing and a great job has been done in making them look like their alter egos. The voices of the patriots were entrusted to actors of the caliber of Brian Dennehy, Michael York and Peter Coyote.
"Founding Brothers" provides great insight and scholarly analysis on other politicians of the time as well, those who did not occupy the executive's office, yet had just as much influence in the shaping of the political future of the country. Thus we have extensive background on Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton to name but a few, this last one a shrewd man, also known as the American Machiavelli, and responsible for the engineering of America's financial system.
I don't ... Read More
Rating:  - A good series, a great introduction to the book
I enjoyed this series, it is a typical History Channel presentation, more just a basic overview and rote knowledge, but that's ok. I think it is a great introduction to this time period in American history, and I wish I had seen the series before I read Ellis' companion book, I would have had been able to bring that prior knowledge into the reading. The series is well done, I just have one complaint, the actor who played George Washington! Washington was a striking individual in life, the actor who plays him here, well enough said. I wish they had gotten the actor who played Washington in The Revolution, he looked more the part. Oh well, this is a minor complaint.
Rating:  - Praising the Federalists (Hamiltonians)
It pains my heart to see what is happening in the realm of the so-called American historian. And though I have a gleam of hope that the statements I am about to make do not apply to all American historians, one thing is true, and that is there is a bias among historians towards Hamiltonian principals of government to the disgust of the true American spirit of liberty and freedom. And though I support with vehemence the principals of Jeffersonian government as it existed during the early nineteenth century for about a quarter of a century, that does not blind me to the fact that Jefferson was a man who did make mistakes. But to exaggerate those mistakes to then become a staunch supporter of Hamilton is a grave mistake in this day and age. Hamilton is placed upon a pedestal constantly and applauded and showered with such laurels that these very praises make one suspicious to wonder if he deserves it. And a close examination of his philosophy will show that he is unworthy. My design is not to say we should attack his character as each man was flawed, but his principles of government are dangerous to the American people, and I am baffled to see how historians who are so astute should be blinded by his principals. It almost makes one wonder if they purposely are trying to shape the American mind to accept principles that would make us conform to our rights are being trampled upon. I want to be fair to those who may be naïve, but at the same time not to be willfully ignorant. We know currently we are living ... Read More
Rating: - A good series on founding relationships
This series is based upon a book by the same title, 'Founding Brothers', by author Joseph J. Ellis, who also has written books on both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson - hence it makes sense that there would be one book that brings the two of them together, along with other movers and shakers of the early American nationhood. Often referred to as 'founding fathers', in fact toward each other, they were more of a brotherhood. Hence Ellis' title.
We live in a time where the aging generation has been celebrated as 'the greatest generation', but for this title (and not meaning to take away anything of their achievement) they certain must acknowledge a rival, that being the generation of Americans who lived at the time of the Revolutionary War. Of course, this generation had a sense of greatness about it that made them conscious of what they were doing - George Washington deliberately lived and moved as if his every action would be the stuff of precedent; John Adams had his wife Abigail to begin saving his correspondence long before the outbreak of hostilities in the war.
Even with this sense about themselves, according to Ellis, 'Uncertainty, in fact, was the dominant mood at that moment' - the time when the Constitution was being drafted and ratified, there was no clear sense of what was meant by certain of the compromises, particularly the meaning of who 'the people' were in the legal and constitutional sense. If they weren't the federal government or the state governments, then ... Read More
Rating: - Founding Brothers
The rating above is not a correct one. This film was purchased for my grandson who needed it for a project he is involved with, and since he lives 350 miles away, I have not had a chance to talk with him about the quality of the film and its content. The service from Amazon was exceptional, and I have made two purchases since the one that is the subject of this rating. After I talk to my grandson, I will be glad to add to and correct this rating.
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