America: The Story of Us (Part 1: Intro and Rebels)

The United States of America was built on hardship, sacrifice, and discovery. In 2010, the history channel have created this 12-part docu-series where it talks about many of those hardships, sacrifices, and discoveries.

This is part 1 of a 12-part wiki series talking about this docu-series. In this part, we'll talk about the people who did this docu-series and the first episode titled "rebels".

## Intro

Throughout the docu-series, the people that give out their expert opinions, aren't really experts. Plus, there's a miscredit, it says that actor Liev Shrieber does the narration, but it's really somebody else. The "experts" that give out their opinion are really well-known celebrities such as Michael Douglas, Rudy Gulianni, Colin Powell, Sheryl Crow, as well as some other celebs that would return to do Mankind 2 years later such as Brian Williams and Richard "Mack" Machowicz.

Okay, we're getting off on the wrong foot here, what about the rest of the series? Well, let's explore that.

## Rebels

The episode begins somewhere in Virginia where a business would grow........literally.

### Growing their own comoddity

Taken place a nearly a few centuries after Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas, another ship sails across the Atlantic.

These settlers found the abandoned colony of Jamestown, and sensing opportunity they begin to grow a crop that has Britain addicted; tobacco.

Before then, the Spanish held the monopoly on Tobacco, but once the British settlers began to grow it in Jamestown, they no longer had to pay high prices to the Spanish, a Native American tribe also helps these settlers in their business in growing Tobacco.

### The Pilgrims cometh

The episode now goes to Massachusetts and to a well known place called Plymouth.

As we all know that this is where the Pilgrims landed from Great Britain who were looking for religious freedom.

But the land the settled on consisted of beach sand which is not suitable for agriculture, so they weren't able to grow their crops to have enough food for the winter. Eventually, winter came and it would prove nearly disastrous for the Pilgrims as disease and famine spread throughout their community.

When spring came, the Pilgrims were met with a group of Native Americans, instead of wanting to kill them, the Native Americans decide to help the Pilgrims.

They shared their knowledge to fertilize the soil they work on with fish so the Pilgrims can grow crops. But this Native American tribe wants something in return for their knowledge in agriculture, the Pilgrims gave them their guns and the knowledge on how to use them as both the Pilgrims and this Native American Tribe have a common enemy; another Native American Tribe.

The Pilgrims and the Native American Tribe that helped them out went out into the middle of the night to raid this rival tribe's village, they do so and then set it on fire.

After their raid, they celebrate with a feast, and yes this is Thanksgiving.

### Taxes and Protests

The episode stays in and around the east coast of Massachusetts as it talks about the British colony there, and what would be the capital of Massachusetts; Boston.

Boston is one of Colonial America's busy port cities, and it was also here that the colonists would turn into "rebels", they would raid British ships that whatever they were holding had a heavy tax on it as well as other things.

In Boston, it was under occupation by the British so there was 1 British soldier for every 4 citizens, and they went into people's houses and apartments to do whatever they want, and they also kept a number of African slaves in the city as well.

Many of the taxes and other acts (including the Stamp Act) would lead to a street protest in March of 1770 and the protesters would eventually get violent by throwing rocks and Oyster Shells, the British soldiers sent to suppress the protesters were ordered to not fire upon them, but after a mysterious shot rang out, this would lead to a domino effect and eventually the British Soldiers would fire on them, leaving 5 dead and 6 wounded. This would become known as the Boston Massacre.

News of this event spread quickly throughout the colonies thanks to the newspapers that were printed (especially with a piece of artwork depicting the Massacre), and this is where more people would begin to dislike the British and protest against their unfair taxes and other acts.

Eventually, the British would repeal all of the taxes, except for the one on Tea, and this is where protesters in Boston would go into the harbor and dump crates of Tea into the harbor, eventually they would destroy around $1 Million of Tea, this would be known as the Boston Tea Party. In response, the British would close off the harbor and keep anything that was on the ships.

### A revolution begins

Eventually, a Continental Congress was formed and it consisted of leaders throughout the colonies, and they would eventually put a man in charge of the continental forces by the name of George Washington.

Eventually, these peasants would become "rebels" as they would prepare themselves to fight against the British and in April of 1775 Paul Revere would ride through Boston to warn the citizens of the British.

The rebels would eventually catch up to the British at the towns of Lexington, and Concord. The rebels knew that this was going to be a difficult fight as they were up against the best army in the world with superior manpower, superior firepower, and superior tactics. Still, the rebels were determined to face the British despite the odds being against them. The rebels shot first and the battle begins, that shot was "heard around the world" and signaled the beginning of the American Revolution. The rebels drove the Brits into retreat but eventually at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the rebels had to retreat as they ran out of ammo. But the struggle for their own sovereignty has begun.

That is all for this part. In the next part we will talk about a summary of the American Revolution. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.