While getting the basic wire-frame of history right in most cases, the embellishments and 'filling-ins' of creative license where no facts are available are pure speculation at best and out-right character assassination at worst.
We see many of the greatest men of early America demonized at every turn. No matter what they did it was wrong. Even in cases where the facts support what we would today consider bad behavior, there is no account for context, social norms or the desperation of the times 200 years ago. It is easy to moralize today what people 'should have done' 200 years ago. I wonder in 200 years from now, who among us will be safe from those future moralizers with their vastly different views of the world and humanity while none of us will be alive to explain or defend ourselves.
For example, Andrew Jackson, one of the greatest men who ever lived, practically single-handedly saved America from a second attempt by the British to destroy the budding new nation of the US and take it for themselves (does anyone think the Indians would have fared better under a British controlled North America?). Yet, 80% of the focus on Jackson is everything he did wrong and how mean he was. No denying he was a tough SOB but that's what it took to survive back then. Every moment the character of Andrew Jackson is on the screen, he is made to appear so menacing. All that he lacks are devils horn's protruding from his forehead.
The documentary also pretty much glosses over the fact that the original colonies only made up a small portion on the east coast of continent claimed by the newly formed United States. 90% of the rest of the continent was claimed by Britain, France and Spain but there is no mention of their 'atrocities' against the native tribes (who by the way were constantly and perpetually at war with each other for centuries until the 'foreigners' arrived. No mention of their 'atrocities' against each other.). The entire land area of modern-day Canada was claimed and held by the British (where apparently there were no Indians to get in their way... lol).
The documentary is a gross misrepresentation and over-simplification of the facts and the context of the time and events. It minimizes and re characterizes any positive qualities of these great men (when they aren't outright omitted) while focusing on, exaggerating, embellishing and even creating out of thin air whatever negative qualities we may see through the lens of 200 years of hindsight.
In 200 years from now, will people be as vicious, unforgiving and brutal to those of us who are merely doing what we think is best according to our current laws and social norms? What will they think about what we do daily that they may find criminal and abhorrent? Like industrialized abortion?
It is easy to throw stones at people who are long dead. It is easy to say you wouldn't have done the same thing as you sit in the comfort of you warm home surfing the internet and watching Netflix. But if it weren't for those great men, you may not even be enjoying those luxuries or even have the legal right to stand on your moral soap box and blame the past for all of your apparent woes and outrages.
We see many of the greatest men of early America demonized at every turn. No matter what they did it was wrong. Even in cases where the facts support what we would today consider bad behavior, there is no account for context, social norms or the desperation of the times 200 years ago. It is easy to moralize today what people 'should have done' 200 years ago. I wonder in 200 years from now, who among us will be safe from those future moralizers with their vastly different views of the world and humanity while none of us will be alive to explain or defend ourselves.
For example, Andrew Jackson, one of the greatest men who ever lived, practically single-handedly saved America from a second attempt by the British to destroy the budding new nation of the US and take it for themselves (does anyone think the Indians would have fared better under a British controlled North America?). Yet, 80% of the focus on Jackson is everything he did wrong and how mean he was. No denying he was a tough SOB but that's what it took to survive back then. Every moment the character of Andrew Jackson is on the screen, he is made to appear so menacing. All that he lacks are devils horn's protruding from his forehead.
The documentary also pretty much glosses over the fact that the original colonies only made up a small portion on the east coast of continent claimed by the newly formed United States. 90% of the rest of the continent was claimed by Britain, France and Spain but there is no mention of their 'atrocities' against the native tribes (who by the way were constantly and perpetually at war with each other for centuries until the 'foreigners' arrived. No mention of their 'atrocities' against each other.). The entire land area of modern-day Canada was claimed and held by the British (where apparently there were no Indians to get in their way... lol).
The documentary is a gross misrepresentation and over-simplification of the facts and the context of the time and events. It minimizes and re characterizes any positive qualities of these great men (when they aren't outright omitted) while focusing on, exaggerating, embellishing and even creating out of thin air whatever negative qualities we may see through the lens of 200 years of hindsight.
In 200 years from now, will people be as vicious, unforgiving and brutal to those of us who are merely doing what we think is best according to our current laws and social norms? What will they think about what we do daily that they may find criminal and abhorrent? Like industrialized abortion?
It is easy to throw stones at people who are long dead. It is easy to say you wouldn't have done the same thing as you sit in the comfort of you warm home surfing the internet and watching Netflix. But if it weren't for those great men, you may not even be enjoying those luxuries or even have the legal right to stand on your moral soap box and blame the past for all of your apparent woes and outrages.