OAKS, PA — As Ken Burns’ sweeping new PBS documentary “The American Revolution” captivated national audiences, a panel of leading historians is preparing to tackle a provocative question: Did America’s most celebrated documentarian get the story right — or did he miss the mark?
On Tuesday evening, December 2, the Valley Forge Park Alliance will host an expert forum at Oaks Center Cinema, where scholars and military historians will examine Burns’ six-part, 12-hour deep dive into the war that shaped the nation. The film, eight years in the making, explores what PBS calls “an expansive look at the virtues and contradictions of the war and the birth of the United States of America.” But local experts are ready to press further, challenge interpretations, and illuminate what may have been overlooked.
The event brings together prominent voices from across the academic and public history landscape. Adam Gresek, Director of Visitor and Community Engagement at Valley Forge National Historical Park, will offer insights drawn from one of the Revolution’s most storied sites. Dr. Kathleen M. Brown of the University of Pennsylvania — a distinguished historian whose work spans gender, race, and early American society — will contribute perspectives informed by her leadership roles in the Penn & Slavery Project and the Center for Research in Feminist, Queer and Transgender Studies.
Joining them is Ricardo A. Herrera, retired U.S. Army War College professor, former cavalry officer, and author of multiple landmark works on Revolutionary-era military life, including “Feeding Washington’s Army.” His expertise on soldier experiences and military culture promises to add a grounded, firsthand dimension to the discussion.
The panel will be moderated by Melissa Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief of Main Line Tonight and a board member of the Valley Forge Park Alliance.
Organizers say the conversation will explore whether Burns’ narrative reflects modern sensibilities, how deeply it addresses contradictions of freedom and inequality, and whether any crucial chapters of the Revolution were left out entirely. Audience members will have the chance to pose their own questions as the experts unpack both the documentary’s triumphs and its blind spots.
General admission is priced at $20, while Valley Forge Park Alliance members at the Grand Patron, Benefactor, or Friend’s Circle level may register for complimentary tickets. Additional details and registration are available through the Valley Forge Park Alliance. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
The discussion runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Oaks Center Cinema, 180 Mill Road, Oaks — offering attendees a rare opportunity to scrutinize one of the most ambitious historical documentaries of the decade through the eyes of those who know America’s founding story best.
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