Our Emerging Freedom

Funded in part by a grant from the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, Our Emerging Freedom has its heart in the right place, but it is poorly arranged. The program opens with some five minutes of handheld camera footage of an annual re-enactment of key battles in the Revolutionary War. Viewers literally have no idea what's going on here. Next, we shift to a brief history of the birth and growth of the American colonies, followed by a section entitled "An Extraordinary People," which offers a series of still pictures and a roll call of famous names (the arrangement here appears to have neither rhyme nor reason). The final section "This Fierce Spirit of Liberty," chronicles the growing religious tolerance in the young colony, the revolt over the stamp tax, and the ensuing war and declaration of independence. Apparently aimed at students, Our Emerging Freedom offers good information and a reasonable overview of the birth of our country--unfortunately, it does so in a deadly dull way, audio-visually speaking. Not recommended. (Available from: Video Venture, 4901 Henry Hudson Parkway, Riverdale, NY 10471.)