The Unfinished Nation

A 52-episode telecourse correlated to one of two standard textbooks (The Unfinished Nation, 4th Ed. and American History: A Survey, 11th Ed., both by Alan Brinkley), the double-boxed set (two seven-disc boxes) The Unfinished Nation has much to recommend it…with serious qualifications. Interweaving sparse narration and copious scholarly interview clips together with archival illustrations, stills, film, and re-enactment footage, the 26-hour overview traces the history of America from the early inroads made by Spanish conquistadors to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Almost immediately, however, the strengths and weaknesses of the series are evident. I watched the opening 13 episodes, which roughly cover the period from 1550-1825, touching on the early settlements at Jamestown and the gradual rise of the original 13 colonies; the oppressive tax acts of the British during the 1770s that ultimately led to America's war for independence; the administrations of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson; and the growing discontent over slavery, leading to the Missouri Compromise (which would merely defer the clash between North and South). Where The Unfinished Nation shines is in the acumen of its commentators, who eschew rote recitation of dates and places and instead offer up trenchant analysis of key historical events and movements. While not the top echelon of more familiar historians (such as Joseph Ellis, David McCullough, Gordon S. Wood, Carol Berkin, or Pauline Maier), the commentators here are nevertheless impressive: among the 90 total, standouts during the first quarter of the series include Alan Taylor (American Colonies), Bernard Bailyn (To Begin the World Anew), Helena Wall (Fierce Communion), Barbara Oberg (The Papers of Thomas Jefferson), and Richard Godbeer (Sexual Revolution in Early America). The glaring weakness is that the series does not stand alone, at least not for those unfamiliar with American history (Paul Revere is not even mentioned, and viewers would have to listen closely to even realize that the American Revolution has begun, as the battles of Lexington and Concord are only mentioned in passing); presumably these oversights are covered in the texts (not seen). The other major drawback--at least in the multimedia-lite early episodes--concerns the repetitive stills and footage used (to the point where some early 17th century settler re-enactment footage is also used to illustrate home life in early 19th century America). Still, when used in conjunction with the textbooks, the series does indeed provide access to a wealth of insights from some of the best and brightest minds writing about and teaching American history today, and on that basis, this is recommended for advanced placement high school classes and academic collections. Aud: H, C. (R. Pitman)