Independence Dawn

The American Declaration of Independence promised freedom for all, but who was to benefit from that freedom? Remembering the forgotten patriots who gave everything for an ideal from which they were often excluded. Inspired by the words of founding fathers and standing arm-in-arm with the audacious George Washington, these unsung patriots breathe life into American lore. Why does 22 year-old minuteman William French take up arms after the first shots at Lexington and Concord? At battles like Bunker Hill, Brandywine, Long Island, and Yorktown, men like James Potter Collins describe the chaos. Slaves like Prince Griswold put their lives on the line for a different kind of freedom. At home, women like Susannah Chandler struggle to protect their families; on the front, women like Deborah Sampson take up arms in disguise. From long-suffering men like John Boudy whose service spans the whole conflict, to the rebel armies of the south who push the British out of the continent. In the aftermath of great victory, the values of the famous declaration spread like wildfire. But among those who fought, the freedoms they are granted are far from perfect.