Product Description

SLAVERY AND THE MAKING OF AMERICA is a landmark, four-part series that examines the history of slavery in the United States and the integral role it played in shaping the new country's development.

Breaking with conventional documentary production approaches, the series producers, PBS's Thirteen/WNET New York, have used dramatic re-enactments to take viewers back in time and deep into the slave experience. Much of the story is presented from a unique vantage point - through the eyes of the enslaved.

As factually represented in this series, American slavery evolved from a loosely defined labor system which provided some protection under the law, into the tightly regulated enslavement without recourse, based solely on race.

Underscoring how slavery impacted the growth of this country's Southern and Northern states; the series examines issues still relevant today. The variety of cultures from which the slaves originated provided the budding states with a multitude of skills that had a dramatic effect on the diverse communities. From joining the British in the Revolutionary War, to fleeing to Canada, to joining rebel communities in the U.S., the slaves sought freedom in many ways, ultimately having a far-reaching effect on the new hemisphere they were forced to inhabit.

Acclaimed actor Morgan Freeman narrates the series, which features a score by Michael Whalen.

Programs in this series:
Program 1: The Downward Spiral
Program 2: Liberty in the Air
Program 3: Seeds of Destruction
Program 4: The Challenge of Freedom

Features:
English Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired,
Spanish Subtitles

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48709 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-02-09
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 240 minutes

Review
This four part series, which aired on PBS earlier this year, belongs in every high school library in the country... --School Library Journal

Review
...the series deftly balances strong personal stories with insights into the horrible symbiotic relationship between Northern growth and Southern slavery.... this is recommended. --Booklist

Customer Reviews

HS Teacher Says 5 Stars For This Production...and For Morgan Freeman!
I have watched and re-watched this series on PBS, and with each episode I always go away having learned something. The researchers and writers were thorough, the re-enactments are well-played*, and the tempo of each segment is appropriate. Morgan Freeman is the perfect choice for a narrator (even better than Whoopie Goldberg in Unchained Memories); he speaks like a wise, maturing uncle versed in the intricacies of a long, unpleasant family history.

My favorite segments are those on David Walker's call to resistance; a certain Miss Freeman, who successfully sued for her freedom; and Col. Tye's band of 18th century guerilla warriors.

*Such re-enactments, when accurately presented, are essential to helping viewers understand the realities of the era, as there are so few photographs and no moving pictures in existence from this lengthy period in American history. (As the narrator says, "America was a slave-holding society longer than it has been a 'free' society.")

An Inconvenient Truth II
I watched this over and over so that I could justify using it as a teaching tool to college and HS students. I grew tired of presentations on slavery ignoring or missing America's economic gain. Therefore, I was most impressed by this PBS series mentioning it. Yes, its inconvenient to say that the Industrial Revolution would not have happened without the free labor of slaves. (oh, yes, some African/Blacks did get 40 acres and a mule but, it was taken away by a former confederate soldier who later became a government official...). Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, or even Bill Gates, hang on the coattails of the "planters" who made big money directly from African slave labor. The "planters" created the first IMAGES of superiority because they had more money, more control/power over many, and a "position." Believe me, slavery was building America's economic FUTURE not just imposing a sense of superiority. In a morbid sort of way slavery worked out pretty good for the American economy we live in today! Trust me when I say this, it means something to have an image of finacial power, even if you are poor, its the indelible IMAGE of having money, position, and power, that is most effective. A professor told me once that America is "ahistorical" I like that word. America concedes that slavery existed at one time and is over(whew!)but, the idea that some have benefitted financially, directly and indirectly from American slavery, might be an inconvenient truth. See "Centrix Financial...apologizes...slavery..." Something like that.

PBS - By the Public - For the Public
When you pay the high price for a PBS production, you are helping PBS to pay for their cause. You are not being ripped off. This is a worthy reason why the cost is higher per minute of programming than other productions. The reviewer below apparently does not take this into account. Today DVD's cost $1 each or less in cost for the actual manufacturing of the disc. When a DVD is made and sold, the retail price pays for many things such as actors, production, and profit. If you look into how PBS spends their money, you will clearly note, it is not a profit making venture. This is an excellent series, worthy of the price. Yes, you can get a good deal here, lower than the retail price, from a Marketplace seller... or get yourself an even better deal (at a higher price) direct from the PBS web site, by supporting their cause... and the many more public productions to come. PBS... Possible Through Support From Viewers LIKE YOU.