Lonny and All,

    I don't presume any expertise on the 18th century but I just want to
remind everyone that public TV is geared to reach a wide audience.  Remember
that Tolstoy in his novel War and Peace describes the Battle of Austerlitz
through the eyes of Count Andre Bolkonsky and the occupation of Moscow
through the eyes of Pierre Bezhukov (sp?)
In The War that Made America, George Washington is constructed to be our
focus and our guide into the French and Indian War.  It is a narrative
device necessary for all those who watch the series but who don't post on
this listserve.

Harold S. Forsythe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lonny J. Watro" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 8:10 AM
Subject: The War that Made America


> Did anyone watch the War that Made America last night on PBS? I did and
> was
> surprised that they made Washington appear so important during Braddock's
> defeat. As I understand it, Washington was stripped of his command for
> surrenduring and admitting to murdering a French officer (although, he
> didn't know French and signed a French document only to save his men).
> None
> the less, he was only a Provincial "volunteer" at Fort Cumberland and
> asked
> to be Aide de Camp to Braddock. But the movie shows him sitting side by
> side
> with Braddock reviewing the troups as if he were his equal. I doubt this
> would have ever happened. From what I've read about Braddock, he didn't
> think the Colonials were soldiers at all. Finally, at the end of this part
> of the movie it does say GW volunteered. But it gives the indication at
> the
> beginning that Braddock had selected him. And wasn't there a second Aide
> de
> Camp? One which was an elisted man and not a volunteer? Where was he in
> the
> movie? And where was Fry? Wasn't he there? It seemed like the only two
> important characters where GW and Braddock. I was dissappointed. And they
> are saying you can use this in the schools as a teaching aid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> What say ye, my wise, history instructors?
>
> Lonny Watro
>
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