This is the first hour of a six-hour series on the American Revolution. It discusses the origins of the American Revolution, presenting both the colonial and the British points of view, as well as the early military encounters prior to 1776

Part 2 of the 6 part series. 1776 is a watershed year for the Americans, with the publishing of Thomas Payne's Common Sense, the Declaration of Independence, and an increase in hostilities between the American and English forces.

"The American Spirit" tells the story of the Continental Army's struggle against the British from the battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776 to Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga on October 17, 1777. Against terrible odds George Washington, the officers, and the soldiers of the Continental Army exploited the weaknesses of the British Army and convinced the world that the American cause was not hopeless.

One of the greatest American victories of the Revolutionary War occurred not on the battlefield but in the Court of France. Ben Franklin helped the American cause as Ambassador to France, convincing the French to enter the war in February, 1778. While Franklin worked in the opulent court of Louis XVI other Americans were fighting the British and their Native American allies on the rugged frontier.

After the Battle of Saratoga and the American alliance with France success seemed a real possibility. However, enormous weaknesses in the Americans' strategy remained. In August, 1780, Benedict Arnold was made commander of West Point. In this program Arnold's treachery is analyzed , as well as the role of American privateers fighting the British Navy.

The last year of the Revolutionary War was difficult for the Continental Army. In 1781 the Continentals were financially strapped and battle weary -- they fought on and defeated the British, driving Cornwallis's army from Yorktown in October of that year.

It's all about the man here. From his life as a Virginian farmer to his selection as the commander of the Continental Army to his election as the nation's first president, Washington and his huge role in the formation of the U.S.

Thanks to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem in 1861, Paul Revere has been immortalized as a national folk here. This legendary man did a great deal more than just warn the patriots that the Redcoats were coming. Left with his father's silversmith trade, Revere went on to become one of the most skilled artisans of his time. The ambitious businessman learned engraving and dentistry but it was his interest in masonry which launched him into the arena of political leadership. His patriotism drove him to become an active revolutionary--engraving political cartoons, joining underground societies like the Sons of Liberty, and helping to stage the Boston Tea Party. Paul Revere's activities as courier and spy not only helped to spread the spirit of rebellion but earned him the title of Colonel in the Continental Army.

The American Revolution bred many heroes whose courage and leadership on the battlefield helped the United States gain independence from Britain. During the war no man was a more effective commander than Major General Benedict Arnold. His treason and defection to the British made the name Benedict Arnold synonymous with traitor and his name is still used today as slang for evil and betrayal. What caused one of America's greatest patriots to become her most notorious turncoat?