Interview: Ken Burns On The Birth of American Democracy — and the Battles That Still Define It

Few filmmakers have shaped how we understand America quite like Ken Burns. In this episode, Ken joins Mosheh for an in-depth conversation about his newest project — The American Revolution, a sweeping six-part documentary on PBS (This episode originally aired in November 2025.) The series reexamines America’s founding as more than a story of brilliant thinkers in Philadelphia — revealing a violent, fragile, and deeply human struggle for independence that almost failed. Burns explains how remarkable the American Revolution’s promise of “inalienable rights” was, and how the US influenced 200+ years of revolutions around the world. Burns explains why he thinks 1776 was the most consequential event since the birth of Jesus Christ. Burns also discusses the present: What the Founders’ era can teach us about disinformation, division, and democracy in 2025. Why complexity — not simplicity — is the key to understanding our past and navigating our future. And how Burns finds optimism and faith in a nation that’s always been a work in progress. The American Revolution streams at ⁠⁠PBS.org⁠⁠ and the PBS App. Mosheh Oinounou (⁠⁠⁠@mosheh⁠⁠⁠) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.