Liberty's Kids
Liberty's Kids | |
---|---|
Created by | DiC Entertainment |
Starring | Reo Jones Chris Lundquist Kathleen Barr D. Kevin Williams Walter Cronkite |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 40 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | PBS, The CW, MyNetworkTV, The History Channel, This TV, CBS |
Release | September 2, 2002 April 3, 2005 | –
Liberty's Kids is an animated television series produced by DIC Entertainment, originally broadcast on PBS Kids from September 2, 2002 to April 4, 2003. Then after cancellation, aired reruns until August 16, 2004. The show has since been syndicated by DiC to affiliates of smaller television networks such as The CW and MyNetworkTV and some independent stations so that those stations can fulfill FCC educational and informational requirements. Since's September 16, 2006, the series aired on CBS's new block called KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS, then it was aired on KEWLopolis, which taking September 12, 2009. In 2008 it ran on The History Channel. The series currently on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV. The series was based on an idea by Kevin O'Donnell, developed for TV by Kevin O'Donnell, Robby London, Mike Maliani and Andy Heyward.
Its premise is to teach its audience of seven to fourteen year olds about the origins of the United States of America. Much like the CBS cartoon mini-series based on Peanuts; This is America, Charlie Brown years before, Liberty's Kids tells of young people in dramas surrounding the major events in the Revolutionary War days. Celebrity voices such as Walter Cronkite (as Benjamin Franklin), Sylvester Stallone (as Paul Revere), Ben Stiller (as Thomas Jefferson), Billy Crystal (as John Adams), Dustin Hoffman (as Benedict Arnold), and Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Baron von Steuben) lend credence to characters critical to the forming of a free country, from the Boston Tea Party to the Constitutional Convention.
The shows run a half-hour, including commercials. On public television, these are replaced by segments that include "The Liberty News Network" (a newcast delivered by Cronkite summarizing the events of the episode), "Mystery Guest" (a guessing game where the kids guess a historical figure, who often is a character in the episode), "Now and Then" (a segment comparing life in the Revolutionary Era and today), and "Continental Cartoons" (a rebus word guessing game)
Fictional Characters
Liberty's Kids features Benjamin Franklin and four fictional associates of his in their experiences during the American Revolution. Although the series spans 16 years from the Boston Tea Party in 1773 to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, none of the main characters appear to age, except for Dr. Franklin.
- Sarah Phillips (Reo Jones)
- A bright-eyed 15-year-old young girl from England, Sarah comes to the Thirteen Colonies in 1773 at age fifteen in search of her father, Major Phillips, who was last heard exploring the region of Ohio; upon her arrival, she is warmly welcomed by and lives as a guest of Benjamin Franklin. Her mother, Lady Phillips, remains in England and is a good friend to Dr. Franklin. However, with the possibility of a war between the American colonists and the English mother country, she decides that she will become a reporter for Franklin's newspaper in order to offer a more balanced perspective to the press. Sarah believes firmly in the power of words and equal rights for all, and is never afraid to speak her mind. At the start of the series, she is a firm loyalist, which sparks many arguments between her and James. Later in the series, Sarah has a change of heart and realizes how much she has come to understand the people of the colonies and ends up supporting the Revolution. Some men know the way to her heart... and that is by having good manners (Nathan Hale and John Paul Jones are good examples); when this happens, James can seem almost jealous, although near the end of the series she appears to feel "more than friendship" for James. Throughout the series, Sarah and James grow closer. At the end of the series, her mother, Lady Phillips, joins Sarah and her father in the United States and Sarah hopes to explore more of her adopted country.
- James Hiller (Chris Lundquist)
- A young boy orphaned in childhood because of a lightning storm, 14-year-old James greatly admires Benjamin Franklin, whose invention of the lightning rod saved many from the same tragedy. Zealous, street-smart and impulsive, James pursues the revolution from a slightly one-sided perspective - something that prompts Sarah to counter his views. An apprentice in Franklin's Print Shop, James believes firmly in the American cause and will do almost anything to ensure that the people receive an honest view of what is happening. In the process, he also faces the less positive aspects of the political conflict that eventually forces his patriotic fervor into a new maturity. He highly values his friends, Sarah and Henri. He can be a little protective of Sarah while he attempts to keep Henri out of trouble, acting somewhat like an older brother figure to Henri. He is very laid back and is constantly reminded of his bad etiquette and poor table manners by Sarah, toward whom he shows feelings of what might be "more than friendship" and Sarah often returns. At the end of the series, James intends to start his own newspaper, following in the steps of his mentor.
- Henri Richard Maurice Dutoit LeFevbre (Kathleen Barr)
- A small, but comedic and energetic 8-year-old boy from France, Henri's parents died on the voyage to America and the ship's captain exploited Henri afterwards. James and Moses smuggled Henri off the ship and the boy found a home in Benjamin Franklin's workshop. While he speaks French fluently, Dr. Franklin has insisted that Henri learn to speak, read, and write in both English and French. Henri's small size has proved more than useful to Sarah and James, though he has a tendency to land himself in all sorts of trouble while not fully understanding the dangers of the war. His lookout on life is that of a "huge party for his benefit" and has been labeled a "magnet for trouble." In later episodes, he serves on the drum and bugle corps of the Continental Army. Curious and fearless, the only thing Henri values more than his freedom is finding a family of his own. Near the end of the series Henri returns to his native France as the adopted son/ward of the Marquis de Lafayette, with whom he has developed a strong bond.
- Moses (D. Kevin Williams)
- Born in Africa, Moses was brought in chains to America as a slave and sold on the block in Charleston, South Carolina. Because of his ingenuity, Moses learned to read, forge metal, and buy his freedom from his master, thus freeing himself from the slavery of the American south. He eventually moved to Philadelphia and found work at Dr. Franklin's Print Shop. His brother, Cato, had not been so fortunate and escaped, later joining the British troops as a soldier. He looks out for Dr. Franklin's young wards, especially Henri. Like Henri, he values his freedom more than anything. Iron-willed Moses will never allow anyone to strip him of his dignity, despite his or her feelings on race. By working at the Print Shop, Moses hopes to educate children of all colors in the ideals of America so that everyone may one day be free. At the end of the series, Moses reveals a plan to set up a school for children of all races, but only to Dr. Franklin.
PBS Funding
- Corporation For Public Broadcasting (2002-2005)
- ASME (2002-2005)
- KOWI (2002-2005)
- Rosland P. Walter (2002-2005)
- MCJ Foundation (2002-2005)
- Ford Foundation (2002-2005)
- Boscov's (2002-2005)
- The John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation A Catalist of change (2003-2005)
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public Television Viewers Like you (2003-2005)
Historical characters depicted
Continental Army, Navy, and American militia
- Ethan Allen
- George Rogers Clark (Norman Schwarzkopf)
- Margaret “Molly” Corbin
- Horatio Gates
- Nathanael Greene (John Michael Lee)
- Nathan Hale
- Alexander Hamilton
- Charles Lee
- John Paul Jones (Liam Neeson)
- Tadeusz Kościuszko (Pole in Continental Army)
- Joseph Plumb Martin (Aaron Carter)
- Deborah Sampson aka Robert Shurtleff (Whoopi Goldberg)
- John Sullivan
- Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (Prussian in Continental Army) (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
- George Washington
- Anthony Wayne (during the episode of James Armistead)
- Udeny Wolf-Hutchinson (Carl Beck)
British Army & Navy
- John André
- John Burgoyne
- Guy Carleton
- Henry Clinton
- Charles Cornwallis
- Admiral Lord Richard Howe (Michael York)
- General William Howe
- Johann Rall (Hessian Officer in British service)
French officers
Spanish Army
Native Americans
Turncoats
American family members
- Abigail Adams (Annette Bening)
- John Quincy Adams
- Peggy Shippen (Maria Shriver) British Loyalist before married to Benedict Arnold
American politicians
- John Adams (Billy Crystal)
- Samuel Adams
- Samuel Chase
- Silas Deane
- Benjamin Franklin (Walter Cronkite)
- John Hancock
- Patrick Henry (Michael Douglas)
- John Jay
- Thomas Jefferson (Ben Stiller)
- Henry Laurens
- Richard Henry Lee
- James Madison (Warren Buffett)
- Caesar Rodney
- Edward Rutledge
- Dr Joseph Warren
Other historical figures
- James Armistead
- David Bushnell
- Elizabeth Freeman aka Mum Bett (Yolanda King)
- William Dawes
- King George III (Charles Shaughnessy)
- Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes
- Edward Jenner
- Sybil Ludington (Kayla Hinkle)
- Lord North
- Thomas Paine
- Paul Revere (Sylvester Stallone)
- Paul Wentworth
- Benjamin West
- Phillis Wheatley
- Ann Radcliffe
Theme
The opening theme to Liberty's Kids, "Through My Own Eyes," is performed by Aaron Carter, who also voices Joseph Plumb Martin, appearing in episode 24, and Kayla Hinkle, a country singer who also voices Sybil Ludington, appearing in episode 21.
Episodes
The following are the Liberty's Kids episodes, with links to relevant historical articles.
# | Title | Subjects covered | Plot | Mystery guest |
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1 | Boston Tea Party | Boston Tea Party September 2,2002 | Sarah arrives in America aboard the H.M.S. Dartmouth[disambiguation needed], but Moses, James and Henri aren't the only ones there to meet the ship. Sam Adams leads a gang of patriots aboard to destroy the tea cargo in protest, and the kids are caught in the middle. (Note: Due to the episode title with the inspired subject, Henri throws the parsley in the water and loudly yells, "No taxation without representation!" at the British Redcoats.) | Samuel Adams |
2 | Intolerable Acts | Intolerable Acts September 3, 2002 | James, Sarah, Henri and Moses are stuck in Boston at the home of Phillis Wheatley when Boston is under curfew due to the Acts | Phillis Wheatley |
3 | United We Stand | First Continental Congress September 4, 2002 | James covers the First Continental Congress, while Sarah travels to Boston to supply the resistance movement | Abigail Adams |
4 | Liberty or Death | Give me Liberty, or give me Death! September 6, 2002 | Having travelled to Virginia to buy a new press, Moses sees his brother Cato about to be sold into slavery, and attempts to stop it, while the kids hear that Patrick Henry is about to rally the southern patriots. | Patrick Henry |
5 | Midnight Ride | Midnight Ride of Paul Revere September 13, 2002 | James and Sarah travel to Boston with a message from the Mechanics, reconnoitre with Dr. Warren, and join Paul Revere and William Dawes on their midnight ride | Paul Revere |
6 | The Shot Heard Round the World | September 29, 2002 Battles of Lexington and Concord | James and Sarah witness the Battles of Lexington and Concord, where Sarah's cousin Tom is killed | John Parker |
7 | Green Mountain Boys | Capture of Fort Ticonderoga October 3, 2002 | James and Sarah meet up with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys in Vermont, watch them drive away a portly landowner, then stow away with Allen and Benedict Arnold when they capture Fort Ticonderoga | Ethan Allen |
8 | Second Continental Congress | The Second Continental Congress October 4, 2002 | A British spy urges James and Henri to find out what's going on in the closed sessions of the Second Continental Congress. Meanwhile, Sarah and Moses schmooze George Washington, a delegate to the Congress and the newly-chosen general of the Continental Army | John Hancock |
9 | Bunker Hill | Battle of Bunker Hill October 5, 2002 | James witnesses the Battle of Bunker Hill from the American camp, while Sarah is in the British camp looking for a British soldier who is killed in action | Joseph Warren |
10 | Postmaster General Franklin | Benjamin Franklin October 10, 2002 | James and Sarah attempt to deliver mail between Philadelphia and New York, meeting with a committee of correspondence on the way. Meanwhile, Franklin is appointed Postmaster General by the Second Continental Congress | John Adams |
11 | Washington Takes Command | Siege of Boston George Washington October 13, 2002 |
The gang winters in Boston, where General Washington takes command and lifts the British occupation of Boston. James joins Henry Knox on his sojourn to Fort Ticonderoga | George Washington |
12 | Common Sense | Common Sense October 20, 2002 | Ben's old friend Thomas Paine comes by to ask them to print his book Common Sense, which makes the case for breaking away from Britain. James and Henri are inspired, but Sarah is repulsed by the notion of rebellion and won't even read it. | Thomas Paine |
13 | The First Fourth of July | Declaration of Independence October 27, 2002 | James attempts to find out more about the debate over the Declaration; he rounds up delegates from New Jersey and Delaware. Meanwhile, Sarah goes through Thomas Jefferson's trash | Thomas Jefferson |
14 | New York, New York | New York and New Jersey campaign November 1, 2002 | Sarah visits Mrs. Radcliffe, a New York Loyalist. Meanwhile, James witness the loss of New York City to the British, and Henri pretends to be an American spy | Betsy Ross |
15 | The Turtle | The Turtle November 2, 2002 | Hearing rumors of a sea monster in New York Harbor, the kids investigate and stumble across David Bushnell and his prototype submarine. They also run into Admiral Richard Howe, the commander of the British fleet in New York | David Bushnell |
16 | One Life to Lose | Nathan Hale November 3, 2002 | The kids discover that Nathan Hale is a spy, and witness his execution. Meanwhile, James is almost impressed into the British Navy and Franklin attends the Staten Island Peace Conference | Nathan Hale |
17 | Captain Molly | Battle of Fort Washington Margaret Corbin |
Sarah encamps with Molly Pitcher at Fort Tryon, while James witnesses the loss of Forts Tryon and Washington to the British | Thomas Jefferson |
18 | American Crisis | The American Crisis, New York and New Jersey campaign November 4, 2002 |
James and Sarah witness the terrible conditions of the Continental Army after defeats in New York and New Jersey, and return to Philadelphia to help Thomas Paine publish The American Crisis | Robert Bell |
19 | Across the Delaware | Washington's crossing of the Delaware Battle of Trenton November 5, 2002 |
James learns of a plan to attack the British before enlistments run out, then crosses the Delaware with Washington before the Battle of Trenton | John Honeyman |
20 | American in Paris | Franklin in France, Forage War November 30, 2002 | Franklin, now ambassador to France, works tirelessly to get military aid from the French foreign minister Vergennes. Meanwhile, James meets up with Capt. Alexander Hamilton on the way to Washington's winter encampment at Morristown, New Jersey , and Sarah contracts smallpox in Boston. | Alexander Hamilton |
21 | Sybil Lundington | Sybil Ludington Battle of Ridgefield December 1, 2002 |
James goes to Connecticut to learn of Colonel Henry Ludington, and instead learns of the exploits of the "female Paul Revere". Meanwhile, Sarah is again with Benedict Arnold, and both witness the destruction of Danbury by the British. | Sybil Ludington |
22 | Lafayette Arrives | Marquis de Lafayette Battle of Brandywine December 2, 2002 |
Lafayette arrives in Philadelphia and meets the kids before offering his services to the Continental Congress. He is later wounded at the Battle of Brandywine | Sarah Fulton |
23 | The Hessians are Coming | Saratoga Campaign December 3, 2002 | Both James and Sarah witness the Battle of Saratoga, Sarah from her coverage of Benedict Arnold, and James from the vantage point of being tied to a Hessian deserter | Sarah Fulton |
24 | Valley Forge | Valley Forge December 20, 2002 | James and Sarah see the hardship that Joseph Plumb Martin and other foot soldiers endure during the war; Washington faces a possible mutiny; von Steuben drills Washington's troops | Baron von Steuben |
25 | Allies at Last | Franco-American Alliance Rhode Island Loyalty Oath December 21, 2002 |
Franklin is able to negotiate a treaty of alliance and an audience with King Louis XVI. Meanwhile, James and Moses travel to Newport, Rhode Island and meet with Jewish merchant Moses Michael Hayes, and Sarah and Henri remain in occupied Philadelphia. | Moses Michael Hayes |
26 | Honor and Compromise | Articles of Confederation Battle of Monmouth December 27, 2002 |
The Continental Congress in York is divided among factions led by Richard Henry Lee and Samuel Chase. Meanwhile, Washington has to deal with opposition from General Charles Lee with regard to his battle strategy. | Abraham Nenhem |
27 | The New Frontier | Cornstalk Fort Wilson riot December 28, 2002 |
In Philadelphia, James encounters mob violence against James Wilson. Meanwhile, Sarah is on the Ohio frontier, where she encounters her father and Shawnee chief Cornstalk. | Cornstalk |
28 | Not Yet Begun to Fight | Battle of Flamborough Head December 28, 2002 | Shipwrecked on her way back to England, Sarah is rescued by the Bonhomme Richard, and in the midst of battle, John Paul Jones helps her see that her true loyalty lies with America | John Paul Jones |
29 | The Great Galvez | Bernardo de Galvez December 29, 2002 | James is on the frontier, where he meets George Rodgers Clark and Bernando de Galvez, the latter at the Battle of Fort Charlotte. Meanwhile, Sarah is in England. | Bernardo de Galvez |
30 | In Praise of Ben | Benjamin Franklin December 30, 2002 | When Sarah arrives back from England, she finds Henri fighting with a young boy. Henri explains that he has done this because the boy was saying bad things about Ben Franklin. The boy says he only said this because that is what his father said. So, Sarah, Moses, and James explain to the boy about Ben Franklin's life and inventions. | Benjamin Franklin |
31 | Bostonians | Cherry Valley massacre Adams Family December 31, 2002 |
Sarah again visits the Adams family, when John is drafting the Massachusetts Constitution and preparing for a diplomatic mission to Europe. Meanwhile, James learns the horrors of the war for native Americans from Iroquois chief Joseph Brant | Joseph Brant |
32 | Benedict Arnold | Benedict Arnold January 20, 2003 | James is interviewing skinners when they capture British spy Andre, who's carrying blueprints of West Point. Finding out where he got them, James must later comfort Sarah when her friend, General Arnold, is unmasked as a traitor. | Benedict Arnold |
33 | Conflict in the South | Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War January 31, 2003 | James tags along with General Nathanael Greene on his campaign in the South. Meanwhile, Sarah is horrified that Thomas Jefferson owns slaves | Nathanael Greene |
34 | Deborah Samson: Soldier of the Revolution | Deborah Sampson Battle of Rhode Island February 10, 2003 |
Sarah meets Deborah Samson, a female soldier who enlisted under the identity Robert Shurtleff. Meanwhile, General Washington attempts to organize an offensive with General Rochambeau from their base in Rhode Island, and Vergennes attempts to organize a peace conference with the British | Deborah Sampson |
35 | James Armistead | James Armistead February 20, 2003 | Encamped with Lafayette's army in Virginia, Henri enlists as a drummer boy and Sarah meets slave and double agent James Armistead. Meanwhile, General Washington prepares for a major offensive against the British | James Armistead |
36 | Yorktown | Siege of Yorktown February 30, 2003 | James and Sarah witness the epic battle of Yorktown. Meanwhile, Moses' brother may not get the freedom he was promised, since the British lost. | Charles Cornwallis |
37 | Born Free and Equal | Mum Bett March 3, 2003 | Sarah travels to the Berkshires and learns of Mum Bett, a slave who sued for her freedom and won. Meanwhile, King George III is unwilling to admit that England has lost the war. | Mum Bett |
38 | The Man Who Wouldn't Be King | Newburgh Conspiracy March 24, 2003 | When interviewing Washington, James learns that officers in the Continental Army want to overthrow the government and install Washington as dictator, something Washington finds abhorrent. The episode ends with Washington going to Annapolis and resigning his commission. | Benjamin West |
39 | Going Home | Shays' Rebellion April 2, 2003 | James visits Daniel Shays, who is upset about the conditions Revolutionary War veterans are facing and leads a rebellion to shut the government down. In New York, Sarah again vists her Loyalist friend Mrs. Radcliffe, who ends up moving to Canada with Moses' brother Cato. Meanwhile, James considers buying a newspaper, Henri decides to go to France with Lafayette, and Franklin returns to America with Lady Phillips. | Daniel Shays |
40 | We the People | Philadelphia Convention April 3, 2003 | James and Sarah attempt to find out what is going on at the Constitutional Convention, and Moses is upset that the constitution does not abolish slavery. | James Madison |
DVD release
On October 14, 2008, Shout! Factory released Liberty's Kids- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[1] The 6-disc box set contains all 40 episodes of the series as well as several bonus features.