In Spring 2010, the former Hitler History Channel  (since 2008 re-branded as simply “History”) launched a new mini-series called America The Story of US. A broad overview of our nation’s past from the founding of Jamestown to the recent present (with an emphasis on the role played by technology) the series was billed as “an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented.” Individual episodes consisted of accented voice-overs; dramatic re-enactments augmented by CGI; and a truly bizarre cast of celebrity commentators. In sum, the whole production unfolded after the fashion you’d expect from a network that devotes airtime to extraterrestrial aliens, chupacabras, and the coming Apocalypse.

That said, the episode devoted to the US Civil War remains worth watching. Its coverage of how the Minié ball, railroad, telegraph, and other inventions shaped the conflict are informative and entertaining. The episode clearly illustrates the extent to which some things have changed since then.

2010, that is.

See for yourself:

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