The British View of the American Revolution | Lucy Worsley Investigates | Full Episode 1 | PBS - April 7, 2026 -
Watch more: https://to.pbs.org/4gY7q1J | #LucyWorsleyPBSLucy Worsley investigates the tensions and turning points that led to America’s declaration of independence from Britain in 1776. With access to expert insights and original evidence, Lucy asks whether this explosive split could have been avoided.
At New York’s City Hall Park, where George Washington’s troops heard the Declaration of Independence read aloud — a rallying cry that inspired rebels to destroy a statue of King George III and melt it into musket balls. At the New York Historical, Lucy examines a relic of this defiance and asks whether the rupture was inevitable. She then travels home to England to uncover the British perspective, studying King George’s maps and visiting Benjamin Franklin’s London home. She traces British and American tensions rising from Britain’s punitive taxes and the Stamp Act of 1765. In Boston, Lucy explores how the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party were flashpoints that pushed Americans toward war. Finally, Lucy reveals the radical voices — John Wilkes and Thomas Paine — whose words crystallized America’s vision of liberty and independence.
Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution | Full Episode 1
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More about: Lucy Worsley Investigates
Lucy Worsley re-investigates some of the most dramatic chapters in British history. She uncovers forgotten witnesses, re-examines old evidence and follows new clues. For over two decades, Lucy Worsley OBE served as the Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces in the U.K. She's the author of popular books about Jane Austen and Queen Victoria as well as the Sunday Times no. 1 bestselling biography of Agatha Christie. She is the host of dozens of PBS specials and series including LUCY WORSLEY INVESTIGATES, LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS. DOYLE, AGATHA CHRISTIE: LUCY WORSLEY ON THE MYSTERY QUEEN, LUCY WORSLEY’S ROYAL MYTHS AND SECRETS, and many others.












