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The American Revolution

December 15 at 9 & 10pm ET // December 16 at 9pm ET

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Everyone knows the story of Paul Revere and his famous midnight ride to warn colonial forces of the British approach. But history books don't tell of the man who sent Revere on his mission: Joseph Warren, America's least remembered founding father. Uncover the forgotten history of Warren and stories of other unsung heroes in our fight for independence in THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a new three-part miniseries premiering on Monday, December 15 at 9 & 10pm ET and on Tuesday, December 16 at 9pm ET.

In order for the Declaration of Independence - and its famous ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - to mean anything, the underdog army of heroic Americans would have to fight. And fight they did, from the mob-provoked Boston Massacre in 1770, to the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, to the battle of Yorktown in 1781. An epic two-night television event, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION chronicles the rise of the rebellion, failures and setbacks of the colonial mission, and the ultimate comeback that resulted in the birth of a nation.

"As our country's origin story, the Revolutionary War defines the American character that we retain, and celebrate to this day: fiercely independent, pioneering and non-conformist, steeped in the spirit of patriotism and brotherhood," said Kevin Bennett, EVP and General Manager, American Heroes Channel. "THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION brings the actions of first American heroes to life, from the first Intolerable Acts to the Siege of Yorktown, viewers will experience history from the patriots' perspective on the battlefield."

Combining expert interviews, innovative recreations, and high-end animations as dramatic and compelling as a Hollywood blockbuster, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION goes beyond textbook tales of our founding fathers to bring indispensable but forgotten players to the front lines like James Armistead, a Virginia slave turned invaluable spy. Intelligence he relayed from General Lord Charles Cornwallis to French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette eventually led to American and French forces trapping the redcoats in Yorktown, forcing their surrender, and effectively ending the war.

Also featured is Han Yerry, a chief of the Oneida nation - one of the few Native American tribes that allied itself with the patriots during the American Revolution. Yerry fought off redcoats with a tomahawk and later led a crucial, 400-mile expedition to Valley Forge to deliver a life-saving supply of white corn to General George Washington's starving troops. Many women also answered the call, like Nancy Hart, a patriot spy who disguised herself as a man and wandered through British encampments to gather intelligence. Her most celebrated contribution was capturing several loyalist soldiers who had raided her home and demanded a meal. She shot one of them dead, and then held the rest at gunpoint until local militiamen arrived and hanged them.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION celebrates these heroes and many others whose stories are lost to time, including:

Rise of the Patriots
Premieres Monday, December 15 at 9/8c

Five unsung patriots strike pivotal blows for American liberty as unrest between Britain and the colonies explodes into a war for independence. A Boston doctor named Joseph Warren spearheads the rebellion with inspiring oratory and an underground spy network; a Rhode Island merchant, John Brown, leads a daring raid against a British customs ship; Samuel Prescott visits his fiancée and suddenly finds himself completing Paul Revere's secret mission; Samuel Whittemore, an elderly farmer, becomes an unlikely hero on the first day of hostilities; and a former slave named Salem Poor rallies American militia fighters at Bunker Hill.

The Empire Fights Back
Premieres Monday, December 15 at 10/9c

Time after time, American independence seems like a lost cause as George Washington's Continental Army teeters on the brink of annihilation. The heroics of five little-known patriots help the colonies live to fight another day. John Glover, a tough New England mariner, saves 9,000 soldiers from certain capture on Long Island; a shadowy double agent, John Honeyman, helps Washington score a stunning victory at Trenton; a teenage girl named Sybil Ludington rides to the rescue of rebels under fire in Connecticut; a Pennsylvania sharpshooter named Timothy Murphy fires a bullet that turns the tide of the war; and an Indian warrior called Han Yerry leads a rescue mission to starving soldiers at Valley Forge.

Return of the Rebels
Premieres Tuesday, December 16 at 9/8c

The American Revolution seems doomed as the British army launches a bold new campaign in the south, but five unsung patriots help reverse the course of the war and shock the world. Nancy Hart, a Georgia mother of eight, battles a patrol of loyalists singlehanded; Elizabeth Burgin attempts a daring rescue of American POW's in Brooklyn; a supersized soldier named Peter Francisco becomes a legend on the battlefield; a Virginia slave, James Armistead, steals key secrets leading to a stunning victory at Yorktown; and a frontier teenager called Betty Zane runs a gauntlet of death in the Revolution's final battle.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is produced by Workaholic Productions for American Heroes Channel with Luke Ellis as executive producer. For American Heroes Channel, Liz Massie is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President, Investigation Discovery, Destination America, American Heroes Channel, Discovery Fit & Health and Discovery Family Channel.