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Private Notes
At the direction of Benjamin Franklin, Moses, James and Henri travel to Boston in search of Sarah, who has arrived from England on a tea-laden ship. When they get to the Harbor, they happen upon the disguised colonists and discover they are raiding the very ship Sarah is on.
Moses, James, Sarah and Henri hide at poet Phillis Wheatley's house in Boston, where some of His Majesty's soldiers are being quartered. Hearing Phillis Wheatley's story, Sarah is confronted with the horror of slavery for the first time. Later, though Sarah does not agree with her new friends' thoughts about Mother England, she helps them in a time of trouble.
Moses lets James report on Congress and after a British sailor is ""tarred and feathered,"" James learns about the ugliness of mob rule, when emotions get in the way of compassion. Sarah and Henri meet Abigail Adams and travel with her to bring supplies and pamphlets to the occupied city of Boston. Sarah immediately finds in Abigail a strong female role model to look up to.
James, Sarah, Henri and Moses travel to Virginia, where they witness Patrick Henry's speech. Moses is shocked to find his brother Cato on the slave auction block and risks his own freedom to rescue him. Cato sees hope for himself in Dunmore's Proclamation and in the end leaves his brother to seek his own path to freedom.
Sarah and James travel to Boston to deliver a message to Patriot leader Dr. Joseph Warren and end up riding with the famous messengers so that they can write about it for the paper.
James, reporting on the Minutemen, and Sarah, falling in with the British forces, report from both sides on the ""shot heard ‘round the world"" at Lexington. They each leave the scene fearful of what the future will bring though James is caught up with the romanticism of fighting for liberty.
James heads to the Grants to cover the story of the settlers' struggle; Sarah goes hoping to find a place in the Green Mountains for her family to settle, and Henri wants to find maple syrup. Sarah and James witness the capture of the fort and Sarah befriends Benedict Arnold, whom she instantly respects.
Desperate for information on what Congress is doing behind the closed doors of the statehouse, James unknowingly befriends a British spy. Sarah and Moses meet George Washington and together use ""Yankee ingenuity"" to fix Washington's carriage after it breaks.
James witnesses the Battle of Bunker Hill from the American side, while Sarah interviews one of the British officers, and Henri acts as a messenger.
When the Philadelphia patriots find out that some of their mail isn't being delivered to the right people by the British-controlled postal service, James and Sarah volunteer to carry important letters to New York. Ben Franklin becomes the colonies' Postmaster General on July 26, 1775.
Washington puts together the Continental Army. Meanwhile James goes with Henry Knox to get cannons from Fort Ticonderoga.
Sarah, James and Henri meets Thomas Paine and they hear his beliefs on the common man and independence.
Sarah and James meet Thomas Jefferson and witnesses the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
Sarah does a report on the loyalists opinion on the revolution in New York. Meanwhile James escapes to Manhattan with the Continental Army.
Sarah, Henri and James reports on a sea monster in the New York harbor, then they meet the submarine inventor David Bushnell.
Sarah and James witnesses Nathan Hale's commitment to independence.
With General Washington losing battle after battle, James' confidence wavers. He and Sarah go to Washington's camp to report from the front lines. However, because she is a girl, Sarah is sent to Fort Tryon with the other women and children. There, she befriends Molly, a spunky patriot whose husband was killed fighting the British. But then James finds out that the British are going to attack Fort Tryon! Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia, Moses starts teaching Henri how to read.
The gang meets back up with Thomas Paine. Meanwhile, George Washington is under pressure to win his battle.
James learns more about the captured British spy.
While visiting Abigail Adams, Sarah gets exposed to smallpox. Meanwhile Alexander Hamilton joins George Washington in the battle.
James learns from the courageuos Sybil Ludington that the thought of independence not only lies in the hearts of soldiers and determined young men, but also in the hearts of determined young women. Sarah travels to Philadelphia with General Benedict Arnold and witness his passion of being ranked to a higher office in the army.
Henri meets the Marquis de Lafayette.
James is found by the British and is tied to a Hessian.
James and Sarah see the hardship that foot soldiers endure during the war; Washington faces betrayal.
James learns about religious freedom from Moses Michael Hayes; Sarah and Henri are in occupied Philadelphia.
Henri befriends Abraham Nimham; Sarah and Moses watch Congress debate over the Articles of Confederation.
Sarah decides to go off into the wild Ohio Fronteir to find her father, while there she's found by some friendly Indians who wish to help her. An English friend of the Indians comes to help and Sarah gets a very wonderful surprise and makes a sad decision. Meanwhile James and every other poor person is having trouble with the rich overcharging them. A man trys to tar and feather a rich Tori, but James disagrees.
Sara's trip back home to England is delayed because of a ship wreck.
Sarah is in London with her mother and is having doubts about belonging there. In the end, she finally decides she is an American. Meanwhile James and Henri are traveling a long ways to give a letter to Galvez, but on the way are Brittish soldiers, will they stop them and find the letter?
The title kinda gives it away, the episode begins with Sarah coming 'home' to Philidelphia, she's greeted by Moses, and eventually, a slightly bitter James. The rest is 'in praise of Ben' Benjamin Franklin. It's about is education, his inventions, and many other things.
James views the acts of the Iroquois and colonists; Sarah reunites with Abigail Adams.
According to James' theory, there are British spies that are close to General Washington, how else could you explain all the conterattacks by the british? James is on a mission to find out! In the mean time, in his west point house, Benedict Arnold is bitter about the Congress. Becasue of his bitterenss, he meets up with one of the british officers and tells them of Washington's plans, plans that if the british could get a hold of, would mean the end of liberty. What will Sarah think when she finds out her hero is a traitor?
James and Henri follow General Nathanael Green; Sarah is upset to discover Thomas Jefferson has slaves.
Sarah meets Deborah Samson; James and Henri witness arguments between Generals Washington and Rochambeau.
The Americans send out James Armistead, a slave, to spy on the British by pretending to be Benedict Arnold's slave. He finds out that Cato, Moses' brother is a British slave. The British ask James to spy on the Americans the same way he is spying on them.
Moses' brother fights for the British; Moses joins the American mining corps to search for his brother; battle of Yorktown.
Sarah, staying with Abigail Adams in Boston, is thrilled to see Mum Bett freed and resolves to fight for civil rights. In France, Ben Franklin hopes that news of Yorktown will convince King George to surrender to his former colonies. James finds himself in a tight spot as he digs deeper for the whole story.
Historical Content: The Massachusetts slave 'Mum Bett' sues for her freedom (May 28, 1781). When she wins, she renames herself Elizabeth Freeman (August 1781). With this decision and the case of another slave, Quok Walker, Massachusetts abolishes slavery (1783). In Great Britain, a bitter, recalcitrant King George III is finally convinced to recognize American independence and to go to the peace table.
The Americans want George Washington to be king of the United States, but he refuses.
James interviews former U.S. soldiers to find out what it's like for them, and learns that farmers are having trouble paying off taxes since all their food went towards feeding soldiers. Meanwhile, Lafayette says he is going home to France and eventually invites Henri to go with him, and Henri accepts the invitation.
Moses resolves to open a school for free black children; Sarah reunites with her parents. The Constitution is written.
