Original subtitles

♪ I see a land with liberty for

♪ Yet still I know the truth will rise and fall ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ That's just the way it goes ♪

♪ A word now to the wise ♪

♪ The world was made to change ♪

♪ Each day is a surprise ♪

♪ I'm looking at life through my own eyes ♪

♪ I'm searching for a hero to id

♪ Feeling the pain as innocence

♪ I'm looking at life through my own eyes ♪

♪ I take my heart into battle ♪

♪ Give that freedom bell a rattl

♪ Get my independence signed ♪

♪ Declare it on the dotted line

♪ Let Philadelphia freedom ring

♪ And patriotic voices sing ♪

♪ Red, white, and blue ♪

♪ Never give up ♪

♪ You represent America ♪

♪ I'm hoping and praying for a brighter day ♪

♪ I listen to my heart and I obe

♪ How can I see it any other way

♪ I'm looking at life ♪

♪ Through my own eyes ♪

- [Narrator] Here are some excit

from today's episode of Liberty'

- [Horatio Gates] Congress has lied to us long enough.

Think of all we've sacrificed to win this war.

- [Disgruntled Officer] I fought six years, and not a penny.

- [Gates] The time has come

to take matters into our own han

- [George Washington] Without ju

the army is a powder keg ready t

and right now I have no idea how to prevent it.

- [Benjamin Franklin] My dear Mo

I write you today with monumenta

Forgive me if it's not in my own

but my gout's been acting up aga

Yesterday, November 30th, we signed a preliminary

peace treaty with Great Britain.

John Adams, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and your truly

signed the document at the Grand Hotel Muscovite in Paris.

For some reason, the king's emissary, Richard Oswald,

didn't seem nearly as pleased as

Liberty is ours.

Though one troubling question re

We won our war, but can our new nation survive in peace?

- Dr. Franklin, forgive me for interrupting,

but I am in an absolute state!

The British ministers refuse to let me paint them

signing the peace treaty!

I won't be able to finish.

- Look at it this way, Mr. West.

You must abandon a painting,

the British must abandon a count

(jig music)

- Dr. Franklin, your legs!

- They're still strong enough

to kick King George across an oc

- Henri, at least pretend you have manners.

Wait for me.

- Sorry, it just smells so good!

- I wish Dr. Franklin were here to enjoy this with us.

- Me, too.

Can you pass the beans?

- And Moses, as well.

- Oui, and he sure likes turkey.

Could I have a drumstick?

- And James.

It's been forever since we've se

- Nobody can eat like James.

You going to have some of those

- Sarah, Henri!

Working on a story.

General Washington, army, Congre

You have to come with me.

Oh, I'm sorry, you're eating.

- Forget eating!

This sounds exciting.

Besides, we hadn't really started yet, had we, Henri?

- No.

- So, what's this about a story?

- It can wait.

(humming)

I haven't eaten all day.

- But we haven't seen you in mon

And you can't just leave us hang

- Yeah, we're journalists, too.

- Okay, okay.

What if I told you General Washington could have had

the chance to become king of Ame

- If he had become a king, then I am the prince of France.

- I don't understand.

Didn't he fight to get rid of a

- I'd better start at the beginn

Remember how I went to visit General Washington

and the Continental army?

(cheering)

The British army still occupied New York City,

but news had come from France that the war was all but over.

Whoa, Caesar.

Time to eat.

- [Disgruntled Officers] It's no

We've got to do something.

We're being cheated!

- [James] It was Major General Horatio Gates

and some of General Washington's highest-ranking officers.

I thought I'd go over and say he

- [Gates] Gentlemen,

Congress has lied to us long eno

Think of all we've sacrificed to win this war,

and now that freedom is in our g

what has Congress done?

- It's broken every promise it's ever made, that's what.

Has any man here been paid

so much as a farthing by Congres

- I fought six years, and not a

- [John Armstrong, Jr.] Congress promised us all pay.

Then it promised us a pension fo

Now it wants to discharge us without giving us either.

(mumbling)

Did we serve our country just to lose our property

and end up in debtors' jail?

- We must demand our rights.

- If Congress refuses, I say we march down to Philadelphia

and answer them with muskets.

- Where does His Excellency stand on the matter?

- Where does Washington stand?

He cannot speak publicly on the

but I assure you we have his sup

- Why else would he allow us to meet tomorrow?

Read this.

Circulate it to bring more men to our cause,

then meet at the new building tomorrow at noon.

- The time has come to take matters into our own hands.

- [Washington] If you have sense enough to discover

and spirit to oppose tyranny, whatever garb it may assume,

awake to your situation.

If the present moment be lost,

your threats hereafter will be e

- [James] What they were talking

sounds like armed rebellion.

It's, it's mutiny!

- This is the second such letter to be circulated

amongst my officers.

I ordered them to postpone their

hoping they would reconsider.

Obviously they have not.

- [James] If you ask me, they're no better than traitors.

- [Washington] On the contrary,

I consider them heroes and patriots of the highest order.

They risked their lives

to fight for a new form of gover

And now they feel that governmen turned its back on them.

- But what they've said about Co

- Comes from honest frustration.

They haven't been paid

and there's little chance they w

- But why?

- [Washington] The National Treasury has no money,

Congress has no power to raise t

and the states can't pay what they promised to.

The simple truth is that without a strong central government

our republic cannot survive.

- I heard one of the officers say that you would support

an armed uprising on Congress.

Is that true?

- There's something I'd like you

This was sent to me by one of my officers not very long ago.

- He's asking you to become king of the United States.

He's saying the army would stand behind you.

- Have you ever heard of Caesar?

- Um, that's the name of Dr. Franklin's horse.

- Julius Caesar was a great gene

and the most popular man in Rome

After winning a war, he marched his army into Rome.

- And made himself king?

- And made himself king.

- I don't believe it.

George Washington would never declare himself king.

Never!

Would he?

- Of course not.

Anyone with half a brain knows George Washington

would never do a thing like that

You'd never declare yourself kin

Would you?

- No, James.

The very idea is abhorrent to me

to say nothing of the fact that neither the American people

nor the vast majority of soldiers would stand for it.

The army exists to serve Congres not the other way around.

- I thought everything would be fine once the war was over.

Now it seems like things are worse than ever.

- Without justice, the army is

a powder keg ready to explode,

and right now I have no idea how to prevent it.

(bell ringing)

- [Meeting Administrator] James

delegate from Virginia, now has

- Gentlemen of Congress, we have no power to act.

We have failed to live up to our

Now General Washington warns

of an armed uprising against us.

- Armed uprising?

- Outrageous! Who are these men?

- This must not stand!

- The army shall not rule.

- If we do not find some means to pay these honorable men,

God only knows what will happen

(mumbling)

(mumbling)

(mumbling)

- [James] General Washington!

The officers at the meeting hall

- I've been composing my speech.

It will be the most important one I'll ever make.

I only hope it doesn't fall on d

- I'd be willing to listen

if you'd like to rehearse it.

- Mm, perhaps that's not a bad i

- You wear glasses?

Sir?

- I've kept it a secret.

It's not something a commanding

wants his men to see, unless...

I've got to get over to the new

- But what about rehearsing your

- I just realized that what I sa

is far less important than how I

- Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to make a decision.

Shall we stand down and receive nothing for our efforts

or shall we rise up and force Co

to give us satisfaction?

(cheering)

(gasping)

- With your permission, General,

I would like to address the offi

- Oh, we'd be honored, Your Exce

- Gentlemen, I am well aware of your concerns

and have written to Congress requesting a fair settlement.

I ask you to be patient.

- Why should we?

- We've waited long enough!

- Shh, let him speak.

- I also ask you to remember

all we've been through together,

the hardships at Valley Forge,

our victories at Trenton and Pri

Charge!

(yelling in foreign accents)

(cannons booming)

(yelling)

And Yorktown.

(cannons booming)

(drumming)

Think of our brothers in arms

who sacrificed their lives for l

Do you really want to turn your backs on them?

Make no mistake, I'm proud of ea

And because I am, I'll do everything in my power

to prevent you from disgracing your previous glory.

One moment.

Gentlemen, will you permit me to put on my spectacles?

- I don't believe it.

- I had no idea.

- His Excellency wears eyeglasse

- I've grown gray in your servic

and now I'm growing blind.

(sniffling)

- He stopped a rebellion just by putting on his eyeglasses?

- They had sacrificed a lot for their country,

but when they saw how much Washi

had sacrificed for them.

- What happened to their rebellion against Congress?

- It ended right there.

Washington walked out and the officers voted unanimously

to reject any acts of violence.

In fact, they agreed to let Wash

work out a fair payment for them from Congress.

- Did he?

- Full pay for five years.

- It sounds like they would have followed him

to the ends of the earth.

- They didn't have to go that fa

King George gave his blessing to the peace treaty,

and General Sir Guy Carleton and the British army

evacuated New York City once and

(mumbling)

- The Americans want their own country so badly,

well, they can have it!

- [James] Julius Caesar made himself a dictator,

but you know what George Washing

He invited all his officers to Fraunces Tavern

and said goodbye.

- I have looked upon each and every one of you

as a member of my family,

and I wish that your future days

will be as prosperous and happy

as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.

(cheering)

- [James] You know what I'm going to put in my story?

Washington was strong in war.

- But even stronger in peace.

- Were you really there at the t

- This is the mug General Washington used to toast his men

I told Mr. Fraunces, the tavern

that I wanted to give it to Dr.

I declare that no one will ever

to wash this mug.

- What did General Washington do

after saying goodbye to his offi

- I almost forgot.

That's what I came here to tell

He's gone to Maryland to address

We may still be able to get ther

in time to see for ourselves.

That is, if you're interested.

- I wouldn't miss it for the wor

- Gentlemen of Congress, I've come here today

to thank you for your faith in m

and to surrender to your hands the trust you placed in me.

When I accepted my commission,

I was afraid I wouldn't be able

to live up to your expectations,

but I gained confidence from kno

that our cause was just.

If I may, I'd like to speak of the debt I owe to the army,

and in particular, to the members of my staff.

A better group of men does not exist anywhere.

I am fortunate to have served

with each and every one of them.

(coughing)

Gentlemen, it is with a heavy he

that I offer back my commission.

My work is done, and now I look forward to retiring

from the great theater of action

I came in here a general, I shall leave a private citizen.

(sobbing)

- Come on.

General Washington, sir.

Um, can I still call you that?

- I don't see why not, James.

- Where are you going now?

- Home.

I have a farm that needs tending

(horse neighing)

(cheering)

- It's over.

The war is really over!

It's over, huzzah!

It's over!

- We have heard that the American General Washington

has resigned his commission and returned to private life.

Come here.

The country could have been his for the taking.

- I believe it to be true, Your

He's returned to the life of a f

- If it is true, then George Was

is the greatest man alive.

- [Moses] Does it look alright,

- [Washington] The dove of peace

exactly as I saw it in my dream.

If anybody needs me, I'll be surveying the orchards.

♪ Looking at life through my own

♪ Searching for a hero to idoliz

♪ Feeling the pain as innocence

♪ Looking at life through my own

♪ I take my heart into battle ♪

♪ Give that freedom bell a rattl

♪ Get my independence signed ♪

♪ Declare it on the dotted line

♪ Red, white, and blue ♪

♪ Never give up ♪

♪ You represent America ♪

- [Group] Cookie Jar!

(laughing)