Who’s excited for the three-day weekend?! We are!
But, why? I know what you’re thinking. Literally. You’ve got a collection of 
photos flashing through your mind: images of hot dogs and hamburgers (maybe a veggie burger or two) a grill, some cold drinks, a lawn chair, a quick drive as the sun sets, a picnic blanket, kids with sparklers, and fireworks. There it is, the quintessential 4th of July. George Washington is nowhere in sight (unless you envisioned the $1 parking lot fee).
Nothing wrong with that, of course, but when it comes to what it means to be American, we often get lost in our image in lieu of reflecting on our past. So I’m taking this opportunity to ask what it really means to be an American and offer up some inspiring programming that will push you to ask that question, too.
American Experience. It might be the most obvious, but this PBS documentary series is awe-inspiring, covering everything from profiles on American Presidents to the stories of the poverty-stricken railroad riders during the Great Depression. Another PBS favorite is History Detectives, a docu-reality series where everyday Americans discover their personal history through family artifacts and heirlooms. 
In History Detectives, it’s not just about what it means to be an American, it’s about what it meant for American families generation after generation.
Fora TV’s Fora Culture, with over 1300 episodes available, offers an unbelievable amount of information on what it means to be American. If you’re looking for a more general analysis you should check out A Walk Through American History an hour long lecture brimming with information (and delivered on July 4th, 2006). The Late Late show’s Craig Ferguson has some insightful commentary on being American as a Scottie in American on Purpose, but if it’s the darker side of American culture you’re looking for, by all means check out American Fascists. Also, GRITtv with Laura Flanders offers up a unique, albeit slightly darker, take on Howard Zinn’s famous work A People’s History of the American Empire told through cartoons and narrated by Viggo Mortensen.
If it’s movies you’re after, Snag Films hosts a brow-raising dramatic-documentary-musical with a cast that includes American icons Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Altman, and James Baker called The American Ruling Class. The heart of the film poses one of America’s most difficult questions, “Is it better to rule to world, or to save it?” Hulu also offers two movies that focus on the Wild West, a crucial development in American history. One, a documentary about early settlers The Great American West. 
The other, The Great American West of John Ford describes a similar story, but through the eyes of a great American filmmaker, John Ford.
Finally, when it comes to the exploration of modern-day America, Crackle hosts an original Web series, American Dreamers, that presents the lives of modern day Americans who lead extraordinary lives and perhaps makes the point that America is more than an image or a series of historical events; it’s the concept of a dream, any dream, however awkward or intangible, and the journey to reach it. Reaching for the unreachable dream, of course, has always been defined by Americans as the pursuit of happiness.
Happy Independence Day, America. Enjoy your freedom in whichever way you wish to use it.
