# @brownu on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DP9TVcfDz5-
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35886190-brownu-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/62126b94ec.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-10-18T16:48:17.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Brown University (@brownu) — https://gondola.cc/brownu

## Caption

For nearly 50 years, acclaimed documentarian Ken Burns has served as the nation’s unofficial historian — offering thoughtful, emotional insights into the people and places that shaped the United States, from Gettysburg’s battlefields to New Orleans’ jazz clubs.

On Friday, Oct. 17, during #BrownFamilyWeekend, the Brown community filled the Salomon Center for Teaching for a sold-out forum featuring Burns and a first look at his newest project, “The American Revolution.” Ten years in the making, the six-part PBS series examines the ideals and contradictions that defined the nation’s founding.

The event was part of Brown 2026, a campus-wide initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and exploring the role of universities in advancing open, democratic societies. 

Following the screening, Burns joined Brown University President Christina H. Paxson on stage for a conversation anchored by questions from Brown historians, including Professor Emeritus of History Gordon Wood, who appears in the documentary. 

Reflecting on the lessons the American Revolution holds for today’s political climate, Burns noted that the era was “a lot more divided back then than we are right now” and urged the audience to view its history not as distant, but as a mirror for the present. 

“It offers a chance for everybody to connect with this story wherever they’re from… and realize just how much we’re distracted by the emphasis on our differences, rather than what we have in common,” he said. 

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Image credit: Nick Dentamaro 

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Read more at the link in our bio.

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