Ken Burns Lin-Manuel Miranda Inspire Students on History

On a chilly midweek afternoon, hundreds of New York City high school students filled the pews of Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan to hear one of history’s most compelling questions: “Who tells your story?” The teachers were acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The event marked a special prelude to Burns’ ambitious new project, The American Revolution, a six-part, 12-hour documentary set to premiere Sunday. The church, steeped in history and the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton and his wife, Eliza, provided a fitting backdrop for the discussion.

“We’re in the business of telling stories,” Burns said, sitting alongside Miranda beneath Trinity’s towering vaulted ceiling. “I deal in fact. And Lin-Manuel can make things up. But the question, ‘Who tells your story?’ is the animating question of humanity. It’s a chance to widen the lens and tell everyone’s story.”

The documentary, co-directed by Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt with a companion book co-written by Geoffrey Ward, draws on thousands of historical sources. Its narrators form what Miranda calls an “Avengers”-worthy cast, including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, and Laura Linney. Commentary comes from historians across disciplines, from Pulitzer Prize winners to scholars of slavery, Native American history, and the British Empire.

Students didn’t just listen—they engaged creatively. After watching a clip from Burns’ documentary on the harsh winter at Valley Forge, Shacoy Moodie and Arianna Richards of Equality Charter High School performed an original rap honoring John Laurens, a revolutionary who fought to enfranchise enslaved Black people. “They deserve it all/each and every one/they deserve it all,” the students chanted, earning nods of approval from Miranda and Burns.

Burns and Miranda’s friendship dates back roughly ten years, when Burns visited Miranda backstage after a Hamilton performance. Despite a generation’s difference—Burns is 72, Miranda 45—the two share a passion for educating through storytelling. Burns’ documentaries are incorporated into school curricula, while Miranda celebrates the countless school productions of Hamilton.

“It was ideal for Lin-Manuel to appear with me at Trinity,” Burns said, noting the public’s growing interest in the Revolution following the success of Hamilton. Miranda added simply, “When Ken Burns calls, you say ‘Yes.’”

Burns emphasized the complexity of history, urging students to move beyond “top-down” narratives while still appreciating the founders’ achievements. When asked about George Washington, he said, “He’s deeply flawed. He owned hundreds of human beings, knew slavery was wrong, and not until the end of his life freed them… Having said this, we don’t have a country without him.”

The documentary’s release comes less than eight months before the United States’ 250th anniversary, amid political and social debates over how the Revolution should be remembered. Burns’ film seeks a broad narrative, highlighting contributions of women, the impact of slavery, and the suffering of Native Americans, alongside the story of the founding fathers.

On stage, a student asked about parallels between revolutionary politics and today’s politics. Burns explained that The American Revolution takes no partisan side, covering administrations from Obama to Biden. The documentary portrays the United States as “dynamic and unfinished, inspiring and imperfect,” emphasizing lessons from the past to guide the future.

Miranda echoed the principle in Hamilton: “I learned that the contradictions present at the founding are still contradictions, in the same way the fights you have with your siblings are your family fights.” Together, Burns and Miranda offered students a powerful lesson: history is alive, complex, and always waiting for new voices to tell it.