CMU Public Broadcasting and archeology alumnus create history documentary


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The six-episode series has Central Michigan University alumnus and archeologist Monty Dobson interacting with a wide array of experts in history, archeology and geography to explore the creation of the United States as it is today.

"America from the Ground Up," a six-part documentary series made possible through the partnership of CBS and Central Michigan University Public Broadcasting, is now available for on Youtube.

The series has aired on more than 100 public broadcast channels in the United States and United Kingdom. Shot over five months in the summer of 2013, the show was written and hosted by Monty Dobson, a CMU alumus and archeologist who used his expertise to explain lesser-known aspects of American history.

"A lot of American history is just Washington-Jamestown-Philadelphia centric," Dobson said. "This takes a look at New France and the competition with Britain and culminates with the War of 1812."

The idea for the show began when Dobson was invited to be an inaugural scholar at the school of Public Service and Global Citizenship in 2012. Pamela Gates, dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences collaborated with Dobson and CMU history professor Andrew Devenney to bring the idea to video by connecting them with CMU media producer Dan Bracken.

Bracken acted as a director, producer, and editor over the course of production.

"I was responsible for capturing scenes on video and editing them," Bracken said. "But I was also a liaison to (PBS). I anticipated it maybe being on a dozen stations, but it's reached more than 10 times that."

The series was broadcast through the National Educational Television Association, a supplier to PBS.

Instead of telling viewers about the generalities of events such as the American Revolution, Dobson consulted archeologists to gain insight into specific battles. "America" also chronicles the historic site of Cahokia, a massive Native American site in Illinois.

In the fourth episode of the documentary, Dobson explained the battles that occurred on and around the St. Lawrence River that were crucial to the success of the Americans. 

Through the work of dive teams, a cannon was recovered from the bottom of Valcour Bay during which the battle of Valcour Island occurred in 1776.  Experts were able to explain that this cannon was not only 100 years old by the time of the battle, but malfunctioned during the fight and killed an American sailor, whose body was never recovered.

This helps to explain the material disadvantages Americans faced throughout the war.

"It helps people who don't know much about history learn in an entertaining way," Gates said. "It's the first documentary that's ever been produced by CMU."

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