It is great to see all the comments on The Americans. I was nine at the time it first aired in 1961. I had just moved to Virginia from Massachusetts and was thoroughly engrossed in learning about the war. This show really created a lasting passion for history. I got my first book on the war, Divided We Fought, shortly after the show came on. Also I started visiting battlefield sites all over Virginia. Later we went to Maryland and Pennsylvania to see Antietam and Gettysburg. I went on to earn MA and BA degrees in American History. I worked in museum programming and administration for 33 years. I now have nearly 300 volumes on the Civil War in my home library. Good TV can be a positive influence.
Review of The Americans
