"Revolutionary America", Produced by Hillsdale College Set For Release on May 31st

"Revolutionary America", the first feature-length documentary produced by the studios of Hillsdale College, is set for release in theaters nationwide on May 31st. The focus of the documentary is on The Declaration of Independence and how the founders of the USA risked their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" when they signed a document that many believed at the time was "our own death warrants." For in their quest for independence, the patriots were "fighting the biggest world power in existence at that time." With the signers of The Declaration of Independence being viewed by King George across the sea as the "leaders of a rebellion."

Since monarchies were the primary form of government at the time the colonists declared their independence from England, The American Revolution, according to the documentary, was an attempt to prove that "beings are not condemned to be governed by force and accident." The American situation 250 years ago was unique, for as the documentary states, freedom isn't merely a "matter of having the right law. You have to have the experience of liberty." With Americans already having some experience in the realm of self-government stemming from the meeting of the first general Assembly of the House of Burgesses in Jamestown, Virginia on July 30th, 1619. A meeting which is considered to be when the notion of self-government began in the British colonies that would become The United States of America.

The feature-length documentary has a running time of an hour and fifty-three minutes. It is narrated by Tom Selleck, an American actor who was born in Michigan. The same state where Hillsdale College is located. Selleck became famous as an actor through his role as the private investigator, Thomas Magnum, in the television series, "Magnum, P.I." A tv series that aired from 1980 through 1988. He received five Emmy Award nominations for his role in the series. He has also served as a spokesman for the National Rifle Association of America.

Hillsdale College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan that was founded in 1844 by members of the Free Will Baptists. From its inception it admitted women to the college, making it the second-oldest coeducational institution in the United States after Oberlin College in Ohio. Since the late 1900s, Hillsdale College has declined state and federal financial support in order to opt out of government mandates tied to funding. It has depended entirely on private donations to supplement their students' tuition since that time. Which, given the recent nationwide trend for private liberal arts colleges such as Birmingham-Southern in Birmingham, Alabama and Judson College in Marion, Alabama to fold, is quite a feat.

The documentary is being distributed in movie theaters by the specialty distributor, Fathom Entertainment. A preview of the documentary is available here: https://www.fathomentertainment.com/releases/revolutionary-america/onary America

Luisa Reyes is a Tuscaloosa Attorney, piano instructor, vocalist, poet, reporter, and columnist who writes about politics, current affairs, and the arts.