This 1976 color movie from the U.S. State Department recounts the diplomatic triumphs from 1776 and the Revolutionary War era, through the Monroe Administration in 1823. Special attention is paid to Benjamin Franklin and his dealings with the French, the winning of the war and subsequent world events that affected the United States. The French Revolution is also covered. The story is told through beautiful paintings. The film opens with waves crashing across the rocks. Paintings of early Americans flash across the screen. Explorers, settlers fighting for a chance at life on a new continent. Images of Colonial America. The American Revolution. The Pennsylvania State House 1:22. Painting of Franklin, Adams and Jefferson 1:35. “The History of US Foreign Relations. Part One. An Age of Revolutions” Associate Producer and Director of Photography, Imre L. Toth. Produced written and directed by Paul Auerswald 2:30. Colonial Harbor with massive sailing ships in the background 2:50. The great Palace at Versailles 3:02. Painting of Louis XVI 3:10. Paris, France 3:33. Painting of Benjamin Franklin 3:50. The first American Embassy inhabited by Benjamin Franklin 4:07. Painting the French aristocracy 5:05. French statue in the Square 5:25. Painting of American revolutionary soldiers in the wintertime 5:45. Painting of George Washington receiving British troops at Saratoga 6:20. The gates of Versailles open 6:33. Image of globe and interior room of the palace of Versailles 6:47. The Hotel de Lautrec, Paris 7:00. Painting of the French signing a treaty with Benjamin Franklin in the United States 7:15. John Paul Jones mans a French merchant ship to attack the English 7:48. Paintings of French soldiers on American soil fighting together 8:05. Washington, Lafayette, and Rochambeau accept the surrender of the British by General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781 8:17. A French fleet blockades the British by sea 8:36. The British try to blast their way through the French ships and fail 8:40. The siege of Yorktown 8:50. Cornwallis surrenders 7,000-8,000 men to the United States and the captive Army lines up 9:30. Painting of George Washington on his horse with British officers standing by 10:00. Painting of Prime Minister Lord North 10:20. Painting of The House of Commons 10:35. The camera zooms in on a face in the painting – Richard Oswald 10:45. The preliminary treaty of peace is signed between the United States and England 11:25. The signed paperwork on a desk as the camera pans out – a fireplace burns in the background 11:45. The camera zooms to a painting of John Adams, John Jay and Benjamin Franklin 12:23. The British negotiators were so embarrassed they refused to pose for the picture in which The Treaty of Paris is signed 12:40. Badge with the words Liberté, Égalité 12:51. The year is 1789 – Painting of Parisians storming the Bastille 13:30. Fires burning in France 14:00. Painting of heads on stakes, fresh from the guillotine and King Louis XVI is executed in the Place de la Revolution in Paris 14:13. Paris burns and mobs rule the plazas 14:30. Painting of George Washington 15:05. French minister arrives in the United States 15:48. Alleyway in Philadelphia 16:05. Painting of John Jay being burned in effigy for negotiating with England 16:17. 1796 and Washington retires to Mount Vernon 16:46. Painting of George Washington at his writing desk 16:53. Sailing ship 17:42. Sailing ships trade in foreign ports 18:05. Naval ships fight at sea 18:33. Painting of Napoleon Bonaparte 18:51. Map of Santo Domingo 19:20. Napoleon seizes territories in Louisiana 19:35. Painting of Thomas Jefferson 19:45. The French are hung in Santo Domingo 20:20. Château de Malmaison 20:30. The Louisiana Purchase is executed. 21:15. Naval battle 21:43. President Thomas Jefferson cartoon with France and England emptying his pockets 22:04. Cartoon of British officer trading for American scalps with Native American 22:30. Debate of 1812 22:55. Henry Clay 23:20. British troops invade Washington 23:55. Andrew Jackson defends New Orleans 24:25. John Quincy Adams and the Treaty of Ghent 24:54. Congress at Vienna 25:45. Prince Metternich of Austria 25:50. Simón Bolívar 26:15. Tsar Alexander I of Russia 26:40. British foreign Minister Canning 26:47. James Monroe touches a globe 27:07. President Monroe’s message to Congress in 1823 27:55. Sailing ships and covered wagons 29:15. America is free. 29:24. Narrated by Larry Keith and Brad Crandall.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com