Liberty's Kids is an animated educational historical fiction television series produced by DIC Entertainment, originally broadcast on PBS on their PBS Kids block from September 2, 2002 to April 4, 2003, although PBS continued to air reruns until August 2004. The show has since been syndicated by DiC to affiliates of smaller television networks such as The CW and MyNetworkTV and some independent stations so that those stations can fulfill FCC educational and informational requirements. Since September 16, 2006, the series aired on CBS's new block called KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS, then it was aired on KEWLopolis, which taking September 12, 2009. In 2008, it ran on The History Channel. The series aired on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV and on CBS's Cookie Jar TV block from 2009 to 2013. The series was based on an idea by Kevin O'Donnell and developed for television by Kevin O'Donnell, Robby London, Mike Maliani, and Andy Heyward. It received two Daytime Emmy nominations, in 2003 and 2004, both for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (Walter Cronkite, playing Benjamin Franklin).
The shows run a half-hour, including commercials. On the PBS broadcast, these are replaced by segments that include "The Liberty News Network" (a newscast delivered by Cronkite summarizing the events of the episode, with each including his signature sign-off "that's the way it is"), "Mystery Guest" (a guessing game where the kids guess a historical figure, who often is a character in the episode), "Now and Then" (a segment comparing life in the Revolutionary Era and today), and "Continental Cartoons" (a rebus word guessing game).
Fictional characters
Liberty's Kids features Benjamin Franklin (voiced by Walter Cronkite) and four fictional associates of his in their experiences during the American Revolution. Although the series spans 16 years from the Boston Tea Party in 1773 to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, none of the main characters appear to age, except for Dr. Franklin.
Sarah Phillips (voiced by Reo Jones)
A bright-eyed girl from England, Sarah travels to the Thirteen Colonies in 1773 at age fifteen in search of her father, Major Phillips, who was last heard exploring the region of Ohio; upon her arrival, she is warmly welcomed by and lives as a guest of Benjamin Franklin. Her mother, Lady Phillips, remains in England and is a good friend to Dr. Franklin. However, with the possibility of a war between the American colonists and the English mother country, she decides that she will become a reporter for Franklin's newspaper in order to offer a more balanced perspective to the press. Sarah believes firmly in the power of words and equal rights for all, and is never afraid to speak her mind. At the start of the series, she is a firm loyalist, which sparks many arguments between her and James. Later in the series, Sarah has a change of heart and realizes how much she has come to understand the people of the colonies and ends up supporting the Revolution. Some men know the way to her heart - good manners; when this happens, James can seem almost jealous, although near the end of the series she appears to feel "more than friendship" for James. Throughout the series, Sarah and James grow closer. At the end of the series, her mother, Lady Phillips, joins Sarah and her father in the United States and Sarah hopes to explore more of her adopted country.
James Hiller (voiced by Chris Lundquist)
A young boy orphaned in childhood because of a lightning storm that burned his childhood home down with his parents inside. At age fourteen, James greatly admires Benjamin Franklin, whose invention of the lightning rod saved many from the same tragedy. Jealous, street-smart and impulsive, James pursues the revolution from a slightly one-sided perspective - something that prompts Sarah to counter his views. An apprentice in Franklin's Print Shop, James believes firmly in the American cause and will do almost anything to ensure that the people receive an honest view of what is happening. In the process, he also faces the less positive aspects of the political conflict that eventually forces his patriotic fervor into a new maturity. He highly values his friends, Sarah and Henri. He can be a little protective of Sarah while he attempts to keep Henri out of trouble, acting somewhat like an older brother figure to Henri. He is very laid back and is constantly reminded of his bad etiquette and poor table manners by Sarah, toward whom he shows feelings of what might be "more than friendship". At the end of the series, James intends to start his own newspaper, following in the steps of his mentor.
Henri Richard Maurice Dutoit LeFevbre (voiced by Kathleen Barr)
An energetic boy from France, Henri's parents died on the voyage to America when a plague struck the ship and killed half of the people on board three weeks into the trip. The ship's captain exploited Henri afterwards because he had to pay off his family's debt to the captain. James and Moses smuggled Henri off the ship and the boy found a home in Benjamin Franklin's workshop. While he speaks French fluently, Dr. Franklin has insisted that Henri learn to speak, read, and write in both English and French. Henri's small size has proved more than useful to Sarah and James, though he has a tendency to land himself in all sorts of trouble while not fully understanding the dangers of the war. His lookout on life is that of a "huge party for his benefit" and has been labeled a "magnet for trouble." In later episodes, he serves on the drum and bugle corps of the Continental Army. Curious and fearless, the only thing Henri values more than his freedom is finding a family of his own. At the end of the series he returns to France with the Marquis de Lafayette, whom he had become close to during the series almost as a son. It is implied that Lafayette adopts Henri as his foster-son.
Moses (voiced by D. Kevin Williams)
Born in Africa, Moses was brought in chains to America as a slave and sold on the block in Charleston, South Carolina. Because of his ingenuity, Moses learned to read, forge metal, and buy his freedom from his master, thus freeing himself from the slavery of the American south. To keep from being confused for a runaway slave, Moses is required to carry papers proving that he is a free man. He eventually moved to Philadelphia and found work at Dr. Franklin's Print Shop. His brother, Cato, had not been so fortunate but later escaped, joining the British troops as a soldier to earn his freedom. Cato appears again at the end of the series when he does not tell on an African American Patriot spy, James Armistead, whose spying was crucial to the American victory at Yorktown, which ends the war for American independence. He looks out for Dr. Franklin's young wards, especially Henri. Like Henri, he values his freedom more than anything. Iron-willed Moses will never allow anyone to strip him of his dignity, despite his or her feelings on race. By working at the Print Shop, Moses hopes to educate children of all colors in the ideals of America so that everyone may one day be free. At the end of the series, Moses reveals a plan to set up a school for free black children, boys and girls both, but only to Dr. Franklin and the Marquis de Lafayette. Cato goes to Canada with Mrs. Radcliffe, a British loyalist and friend of Sarah and her mother.
The opening theme to Liberty's Kids, "Through My Own Eyes," is performed by Aaron Carter, who also voices Joseph Plumb Martin, appearing in episodes 24 and 36, and Kayla Hinkle, a country singer who also voices Sybil Ludington, appearing in episode 21. Carter and Hinkle performed a full version of the song at the Capitol Fourth Concert in Washington, D.C. on July 4, 2002; however, only the chorus, the second verse, and the third verse of the song serve as the series' opening theme.
Episodes
The following are the Liberty's Kids episodes, with links to relevant historical articles.
Home media releases
On October 14, 2008, Shout! Factory released Liberty's Kids- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1. The six-disc box set contains all 40 episodes of the series as well as several bonus features. This release has been discontinued and is out of print as Shout! Factory no longer has the distribution rights to the series.
On July 16, 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment re-released Liberty's Kids- The Complete Series on DVD in a 4-disc set. Each disc contains 10 episodes each.
On February 14, 2017, Mill Creek Entertainment will release Liberty's Kids- The Complete Series: Education Edition on DVD in Region 1. The 3-disc set will contain all 40 episodes of the series as well as in-depth study guides for all episodes and activity pages.
