It was one of those historical series on the History Channel from a few years ago. Being a history fan and looking for something to watch during these dreary winter nights, “America: The Story of Us,” now on Amazon Prime, has been an interesting watch. It is one of those series that you can watch and enjoy an episode or two, then come back in a couple of days and catch another one.

“America: The Story of Us” was a television series that premiered in 2010, and was basically a video U.S. history from the settling of Jamestown until the 9/11 tragedy in 2001. It highlighted events and people that have shaped the course of this country. There were the obvious historical figures including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and some not so obvious, like Daniel Boone and Harriet Tubman. Then there were segments showing others, like infantry soldiers, Dust Bowl farmers and young women working in mills, and their experience during the growth of this country.

A couple of things stood out while watching the series. One was the impact that the expansion of technology has had on the growth of America. Technological advances, such as the railroad, the telegraph, steel and oil production, the automobile, television, and the computer led to the formation of this country as a world superpower.

Another thing that caught my attention was the impact of two familiar farm crops on our country. One crop helped begin America and the other helped to almost tear it apart. The Jamestown settlement was failing until tobacco seeds were planted and the crop took root. For Jamestown, tobacco was truly, like we called it growing up, a “cash crop,” causing the settlement to prosper and opening the door to further immigration to America from Europe.

Cotton was the other crop. Slavery grew rapidly in the South during the early 1800’s, primarily because of the expansion of growing of cotton, due to the invention of the cotton gin. While the practice of slavery had been present in America since Jamestown, it was actually declining prior to the explosion of cotton growing. But the economics of cotton in the South, and the need for a large slave labor force to grow and harvest the crop ended up becoming one of the primary divisions between the North and South, leading to the disastrous Civil War.

Along the way during the series, there was commentary from professors and authors, who specialized in U.S. history. There was also an interesting mix of celebrities, politicians and others presenting their views and opinions on the people and events over the past 300 years that have made America. While admitting our shortcomings, nearly all shared a positive opinion of the “American spirit.”

The interesting mix included, among others, Rudy Giuliani, Rev. Al Sharpton, Colin Powell, Meryl Streep, Bill Maher and Donald Trump. (I told you it was an interesting mix.) Often their opinions were laced with positive and optimistic phrases like, “the American can-do spirit,” and “the American goal of building better life for all.”

Sadly, that sounds out of touch with the spirit in America today. “America: The Story of Us” premiered on the History Channel in 2010. That was only ten years ago, and much has changed. You sure don’t hear much positive and optimistic about America these

days, no matter what the side. It seems the only talk is what’s wrong with America and its past, and, of course, that it’s the other side’s fault.

In only 10 years we have gotten to where we are today. “America: The Story of Us” was a TV series. But the story of America and of us is still being written. Let’s hope we are not in the final chapter.

Mac McPhail, raised in Sampson County, lives in Clinton and can be reached at [email protected].