The History Channel premiered their three night "event" called Sons of Liberty. I didn't have high hopes for the series when I saw that their Sam Adams character is a spritely, twenty-something bar ninja instead of a middle-aged man (that, plus his clothes makes me suspect the producers were going for an "Assasin's Creed vibe").
I'm hoping that our fine members can point out what other half-truths, myths, or outright lies are portrayed.
the producers were going for an "Assasin's Creed vibe"
I think you have it exactly. I tried watching the show. I made it in as far as Sam Adams jumping over a modern British Union Jack, rather than the actual flag the British used in the period (use this link http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Union_flag_1606_(Kings_Colors).svg/2000px-Union_flag_1606_(Kings_Colors).svg.png ), before I changed the channel. If a show can't be bothered to get one of their immediate, obvious political symbols right, I can't be bothered with the show.
Out of morbid curiosity, I checked back in a little bit later, and saw Ben Franklin speaking to a member of Parliament decrying that taxes on the colonists were too high, and that people will of course rebel when faxed with high taxation and "no opportunities to succeed." This is demonstrably, obviously wrong. American colonists were taxed at a rate lower than other members of the British Empire. Their complaint was with the fact that they had no say in how Parliament levied taxes on the colonies. No one likes paying taxes, but annoyance was not a threat to the British constitution. Taxation without a representative say in the formulation of taxes was.
If you have more specific questions about the show, I'll try to answer them. In the meantime, view it as a work of fiction.
I'm pretty scene the scene where Paul Revere takes on three British regulars with the handwork and skill of Steven Segal probably didn't happen. I am pretty good with 18th century history, I don't ever recall General Gage seizing John Hancock's home in Boston and using it as the military HQ.
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