The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim 'We are not out of the woods': Why democracy in the United States is being tested
Feb 26, 2026
Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker known for epic American histories, reflects on the nation's past and present. He discusses the complexity of the Revolution, why long-form storytelling matters, and how everyday lives shaped the founding. He warns democracy is being tested while urging historical perspective ahead of the 250th anniversary.
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History Puts Today's Crisis In Perspective
- History calms present panic by showing recurring national crises and recoveries.
- Ken Burns compares today's divisions to the Revolution, Civil War and World Wars to argue perspective reduces catastrophic thinking.
Prioritize History Over STEM-Only Curricula
- Teach history and the humanities so people know where they've been before deciding where to go.
- Burns warns against sidelining history for STEM and cites Truman: "the only thing that's really new is the history you don't know."
Zoo Animals Example To Temper Panic
- Burns recalls a friend in finance calling 2008 a depression and contrasts it with 1930s extremes to moderate panic.
- He uses zoo animals shot during the Great Depression as a vivid example to compare crises accurately.