America Rocks on Schoolhouse Rock
This Fourth of July weekend, let's review those animated shorts that taught kids about U.S. history.
It's Fourth of July weekend and I thought it was only fitting that I explore a topic related to eh holiday. Therefore, I thought, why not sit down and watch the America Rock series of the Schoolhouse Rock animated shorts.
Those who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons in the 1970s and 1980s will remember Schoolhouse Rock, a series which brought academic lessons to TV with kids not even realizing it. The animated shorts aired in between regular programming on ABC and focused on subjects kids would likely explore at school.
The first Schoolhouse Rock shorts aired in 1972, all focused on multiplication. Then came Grammar Rock, followed by Science Rock. Around 1975, America Rock shorts debuted — just as America was approaching its bicentennial, celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence 200 years earlier.
We're not far away from the 250th anniversary of that document's signing, but let's get back to America Rock, the series of shorts that focused on American history. How well do these shorts hold up? I sat down to watch them and here's what I observed.
No More Kings
The short focuses on the 13 American colonies founded by the British empire and what led to their decision to seek independence. Of course, summarizing those events in a three-minute segment means you gloss over a lot, but let's put that aside.
The short portrays King George III as the stereotypical arrogant, lazy monarch who laughs as the plight of the colonists. The song itself is probably best remembered for its opening lyric, though the rest of the song is catchy. Interestingly, the title of the song isn't mentioned until almost the end.
Of course, King George III really wasn't responsible for policy toward the colonies -- that was the domain of the British Parliament. And some Americans to this day may cynically wonder if the President really does what the people want.
Fireworks
The short that talks about the Declaration of Independence may be best remembered for the boy selling newspapers, who holds up the latest headlines and shouts "read all about it!"
The lyrics touch upon Thomas Paine, mention the five committee members who discussed the document and have the running gag of a man chasing a woman when "the pursuit of happiness" line is rolled out.
The short concludes with several children who take turns reading the opening paragraph of the Declaration, and in one case, you can tell one girl is being careful when saying the word "inalienable." It's a nice touch, actually.
The Shot Heard Round the World
In this short, we learn about the American Revolutionary War, touching upon the most notable events, from Paul Revere's ride (though he wasn't the only one riding that night) to Bunker Hill to the crossing of the Delaware River.
Valley Forge, though, gets a rather simplistic treatment in how they "just bundled up their feet." And we can get pickier and note that France and Spain were more interested in undermining Britain's power.
But it's a fun short, one of the more memorable ones, because the lyrics flow so well and the music is upbeat. It's surprising the song doesn't get more play at Fourth of July activities, because it does a good job setting a celebratory mood.
The Preamble
This may be the most creative effort among the shorts for this reason: When they wrote the lyrics, they found a way to take the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, put it in as the chorus, and make it work so the flow of the song isn't disrupted.
If you wanted a way to get kids to memorize the Preamble, you could think of no better way to do it than this. I would suspect most people who remember this short would rank it as one of their favorite Schoolhouse Rock shorts.
One complaint a person might make is that it doesn't talk about the Bill of Rights, but that might have been better served in its own short. At any rate, I'll let you watch the short and be reminded about the opening words to the Constitution.
Three Ring Government
They designed this short to go over the three branches of government, but may not have realized that their comparison point would draw cynicism.
After all, there probably are some people who would see the government as nothing more than a circus — and not in a good way. Besides, there's the legislative members all pouring out of a clown car. Insert punchline here!
As it turns out, the short never aired because ABC worried about Congress and company being compared to a circus. In other words, you never saw this one when you were growing up, but if you got the DVDs, you experienced it for the first time.
I'm Just A Bill
Ah, the America Rock short that everyone should remember. Look at that sad little scrap on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, wondering if he'll be a law some day!
What's interesting about this short is the bulk of it is spoken dialogue, not sung lyrics. But the part that is sung is something you can't get out of your head when you hear it.
The short is iconic, it got parodied on an episode of The Simpsons. When that show decides to pay homage to you, you know you are a significant part of American pop culture.
Elbow Room
The short explores the westward expansion — again, it's a subject that glosses over a lot, given you can only do so much in three minutes.
But a few highlights are noted, such as the Louisiana Purchase, the gold rush and the expansion of the railroads. Some do question the inclusion of the "manifest destiny" line, though.
Some might also question the belief that we can find more "elbow room" up on the moon, given we'd have a lot to figure out about how to actually live there. I guess they had to find a way to put the moon landing in there, too.
Sufferin' Till Suffrage
The women's rights movement may have inspired the inclusion of a short that talks about the 19th Amendment.
The tune is fine and the chorus works well, but there are parts of the song in which the lyrics writer seemed to struggle to keep the flow with the tune.
Still, the song has its charm — the title is catchy and, besides, who doesn't love a song with the line "see you later, alligator, and don't forget my mashed potatoes." And one other observation — why wasn’t the singer wearing No. 19 on her shirt to open things up?
Mother Necessity
One of the more interesting shorts, this one featured notable inventions that were key to the growth of the United States. Each mention of a specific inventor was recorded separately and in a different style, giving the short a unique feel.
There was one mistake made: Guglielmo Marconi, who invented the radio, was not American but Italian. Also, one can quibble about Henry Ford, who didn't invent the automobile but perfected a design that made it more popular.
You also get a couple of jokes worked in, like the "sorry, wrong number" line about the telephone and how Elias Howe declares his sewing machine will "keep the whole nation in stitches."
The Great American Melting Pot
The short is about how immigration was a key element of how the United States grew and evolved. It primarily focuses on the 19th century, emphasizing those who came from Europe rather than elsewhere.
I suspect some will raise the point about how it was more than European immigration that fueled the growth of the USA. Perhaps we can chalk that up to oversight.
Still, the song does convey an important point about how immigrants take pride in being American while contributing something along the way.
I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College
Here's the other America Rock short that those who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s won't remember. That's because this short was produced in 2002 when the 30th anniversary DVD was released.
The short talks about the electoral vote, which was certainly on the minds of plenty of Americans a couple years earlier when the 2000 Presidential election took place.
While it wasn't a bad idea in theory, the short doesn't work well in practice. It simply doesn't have a catchy line or notable hook that keeps the song in your head.
Well, that's my opinion, anyway. I'll let you watch the short and judge for yourself.