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* LowerClassLout: He has shades of this. He does not act properly in high society, often complains about politics and economics rather then actually doing anything about it and acts spoiled and ungrateful as well as wanting to pick a fight and cause trouble rather then talk things out.
* OddFriendship: With Alexander Hamilton and George Washinton, both of whom were among the most conversative of the founding fathers. James is much closer to Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine in his political views.
* OddFriendship: With Alexander Hamilton and George Washinton, both of whom were among the most conversative of the founding fathers. James is much closer to Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine in his political views.
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* SelfMadeMan: He sides with them over aristocrats and merchants, who he disregards as "tories".
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!Dr. UsefulNotes/BenjaminFranklin
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!Dr. UsefulNotes/BenjaminFranklinCreator/BenjaminFranklin
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!Dr. Benjamin Franklin'''
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!Dr. Benjamin Franklin'''UsefulNotes/BenjaminFranklin
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* CoolOldGuy: Franklin is this in spades.
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* CoolOldGuy: Franklin is this in spades.spades, all the way down to his voice, which in the show was none other than that of the most trusted man in America.
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!George Washington
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->Voiced by Chris Lundquist
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->Voiced by Chris Lundquist
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->Voiced by Reo Jones
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->Voiced by Reo Jones
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->Voiced by D. Kevin Williams
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->Voiced by Michael Santo
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->Voiced by Ben Beck
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->Voiced by Ben Beck Creator/BenBeck
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adorkable cleanup, now it's YMMV. removing misuse and ZCE, and moving appropriate examples to YMMV
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* {{Adorkable}}: [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee Fanboying over Washington?]] Check. [[WideEyedIdealist Extreme optimism even in the worst times?]] Check. Lots of cheek kissing and [[ManHug man hugs?]] Check. [[YouAreGrounded Embarrassing story about sneaking out against orders?]] Check.
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* ThenLetMeBeEvil: The was already being treated as a loyalist sympathiser after throwing a party for both loyalists and patriots, the final straw came when Washington a man who Arnold once trusted sent him that letter. Shortly after he turned spy for the British.
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* ThenLetMeBeEvil: The He was already being treated as a loyalist sympathiser after throwing a party for both loyalists and patriots, the final straw came when Washington a man who Arnold once trusted sent him that letter. Shortly after he turned spy for the British.
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* ThenLetMeBeEvil: The was already being treated as a loyalist sympathiser after throwing a party for both loyalists and patriots, the final straw came when Washington a man who Arnold once trusted sent him that letter. Shortly after he turned spy for the British.
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* FieryRedhead
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* FieryRedheadFieryRedhead: While she's more gentle than the usual, she does have a lot of spunk.
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'''Henri [=LeFebvre=]'''
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* BigEater
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* BigEaterBigEater: As mentioned before, he loves food and won't hesitate to go along if it involves food.
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* PluckyComicRelief
* PutOnABus: To France with Lafayette.
* TagalongKid
'''Moses'''
* PutOnABus: To France with Lafayette.
* TagalongKid
'''Moses'''
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* PluckyComicRelief
PluckyComicRelief: He's never far away to lighten the mood.
* PutOnABus: To France withLafayette.
Lafayette, at the end of the show
*TagalongKid
'''Moses'''TagalongKid: At one point, Moses made him stay behind to help him in the shop and he wasn't really happy with that
!Moses
* PutOnABus: To France with
*
'''Moses'''
!Moses
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* ParentalSubstitute: To James and Henri.
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* ParentalSubstitute: To James and Henri.Henri, sometimes Sarah, acting as their father figure.
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'''Dr. Benjamin Franklin'''
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'''Marquis de Lafayette'''
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'''Benedict Arnold'''
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* CaptainObvious: Although probably part of the educational nature of the show, his line “Boston? That’s in Massachusetts Bay Colony!” in the first episode.
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Values Resonance is YMMV trope.
* BourgeoisBohemian: A positive example as his aristocratic lineage did not hamper his progressive beliefs, such as abolitionism and republicanism, which would reflect in his role in aiding the French Revolution in RealLife.
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* ValuesResonance: Lafayette and his two best friends, Hamilton and Laurens, were committed abolitionists. Lafayette and his wife bought a plantation in South America and gave it to slaves whom they rescued, so they could have a safe place to live and work as free people. In-universe, Lafayette expresses dismay and outrage at the fact that Moses' brother has to remain on the run after the Revolution instead of being granted his freedom. He also promises to do everything in his power to help American spy James Armistead gain his freedom in return for his instrumental role in the battle of Yorktown.
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* ValuesResonance: SlaveLiberation: Lafayette and his two best friends, Hamilton and Laurens, were committed abolitionists. Lafayette and his wife bought a plantation in South America and gave it to slaves whom they rescued, so they could have a safe place to live and work as free people. In-universe, Lafayette expresses dismay and outrage at the fact that Moses' brother has to remain on the run after the Revolution instead of being granted his freedom. He also promises to do everything in his power to help American spy James Armistead gain his freedom in return for his instrumental role in the battle of Yorktown.
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* ForegoneConclusion: American audiences go into this series knowing Arnold eventually betrays America. The characters, however, are taken completely by surprise when it happens.
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* ForegoneConclusion: American audiences (and everyone else who had previously watched Benedict Arnold being portrayed in other exported works of fiction) go into this series knowing Arnold eventually betrays America. The characters, however, are taken completely by surprise when it happens.
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->Voiced by Creator/KathleenBlarr
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->Voiced by Creator/KathleenBlarr
Creator/KathleenBarr
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->Voiced by Chris Lundquist
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->Voiced by Reo Jones
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->Voiced by Creator/KathleenBlarr
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->Voiced by D. Kevin Williams
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->Voiced by Michael Santo
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* FakeBrit: Sarah's VA, Reo Jones, is American.
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* FakeBrit: Sarah's VA, voice actress, Reo Jones, is American.
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* GirlyBruiser : Sarah is a proper English lady and a NiceGirl but she is independent and sometimes hard edged
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* GirlyBruiser : Sarah is a very proper English lady and a NiceGirl but she is independent and sometimes hard edged
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* NiceGirl: Sarah is a very polite girl.
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* NiceGirl: Sarah is a very mature, kind, and polite girl.girl.
* ProperLady: Sarah is dignified, mature, polite, and very ladylike.
* ProperLady: Sarah is dignified, mature, polite, and very ladylike.
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* NiceGuy: Moses is kind-hearted, protective, and caring.
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* GirlyBrusier : Sarah is a proper English lady and a NiceGirl but she is independent and sometimes hard edged
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* GirlyBrusier GirlyBruiser : Sarah is a proper English lady and a NiceGirl but she is independent and sometimes hard edged
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* GirlyBrusier : Sarah is a proper English lady and a NiceGirl but she is independent and sometimes hard edged
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* NiceGirl: Sarah is a very polite girl.
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->Voiced by WalterCronkite
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->Voiced by WalterCronkite Creator/WalterCronkite
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->Voiced by DustinHoffman
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->Voiced by DustinHoffmanCreator/DustinHoffman
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* ImmigrantPatriotism: Sympathizes with the colonial struggle for independence, despite being made a slave in the colonies, and considers himself an American.
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* {{Adorkable}}: [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee Fanboying over Washington?]] Check. [[WideEyedIdealist Extreme optimism even in the worst times?]] Check. Lots of cheek kissing and [[ManHug man hugs?]] Check. Embarrassing story about sneaking out against orders? Check.
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* {{Adorkable}}: [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee Fanboying over Washington?]] Check. [[WideEyedIdealist Extreme optimism even in the worst times?]] Check. Lots of cheek kissing and [[ManHug man hugs?]] Check. [[YouAreGrounded Embarrassing story about sneaking out against orders? orders?]] Check.
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* {{Adorkable}}: Fanboying over Washington? Check. Extreme optimism even in the worst times? Check. Lots of cheek kissing and man hugs? Check. Embarrassing story about sneaking out against orders? Check.
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* {{Adorkable}}: [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee Fanboying over Washington? Washington?]] Check. [[WideEyedIdealist Extreme optimism even in the worst times? times?]] Check. Lots of cheek kissing and [[ManHug man hugs? hugs?]] Check. Embarrassing story about sneaking out against orders? Check.
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* PluckyComicRelief: Of the Historical Domain Characters, Lafayette by far provides the most laughs.
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* PluckyComicRelief: Of the [[HistoricalDomainCharacter Historical Domain Characters, Characters,]] Lafayette by far provides the most laughs.
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'''Lafayette'''
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* FakeBrit: Sarah's VA, Reo Jones, is American.
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* FakeNationality: Voiced by Georgian actor Ben Beck.
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* BottleBlonde: Wears a blond wig at one point, though most of the time it's gray. In reality, he had brown or dark auburn hair, which he either powdered or cut off in favor of a wig.
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* Cincinnatus: He is called this by historians, both contemporary and modern, for turning down the chance to seize power and make himself king.
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* Cincinnatus: {{Cincinnatus}}: He is called this by historians, both contemporary and modern, for turning down the chance to seize power and make himself king.
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* ButNowIMustGo: Likes to announce his departure in this manner.
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[[Folder: Main characters]]
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'''Henri LeFebvre'''
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'''Henri LeFebvre'''[=LeFebvre=]'''
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* CloudCukoolander
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* CloudCukoolander{{Cloudcuckoolander}}
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* OverlyLongName: Henri Maurice Richard DuTois LeFebvre. Rivaled on the show only by Lafayette.
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* OverlyLongName: Henri Maurice Richard DuTois LeFebvre.[=DuTois=] [=LeFebvre=]. Rivaled on the show only by Lafayette.
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--->Voiced by WalterCronkite
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Washington also wasn't big on laughing, probably due to dental problems. But Lafayette manages to make him burst out laughing with one of his stories.
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** Washington also wasn't big on laughing, probably due to dental problems. But Lafayette manages to make him burst out laughing with one of his stories.
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--->Voiced by Ben Beck
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* BottleBlond: Wears a blond wig at one point, though most of the time it's gray. In reality, he had brown or dark auburn hair, which he either powdered or cut off in favor of a wig.
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* BottleBlond: BottleBlonde: Wears a blond wig at one point, though most of the time it's gray. In reality, he had brown or dark auburn hair, which he either powdered or cut off in favor of a wig.
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--->Voiced by DustinHoffman
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* TheResenter: Most of his episodes deal with the fact that he was constantly spurned by congress and higher ranking brass (except Washington) for promotions and recognition of his military contributions. This is eventually what made him decide to betray America.
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* TheResenter: Most of his episodes deal with the fact that he was constantly spurned by congress and higher ranking brass (except Washington) for promotions and recognition of his military contributions. This is eventually what made him decide to betray America.America.
[[/folder]]
[[/folder]]
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This is a page listing characters that make up the cast of ''WesternAnimation/LibertysKids''.
[[foldercontrol]]
[[Folder: Main characters]]
'''James Hiller'''
A 14-year-old (in 1773) journalist for Dr. Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette, James dreams of covering the biggest story in the colonies.
*BeenThereShapedHistory: Can't avoid getting involved in historical events, despite Sarah constantly urging him to remain an observer only. He assists Paul Revere on his midnight ride, tows the first submarine into battle, and even stops a mob from attacking a Declaration signer who turned tory.
*HeroesWantRedheads: James is shown to be quite fond of Sarah very early on.
*ParentalAbandonment: James' parents were killed in a house fire when he was an infant.
*WideEyedIdealist: Is completely swept up in revolutionary fervor at first, but as he matures, he witnesses atrocities committed by both sides, and ends the Revolution with a much more sober viewpoint.
'''Sarah Phillips'''
Fifteen in 1773. Sarah is a high class English lady who has come to America in search of her father. She is staying with the Franklins until her father returns from Ohio. She quickly gets caught up in the events of the American Revolution, and becomes a journalist to balance out James' idealistic and one-sided viewpoint.
*BlueBlood: She's the daughter of a wealthy British officer and war hero.
*DeadpanSnarker: So very much.
*DefrostingIceQueen: Holds herself aloof at first as a proper British lady of high breeding, but soon warms up to the orphan urchins she lives and writes with.
*DisappearedDad: Sarah's father has been on the frontier in Ohio for years, and neither she nor her mother even know if he's alive.
*FieryRedhead
*HeelFaceTurn: Sarah eventually sides with the American patriots, and fully adopts America as her own country.
*SilkHidingSteel: Is perfectly capable of defending herself, even if she is a proper lady.
*TeamMom: Acts as this not just to Henri, but to the impulsive James as well.
*YouGotSpunk: Demonstrates this throughout the series, but a particularly notable example is when she dares to call Washington out for returning slaves who fought for the British to their owners.
'''Henri LeFebvre'''
Eight years old in 1773, Henri is a young French orphan who lives with James and Moses. He loves food and finding mischief.
*AscendedFanboy: Is eventually adopted by his idol, the Marquis de Lafayette.
*BigEater
*CloudCukoolander
*GratuitousFrench: Is extremely proud to be French, and would rather use his native tongue than speak English.
*HappilyAdopted: By the Marquis de Lafayette at the end of the series.
*KleptomaniacHero: Starts at this, but eventually grows out of it.
*MadeASlave: The captain of Henri's ship on his way to America enslaved him to pay off his deceased parents' debt.
*NotAllowedToGrowUp: While none of the fictional characters age, it's more noticeable with Henri, who was not even an adolescent when the show began, and ends the series still prepubescent 16 years later.
*OverlyLongName: Henri Maurice Richard DuTois LeFebvre. Rivaled on the show only by Lafayette.
*ParentalAbandonment: Henri's parents died of an illness during their voyage from France to America.
*PluckyComicRelief
*PutOnABus: To France with Lafayette.
*TagalongKid
'''Moses'''
An ex-slave trafficked from Africa who worked hard to earn his freedom, Moses now works for Dr. Franklin as a mechanic and press operator. He acts as the guardian to James and Henri, and teaches them printing and journalism in Franklin's absence.
*GreaseMonkey: He's a mechanic and blacksmith, and seems to genuinely love his job.
*HiddenDepths: Tall, athletic, and mechanically minded, but he also loves poetry, plays the glass armonica, and is a skilled teacher.
*MadeASlave: Like many black Americans of that era, Moses was born free in Africa and trafficked to the colonies.
*MagicalNegro
*ParentalSubstitute: To James and Henri.
*WorfEffect: He's tall, strong and intimidating, so when he does get beat up in one episode, it's clear that whoever did it was no one to mess around with.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Historical domain characters]]
'''Dr. Benjamin Franklin'''
--->Voiced by WalterCronkite
The old, wise mentor to James, Sarah and Henri, and the owner of the Pennsylvania Gazette. He also serves as the ambassador to France.
*BigFun: Pokes fun at himself for his weight and does not mind when others do the same.
*ChivalrousPervert: Loves flirting with the ladies, but he is always extremely proper about it. Well, in the show, anyway. Real life, maybe less so.
*CoolOldGuy: Franklin is this in spades.
*DeadpanSnarker: Was well known for this, and used it to great effect in France.
*MassiveNumberedSiblings: The third youngest of 17, and the youngest of the boys.
*OmnidisciplinaryScientist: In the series, Franklin's roles as an inventor, amateur meteorologist, oceanographer, journalist, author, and postmaster general are all explored to at least some extent. To say nothing of his obvious involvement in politics.
'''George Washington'''
The “father of his country” and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
*AFatherToHisMen: Very much so, especially toward Lafayette. Historically, Hamilton took issue with Washington's paternal treatment of him.
*ButNowIMustGo: Is eager to retire to his farm at Mount Vernon after the war, and has to wrest this right from his own officers, some of whom want him to declare himself king.
*Cincinnatus: He is called this by historians, both contemporary and modern, for turning down the chance to seize power and make himself king.
*DeadpanSnarker: “I hope you're as good at killing redcoats as you are at chasing children.”
*FourStarBadass: Gets promoted from colonel to general in his first appearance, and is head of the army. And, actually, he has six stars, as legally, no one in America is allowed to equal his rank.
*HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Yes, Washington is definitely one of the greatest heroes of America's earliest history, but as is exceedingly common in media portrayals, the fact that he owned slaves is never mentioned, and he is painted as being at least tolerant of the cause of abolition (in reality he was stubbornly neutral on the subject, and avoided addressing it at all during his presidency). His head servant William Lee is only seen in one scene in the entire series, and he refers to Washington as “sir” rather than “master.” This is notable as this series goes to great effort to show the GreyAndGrayMorality of other historical characters, such as Thomas Jefferson and Benedict Arnold.
*LargeAndInCharge: The show makes liberal use of camera angles that show off Washington's height and give a sense of his authority and no-nonsense attitude.
*ManHug: Not fond of these, but he does share two with Lafayette.
*ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Baron von Steuben and Ben Franklin both call Washington's willingness to learn from and listen to his underlings “his genius.”
*ReluctantHero: Did not particularly want the job as commander-in-chief of the army, but accepted it out of necessity to the cause.
*TheStoic: It takes a lot to get Washington truly rattled. Only two people manage it, and one is Benedict Arnold.
Washington also wasn't big on laughing, probably due to dental problems. But Lafayette manages to make him burst out laughing with one of his stories.
*WorthyOpponent: When King George hears that Washington has rejected the chance to seize power and make himself king, he calls Washington the greatest man in the world.
'''Lafayette'''
--->Voiced by Ben Beck
Full name: Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. A French nobleman who sneaks out of France to join the American Revolution. He becomes extremely popular for this.
*TheAce: Turned out to be one of the army's most brilliant tacticians.
*{{Adorkable}}: Fanboying over Washington? Check. Extreme optimism even in the worst times? Check. Lots of cheek kissing and man hugs? Check. Embarrassing story about sneaking out against orders? Check.
*AllLovingHero: In real life, he bore a grudge against the English for forcing him to grow up without a father. In the series, he wants to be friends with literally everyone, including the English-born Sarah. He's also the only member of Washington's staff who is civil and respectful to Charles Lee, also English born, who proves to be hopelessly incompetent in American warfare, and who openly slanders Lafayette's idol Washington.
*AscendedFanboy: Came all the way from France to become this to Washington.
*BlueBlood: He's the Marquis de Lafayette, after all. But he's far from stingy, and is shown in the series to be extremely generous.
*BottleBlond: Wears a blond wig at one point, though most of the time it's gray. In reality, he had brown or dark auburn hair, which he either powdered or cut off in favor of a wig.
*GratuitousFrench: In his first episode. After that, he rarely uses French words or phrases.
*ImmigrantPatriotism: Quickly adopts America as his own country, before even setting foot there.
*JumpedAtTheCall: Immediately made plans to sail for America when he heard about the Revolution.
*TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Lafayette is positively gaga over Washington. His primary goal in coming to America is meeting his hero.
*ManHug: Is quite fond of these, and is literally the only man in history to get away with glomping George Washington.
*OverlyLongName: Fortunately, he only says it once, and insists on being called Gilbert.
*PluckyComicRelief: Of the Historical Domain Characters, Lafayette by far provides the most laughs.
*ValuesResonance: Lafayette and his two best friends, Hamilton and Laurens, were committed abolitionists. Lafayette and his wife bought a plantation in South America and gave it to slaves whom they rescued, so they could have a safe place to live and work as free people. In-universe, Lafayette expresses dismay and outrage at the fact that Moses' brother has to remain on the run after the Revolution instead of being granted his freedom. He also promises to do everything in his power to help American spy James Armistead gain his freedom in return for his instrumental role in the battle of Yorktown.
*WideEyedIdealist: More so than even James, and never fully loses this tendency even after witnessing the horrors of war. It would take him being chased out of France, hunted, imprisoned for five years, then used as a political pawn by a dictator to jade his vision even slightly.
*WholesomeCrossdresser: Wore a dress and a woman's wig to sneak out of France (though he claimed it was a merchant's cloak).
'''Benedict Arnold'''
--->Voiced by DustinHoffman
A major general first in the Continental army, then in the British army. He won many battles for America, making his eventual betrayal come as a complete shock.
*AlternateCharacterInterpretation: An in-universe example, as Sarah begins to wonder what Arnold's true motives were, and whether he no longer believes everything he said about American freedom.
*BrokenPedestal: For a lot of characters, but especially for Sarah and Washington.
*EstablishingCharacterMoment: When we first meet him, he's demanding that Ethan Allen give him full control of the Green Mountain Boys, stating that he has the authority from congress to take over, and he is dismayed at the utter lack of respect he receives for his haughty entrance and attitude.
*FaceHeelTurn: The [[TropeCodifier trope codifier.]]
*ForegoneConclusion: American audiences go into this series knowing Arnold eventually betrays America. The characters, however, are taken completely by surprise when it happens.
*HeroWithBadPublicity: During the first five years of the war, he was integral to many of our successes in battle. But he's remembered only for what he did from 1780 onward.
*ItsAllAboutMe: Arnold allegedly betrayed America because he felt he was not receiving the recognition he deserved from Congress.
*JerkassWoobie: You can't help but feel sorry for him at times, even knowing what he will eventually do.
*MemeticBadass: Sarah sees Arnold as this at first.
*RedOniBlueOni: The hot-headed, arrogant red to Washington's level-headed, humble blue.
*TheResenter: Most of his episodes deal with the fact that he was constantly spurned by congress and higher ranking brass (except Washington) for promotions and recognition of his military contributions. This is eventually what made him decide to betray America.
[[foldercontrol]]
[[Folder: Main characters]]
'''James Hiller'''
A 14-year-old (in 1773) journalist for Dr. Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette, James dreams of covering the biggest story in the colonies.
*BeenThereShapedHistory: Can't avoid getting involved in historical events, despite Sarah constantly urging him to remain an observer only. He assists Paul Revere on his midnight ride, tows the first submarine into battle, and even stops a mob from attacking a Declaration signer who turned tory.
*HeroesWantRedheads: James is shown to be quite fond of Sarah very early on.
*ParentalAbandonment: James' parents were killed in a house fire when he was an infant.
*WideEyedIdealist: Is completely swept up in revolutionary fervor at first, but as he matures, he witnesses atrocities committed by both sides, and ends the Revolution with a much more sober viewpoint.
'''Sarah Phillips'''
Fifteen in 1773. Sarah is a high class English lady who has come to America in search of her father. She is staying with the Franklins until her father returns from Ohio. She quickly gets caught up in the events of the American Revolution, and becomes a journalist to balance out James' idealistic and one-sided viewpoint.
*BlueBlood: She's the daughter of a wealthy British officer and war hero.
*DeadpanSnarker: So very much.
*DefrostingIceQueen: Holds herself aloof at first as a proper British lady of high breeding, but soon warms up to the orphan urchins she lives and writes with.
*DisappearedDad: Sarah's father has been on the frontier in Ohio for years, and neither she nor her mother even know if he's alive.
*FieryRedhead
*HeelFaceTurn: Sarah eventually sides with the American patriots, and fully adopts America as her own country.
*SilkHidingSteel: Is perfectly capable of defending herself, even if she is a proper lady.
*TeamMom: Acts as this not just to Henri, but to the impulsive James as well.
*YouGotSpunk: Demonstrates this throughout the series, but a particularly notable example is when she dares to call Washington out for returning slaves who fought for the British to their owners.
'''Henri LeFebvre'''
Eight years old in 1773, Henri is a young French orphan who lives with James and Moses. He loves food and finding mischief.
*AscendedFanboy: Is eventually adopted by his idol, the Marquis de Lafayette.
*BigEater
*CloudCukoolander
*GratuitousFrench: Is extremely proud to be French, and would rather use his native tongue than speak English.
*HappilyAdopted: By the Marquis de Lafayette at the end of the series.
*KleptomaniacHero: Starts at this, but eventually grows out of it.
*MadeASlave: The captain of Henri's ship on his way to America enslaved him to pay off his deceased parents' debt.
*NotAllowedToGrowUp: While none of the fictional characters age, it's more noticeable with Henri, who was not even an adolescent when the show began, and ends the series still prepubescent 16 years later.
*OverlyLongName: Henri Maurice Richard DuTois LeFebvre. Rivaled on the show only by Lafayette.
*ParentalAbandonment: Henri's parents died of an illness during their voyage from France to America.
*PluckyComicRelief
*PutOnABus: To France with Lafayette.
*TagalongKid
'''Moses'''
An ex-slave trafficked from Africa who worked hard to earn his freedom, Moses now works for Dr. Franklin as a mechanic and press operator. He acts as the guardian to James and Henri, and teaches them printing and journalism in Franklin's absence.
*GreaseMonkey: He's a mechanic and blacksmith, and seems to genuinely love his job.
*HiddenDepths: Tall, athletic, and mechanically minded, but he also loves poetry, plays the glass armonica, and is a skilled teacher.
*MadeASlave: Like many black Americans of that era, Moses was born free in Africa and trafficked to the colonies.
*MagicalNegro
*ParentalSubstitute: To James and Henri.
*WorfEffect: He's tall, strong and intimidating, so when he does get beat up in one episode, it's clear that whoever did it was no one to mess around with.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Historical domain characters]]
'''Dr. Benjamin Franklin'''
--->Voiced by WalterCronkite
The old, wise mentor to James, Sarah and Henri, and the owner of the Pennsylvania Gazette. He also serves as the ambassador to France.
*BigFun: Pokes fun at himself for his weight and does not mind when others do the same.
*ChivalrousPervert: Loves flirting with the ladies, but he is always extremely proper about it. Well, in the show, anyway. Real life, maybe less so.
*CoolOldGuy: Franklin is this in spades.
*DeadpanSnarker: Was well known for this, and used it to great effect in France.
*MassiveNumberedSiblings: The third youngest of 17, and the youngest of the boys.
*OmnidisciplinaryScientist: In the series, Franklin's roles as an inventor, amateur meteorologist, oceanographer, journalist, author, and postmaster general are all explored to at least some extent. To say nothing of his obvious involvement in politics.
'''George Washington'''
The “father of his country” and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
*AFatherToHisMen: Very much so, especially toward Lafayette. Historically, Hamilton took issue with Washington's paternal treatment of him.
*ButNowIMustGo: Is eager to retire to his farm at Mount Vernon after the war, and has to wrest this right from his own officers, some of whom want him to declare himself king.
*Cincinnatus: He is called this by historians, both contemporary and modern, for turning down the chance to seize power and make himself king.
*DeadpanSnarker: “I hope you're as good at killing redcoats as you are at chasing children.”
*FourStarBadass: Gets promoted from colonel to general in his first appearance, and is head of the army. And, actually, he has six stars, as legally, no one in America is allowed to equal his rank.
*HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Yes, Washington is definitely one of the greatest heroes of America's earliest history, but as is exceedingly common in media portrayals, the fact that he owned slaves is never mentioned, and he is painted as being at least tolerant of the cause of abolition (in reality he was stubbornly neutral on the subject, and avoided addressing it at all during his presidency). His head servant William Lee is only seen in one scene in the entire series, and he refers to Washington as “sir” rather than “master.” This is notable as this series goes to great effort to show the GreyAndGrayMorality of other historical characters, such as Thomas Jefferson and Benedict Arnold.
*LargeAndInCharge: The show makes liberal use of camera angles that show off Washington's height and give a sense of his authority and no-nonsense attitude.
*ManHug: Not fond of these, but he does share two with Lafayette.
*ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Baron von Steuben and Ben Franklin both call Washington's willingness to learn from and listen to his underlings “his genius.”
*ReluctantHero: Did not particularly want the job as commander-in-chief of the army, but accepted it out of necessity to the cause.
*TheStoic: It takes a lot to get Washington truly rattled. Only two people manage it, and one is Benedict Arnold.
Washington also wasn't big on laughing, probably due to dental problems. But Lafayette manages to make him burst out laughing with one of his stories.
*WorthyOpponent: When King George hears that Washington has rejected the chance to seize power and make himself king, he calls Washington the greatest man in the world.
'''Lafayette'''
--->Voiced by Ben Beck
Full name: Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. A French nobleman who sneaks out of France to join the American Revolution. He becomes extremely popular for this.
*TheAce: Turned out to be one of the army's most brilliant tacticians.
*{{Adorkable}}: Fanboying over Washington? Check. Extreme optimism even in the worst times? Check. Lots of cheek kissing and man hugs? Check. Embarrassing story about sneaking out against orders? Check.
*AllLovingHero: In real life, he bore a grudge against the English for forcing him to grow up without a father. In the series, he wants to be friends with literally everyone, including the English-born Sarah. He's also the only member of Washington's staff who is civil and respectful to Charles Lee, also English born, who proves to be hopelessly incompetent in American warfare, and who openly slanders Lafayette's idol Washington.
*AscendedFanboy: Came all the way from France to become this to Washington.
*BlueBlood: He's the Marquis de Lafayette, after all. But he's far from stingy, and is shown in the series to be extremely generous.
*BottleBlond: Wears a blond wig at one point, though most of the time it's gray. In reality, he had brown or dark auburn hair, which he either powdered or cut off in favor of a wig.
*GratuitousFrench: In his first episode. After that, he rarely uses French words or phrases.
*ImmigrantPatriotism: Quickly adopts America as his own country, before even setting foot there.
*JumpedAtTheCall: Immediately made plans to sail for America when he heard about the Revolution.
*TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Lafayette is positively gaga over Washington. His primary goal in coming to America is meeting his hero.
*ManHug: Is quite fond of these, and is literally the only man in history to get away with glomping George Washington.
*OverlyLongName: Fortunately, he only says it once, and insists on being called Gilbert.
*PluckyComicRelief: Of the Historical Domain Characters, Lafayette by far provides the most laughs.
*ValuesResonance: Lafayette and his two best friends, Hamilton and Laurens, were committed abolitionists. Lafayette and his wife bought a plantation in South America and gave it to slaves whom they rescued, so they could have a safe place to live and work as free people. In-universe, Lafayette expresses dismay and outrage at the fact that Moses' brother has to remain on the run after the Revolution instead of being granted his freedom. He also promises to do everything in his power to help American spy James Armistead gain his freedom in return for his instrumental role in the battle of Yorktown.
*WideEyedIdealist: More so than even James, and never fully loses this tendency even after witnessing the horrors of war. It would take him being chased out of France, hunted, imprisoned for five years, then used as a political pawn by a dictator to jade his vision even slightly.
*WholesomeCrossdresser: Wore a dress and a woman's wig to sneak out of France (though he claimed it was a merchant's cloak).
'''Benedict Arnold'''
--->Voiced by DustinHoffman
A major general first in the Continental army, then in the British army. He won many battles for America, making his eventual betrayal come as a complete shock.
*AlternateCharacterInterpretation: An in-universe example, as Sarah begins to wonder what Arnold's true motives were, and whether he no longer believes everything he said about American freedom.
*BrokenPedestal: For a lot of characters, but especially for Sarah and Washington.
*EstablishingCharacterMoment: When we first meet him, he's demanding that Ethan Allen give him full control of the Green Mountain Boys, stating that he has the authority from congress to take over, and he is dismayed at the utter lack of respect he receives for his haughty entrance and attitude.
*FaceHeelTurn: The [[TropeCodifier trope codifier.]]
*ForegoneConclusion: American audiences go into this series knowing Arnold eventually betrays America. The characters, however, are taken completely by surprise when it happens.
*HeroWithBadPublicity: During the first five years of the war, he was integral to many of our successes in battle. But he's remembered only for what he did from 1780 onward.
*ItsAllAboutMe: Arnold allegedly betrayed America because he felt he was not receiving the recognition he deserved from Congress.
*JerkassWoobie: You can't help but feel sorry for him at times, even knowing what he will eventually do.
*MemeticBadass: Sarah sees Arnold as this at first.
*RedOniBlueOni: The hot-headed, arrogant red to Washington's level-headed, humble blue.
*TheResenter: Most of his episodes deal with the fact that he was constantly spurned by congress and higher ranking brass (except Washington) for promotions and recognition of his military contributions. This is eventually what made him decide to betray America.
