On the cusp of the 250th anniversary of its founding, the United States of America is at a crossroads. For those invested in the history of our nation, it’s clear this isn’t the first time the country has stood on the edge of something unprecedented, nor will it be the last. From director Brian Knappenberger, Netflix’s latest docuseries, “The American Experiment,” executive produced by Tom Hanks, is an overarching account of the Revolutionary War, the origins of our nation and the principles on which it was founded. Reflecting on everything from the contentious ratification of the Constitution to the rise of partisanship, the series traces the last four centuries to assess where we are today and whether this grand experiment persists or crumbles.

The first three episodes of “The American Experiment” dive into the conflict the 13 colonies had with the British Crown’s unfair taxation, the outcome of the French and Indian War, the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Though there are anecdotes from a host of talking heads — including former vice presidents Kamala Harris and Mike Pence, as well as former and current senators and historians — the top half of the show is very similar to Ken Burns’ 12-part PBS docuseries, “The American Revolution.” Like Burns’ doc, the series uses reenactments, voiceovers, maps and portraits to illustrate events in North America and in Europe. However, “The American Experiment” doesn’t hone in on its point of view until Episode 4, “We The People.”

So much of the rhetoric about America’s current condition is that the country has become unrecognizable. However, as “The American Experiment” suggests, 2026 America is what the nation is at its core. There will likely always be deep divisions. Following the American Revolution, state delegates gathered to begin crafting the Constitution, and two major sticking points were the horrors of the Atlantic Slave Trade and slavery. History proves that we are a nation founded on racism and funded by the labor of the enslaved. The compromise made acquiescing to the Southern states allowed the slave trade to continue for another two decades. The Civil War breaking out just a century later showcases why white supremacy and the subjugation of Black people and people of color have meant a certain level of instability for many American citizens since the very beginning.

Pulling the threads of the past toward the present, Pence and former Secretary of State (and presidential candidate) Hillary Rodham Clinton also reflect on the bedrocks of our democracy, including the Electoral College and the peaceful transfer of power. Reflecting on her stunning 2016 loss to Donald Trump, where she won the popular vote, Clinton calls the Electoral College an “abomination.”

In Episode 5, “Washington’s Warning,” Pence recalls ratifying the 2020 election results, despite President Donald Trump’s urging to do the opposite. It’s rather ironic that he presents himself as a man who did the right thing since he has caused direct harm to American citizens throughout his political career, from his tenure in Indiana to his time in the White House. The same goes for Senator Ted Cruz, who boasts about being the son of a Cuban immigrant despite his staunch conservative stance on immigrant rights and issues.

Additionally, the series reflects on what the Founding Fathers did not anticipate. There is the willful weakness of Congress, the overblown power of the Supreme Court and the improbability of new Constitutional amendments. Still, the most interesting aspect of the series is its central thesis. “The American Experiment” suggests that this idea, which was put in place all of those years ago by a group of white men, some of whom were slaveholders, was only ever meant to be a temporary foundation.  

A thorough examination of the past, “The American Experiment” reflects on what the United States and its leaders have gotten right and where they’ve fallen very short. All of it leading to the precipice upon which we find ourselves. Entering our 250th year, America will either emerge as a more perfect union, or crumble under the weight of our own cruelty and greed. After all, when Benjamin Franklin was asked if the delegates had given the country a republic or a monarchy, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

“The American Experiment” premieres June 24 on Netflix.