General Assembly: The Story of America

For decades, Ken Burns has used documentary filmmaking to help Americans see our true history, bringing the country’s defining figures, conflicts, and contradictions directly into our living rooms. In conversation with Fareed Zakaria, he pulls back the curtain on his filmmaking canon, from The American Revolution to The Civil War to Jazz, revealing the unfinished debates that began in 1776 and illuminating who we are as a people. The Aspen Ideas Festival is the Aspen Institute’s signature summer public event. From June 25-July 1, 2026 business and civic leaders, innovators and artists, fellows, scholars, and attendees from around the world gathered in the Rocky Mountains. Engaging discussions unified by the Festival’s theme “Declarations of Independence” explore the issues of today, challenge perceptions of the past, and shape our shared future. #AspenIdeas For more information about the Aspen Ideas Festival, visit https://www.aspenideas.org.