This documentary travels back in time to the origins of the United States, and seeks to undercut many of the spotless, reverential images that history buffs now associate with the country's founding fathers. It argues that in addition to being admired statesmen and politicians, the country's progenitors were also smugglers, traitors, alcoholics and philandering husbands. One by one, the film profiles these early heavyweights and unveils their long-hidden secrets, providing complex, multifaceted views of their lives.