The initial moment the nation needed to unite, it wasn’t yet a nation. It was a collection of British colonies, separate and frequently at odds, but recently discussing among themselves their connection to the same ruler. As colonies, the arrangement was unequal: they performed the labor, then were required to pay tribute to the King. The colonies were uncertain about their desires. Yet they were certain they didn’t want this.

Based on its telling, a 250-year-old tale can still seem novel. A new TIME Studios project, , tells America’s founding story without ceremonial music or celebration. It’s a weekly series of episodes—each just a few minutes long—premiering around the anniversary of the events they show from 250 years prior. Executive produced by , the renowned director behind Black Swan, The Whale, and Caught Stealing, this year-long series will appear on TIME’s YouTube channel as a weekly chronicle of what proved to be the pivotal year for a fledgling nation.

If On This Day…1776 succeeds in making the American Revolution feel genuinely alive, it’s probably because the project benefits from two advantages. The first is innovative technology. The timing of America’s 250th anniversary aligns with breakthroughs in artificial intelligence that discard nostalgic filters and period-piece theatrics, enabling creators to craft a world that feels dynamic, detailed, and present.

And this sense of immediacy extends beyond the screen. The project also draws its timely quality from current events. In the first episode, set on Jan. 1, George Washington visits the hill outside Boston where militiamen occupy the high ground over British troops and asks them to call out their home states. (You’ll never hear “Delaware!” shouted with such fierce pride.) In the second episode, dated Jan. 10, Ben Franklin enlists Thomas Paine to express the fundamental ideals that can bring them together. “Here in America,” Common Sense proclaims, “the law is king.”

In recounting how the United States first united, On This Day…1776 offers a remedy for our current troubles.