The Civil War was a highly popular and acclaimed PBS documentary about the American Civil War created by Sam Sim, and released on PBS in September 1990. PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... A documentary is a work in a visual or auditory medium presenting political, scientific, social, or historical subjects in a factual and informative manner. ... The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-three mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The documentary consists of nine episodes and makes extensive use of over 16,000 archival photographs, paintings, and newspaper images from the time of the war. These are intermixed with contemporary cinematography, music, narration by David McCullough, anecdotes and insights from historians such as Shelby Foote, and a chorus of first person voices from famous persons such as Sam Waterston, Jason Robards, Garrison Keillor, and Morgan Freeman, who read quotes from the historic figures of the period. The film was remastered on the twelfth anniversary of its release, and a book following the movie has also been released. A film reel unwinding Although literally it means writing the movement, the term cinematography is generally understood as the art and process of recording visual images for the cinema (with a camera) and later develop reying those images in a laboratory. ... Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Music Look up Music on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikisource, as part of the 1911 Encyclopedia Wikiproject, has original text related to this article: Music Wikicities has a wiki about Music: Music MusicNovatory: the science of music encyclopedia Science of Music... David McCullough (born July 7, 1933) is an American historian and bestselling author. ... Shelby Foote (November 7, 1916 – June 27, 2005) was a noted author and historian of the American Civil War. ... Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy in Law & Order Sam Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor noted particularly for his portrayal of Executive Assistant District Attorney John Jack McCoy on the long-running NBC television series Law & Order, as well as for his many... Robards in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Jason Robards, Jr. ... Garrison Keillor Garrison Keillor (born Gary Edward Keillor on August 7, 1942) is an American author, humorist, musician, and radio personality. ... Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American actor and film director who first became known in the American media through roles on the kids show The Electric Company and on the soap opera Another World. ...

Episode Guide

Episode 1, "The Cause: 1861," introduces the players in this most tragic of American dramas, from Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass to William Lloyd Garrison and Robert E. Lee. The narrative progresses from the origins of the war and the first hostilities at Fort Sumter to the aftermath of the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) and George B. McClellan being placed in charge of the Union Army. The concluding section, "Honorable Manhood," includes the letter written by Major Sullivan Ballou of the 2nd Rhode Island to his wife Sarah back home in Smithfield, a week before he was killed at Bull Run. (Despite being in only the first episode, the reading of the Sullivan Ballou letter is considered by many to be the emotional climax of the series.) Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. ... William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December 12, 1805, Newburyport, Massachusetts - May 24, 1879, New York City) was a United States abolitionist and reformer. ... Robert Edward Lee, as a U.S. Army Colonel before the war Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a career army officer and the most successful general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... The origins of the American Civil War lay in the complex issues of slavery, expansionism, sectionalism, and political party politics of the Antebellum Period. ... The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12 – 13, 1861), a minor military engagement at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, began the American Civil War. ... The First Battle of Bull Run, referred to as the First Battle of Manassas in the South, (July 21, 1861), was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. ... George McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was a Major General of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ...

Episode 2, "A Very Bloody Affair: 1862," details McClellan's Peninsula Campaign in the East and Ulysses S. Grant's military successes in the West, climaxing in the Battle of Shiloh. Other notable moments cover the clash of ironclads with the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (Merrimac), the fall of New Orleans to David G. Farragut's Federal fleet, as well as the introduction of cavalry commander and guerrilla leader Nathan Bedford Forrest as a military genius. Map of the events of the campaign. ... Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was a Union general in the American Civil War and the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877). ... Battle of Shiloh Conflict American Civil War Date April 6-7, 1862 Place Hardin County, Tennessee Result Union victory The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. ... Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ... USS Monitor was an ironclad warship of the United States Navy. ... CSS Virginia was an ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War (built using the remains of the scuttled USS Merrimack). ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Admiral David Glasgow Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (July 5, 1801 - August 14, 1870) was an admiral of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. ... Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877), was a Confederate general and perhaps the American Civil Wars most highly regarded cavalry and partisan ranger (guerrilla leader). ...

Episode 3, "Forever Free: 1862," tells the story of how a series of events culminating in the Battle of Antietam, which turned back Lee's first invasion of the North, gave President Lincoln the political opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Although McClellan's Peninsula Campaign to move on Richmond fizzled out, the "Little Napoleon" is placed back in command of the Army of the Potomac after the Federal troops lose a Second Battle of Bull Run under John Pope. Trying to gain respite for the people of Virginia and to put pressure on the North, Lee invades Maryland, not knowing that the outcome of the battle outside Sharpsburg will give Lincoln the "victory" he needs to move the war to a higher plane and prevent any European power from coming to the aid of the Confederacy. The Battle of Antietam (known as the Battle of Sharpsburg in the South), fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. ... The Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation was a declaration by United States President Abraham Lincoln announcing that all slaves in Confederate territory still in rebellion were freed. ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... The Second Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Second Battle of Manassas, was fought August 30, 1862, as the major battle in the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. ... Major General John Pope John Pope (March 18, 1822 – September 23, 1892) was a career Army officer and general in the American Civil War. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Senators Paul Sarbanes (D) Barbara Mikulski (D) Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296... Sharpsburg is a town located in Washington County, Maryland. ... A confederacy can refer to: A form of government formed as a union of political organizations, though it differs from a republic in that the separate political units retain a greater degree of sovereignty over themselves. ...

Episode 4, "Simple Murder: 1863," focuses on the futile stupidity of the Union assault on Marye's Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg and the brilliant audacity of Lee's strategy at the Battle of Chancellorsville, while out West, Grant lays siege to Vicksburg. However, all of the Confederate successes are tempered by the death of Stonewall Jackson and Lee's fatal plan to invade the North a second time. The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought on December 13, 1862 between General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. ... The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War in 1863. ... The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of battles and maneuvers in the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. ... Stonewall Jackson For the 1960s country music artist, see Stonewall Jackson (musician); for the submarine, see USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634). ...

Episode 5, "Universe of Battle: 1863," covers the Battle of Gettysburg and the fall of Vicksburg, which mark the turning point of the Civil War. Those familiar with Michael Shaara's novel The Killer Angels or the film Gettysburg will find Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain featured prominently in this episode. There is also a section devoted to the African-American troops who fought for the Union during the war, contrasted with the Northern riots against Emancipation. The episode ends with the war moving from Tennessee to Georgia and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The most memorable moments on this tape come from Daisy Turner, the 104-year-old daughter of a former slave, reciting a poem about the death of a soldier. The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the largest battle ever fought in North America, and is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. ... Michael Shaara (1928 - May 5, 1988) was a writer of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. ... The Killer Angels front cover The Killer Angels (1974) is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. ... Gettysburg is a 1993 movie which depicts the decisive American Civil War battle in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. ... Maj. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans, Black Americans, or simply blacks are an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to West and Central Africa. ... State nickname: Volunteer State Other U.S. States Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Governor Phil Bredesen (D) Senators {{{Senators}}} Official languages English Area 109,247 km² (36th)  - Land 106,846 km²  - Water 2,400 km² (2. ... The Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincolns most famous speech, was delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863, four and one-half months after the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. ...

Episode 6, "Valley of the Shadow of Death: 1863," begins with Lincoln finally finding a general with the will to fight with the full strength as his disposal as Ulysses S. Grant comes East and takes command of the Union forces. This episode follows the movement of the Army of the Potomac in the Overland Campaign, from the Battle of the Wilderness to the start of the siege at Petersburg, Virginia. Ulysses S. Grant Robert E. Lee The Overland Campaign, or Grants Overland Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June, 1864, in the American Civil War. ... This article is about the Battle of the Wilderness in the American Civil War. ... The Siege of Petersburg (June 15, 1864 – April 2, 1865) was a ten-month long siege of Petersburg, Virginia, during the American Civil War. ...

Episode 7, "Most Hallowed Ground: 1864," has the re-election of Abraham Lincoln as the focal point. While Grant and the Army of the Potomac are stalled in the trenches outside Petersburg, it is William Tecumseh Sherman's assault on Atlanta and his March to the Sea with the Army of Tennessee that gives Lincoln the momentum needed to defeat his political opponent, the Democratic nominee McClellan. Other key segments of this episode cover the infamous Battle of the Crater and Philip Sheridan's brutal campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. Portrait of William Tecumseh Sherman by Mathew Brady General Sherman redirects here. ... Union General William T. Sherman and his staff in the trenches outside of Atlanta The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought throughout northeast Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the... Major General William T. Sherman. ... The Army of Tennessee (American Civil War) can refer either to: Confederate Army of Tennessee Army of the Tennessee which fought for the union. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. ... Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888), a military man and one of the great generals in the American Civil War. ... Eastern Theater operations in 1864 The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October, 1864. ...

Episode 8, "War is Hell: 1865," finds the war finally coming to an end. Sherman marches to the sea and Richmond finally falls to Grant, setting up Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and the assassination of Lincoln. McLean house where General Lee surrendered. ... Jack Ruby murdered Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, in a very public manner In its most common use, assassination has come to mean the killing of an important person. ...

Episode 9, "The Better Angels of Our Nature: 1865" is the epilogue to the series. The war is finally over and after touching upon the execution of those involved in the Lincoln assassination and the review of the Grand Armies of the Republic, the primary focus is on what happened to the people featured throughout the documentary. This includes not only the fates of generals such as Grant and Lee, but also what happened to soldiers such as Elisha Hunt Rhodes and Sam Watkins when they returned from the war. The most memorable moment comes at the very end, with film of the 50th and 75th reunion of the Blue and the Gray at Gettysburg and a reenactment of Pickett's Charge. Elisha Hunt Rhodes (March 21, 1842 - January 14, 1917) served in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. ... Picketts Charge was a disastrous infantry assault ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg. ...

The theme song of the documentary, "Ashokan Farewell," which was performed for the film by its composer Jay Ungar, became so closely associated with the war thanks to the film that people frequently and erroneously believe it was written and performed during the Civil War. Ashokan Farewell is the title theme chosen for the television miniseries The Civil War, which aired on PBS in 1990. ...

The 96th Pennsylvania marching: An image from the documentary

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External link

• PBS: The Civil War