Name: The American Civil War
Released: 2000-03-17T00:00:00.000Z
Cast: Gary W. Gallagher

TV Show · Documentary · History

Professor Gary W. Gallagher explains the strategy and battles of war as well as its effects on all Americans; learning how armies were recruited and trained; studying about prisoners; understanding how soldiers coped with camp life.

2000 · 30m

Starring Gary W. Gallagher

EPISODE 1

Prelude to War

Learning about the sectional controversies and clashes that ultimately set the stage for secession and war.
EPISODE 2

The Election of 1860

The presidential canvass of 1860 is the most important in U.S. history; it results in Abraham Lincoln's election as the first Republican to occupy the White House and brings sectional tensions to a head.
EPISODE 3

The Lower South Secedes

Beginning with South Carolina in December 1860, all of the Lower South states secede by the first week of February 1861; they send delegates to a convention in Montgomery, Alabama, that establishes the Confederate States of America.
EPISODE 4

The Crisis at Fort Sumter

From February through April 1861, the United States and the Confederacy eye each other warily and vie for the support of eight slave states; as various compromise proposals fall short, Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor becomes a flashpoint.
EPISODE 5

The Opposing Sides, I

Many think that the South is fated to lose; learning when the Confederate States of America came closest to winning; as fighting begins, each side has important advantages.
EPISODE 6

The Opposing Sides, II

Learning whether the Confederacy has better generals and which side has the edge in strategic and political leadership; the attitudes of England and France; studying the side which marshals its resources and exploits its advantages more effectively.