Episode 1: The Cause | Introduction
More than 3 million Americans fought. Over 600,000 died. The war changed every life it touched.
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Episode 1: The Cause | Introduction
Clip: Episode 1 | 3m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
More than 3 million Americans fought. Over 600,000 died. The war changed every life it touched.
Men who had never strayed 20 miles from home found themselves in great armies, fighting epic battles on American farms, roads, and orchards. The Civil War was fought in 10,000 places and claimed more than 600,000 lives. It made some rich, ruined others, and changed forever the lives of all who lived through it.
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Production made possible by grants from General Motors Corporation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation
Episode 1: The Cause | Introduction
Clip: Episode 1 | 3m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
Men who had never strayed 20 miles from home found themselves in great armies, fighting epic battles on American farms, roads, and orchards. The Civil War was fought in 10,000 places and claimed more than 600,000 lives. It made some rich, ruined others, and changed forever the lives of all who lived through it.
From
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Where to Watch The Civil War
The Civil War is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
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The Civil War | Timeline
Explore a multimedia timeline that is a companion to Ken Burns's acclaimed documentary series, The Civil War. The timeline provides a comprehensive overview of the war, from its political origins to its social and military consequences.Providing Support for PBS.org
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Clip: Ep1 | 13m 1s | In 1861, volunteers North and South rushed to war. Both sides expected it to last 90 days. (13m 1s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 3m 16s | "A house divided against itself cannot stand." In the 1850s, slavery pushed the nation toward war. (3m 16s)
Lincoln's Election and Secession
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Clip: Ep1 | 3m 20s | Lincoln won in 1860 with 40% of the vote. To much of the South, it signaled ruin, and secession. (3m 20s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 3m 27s | After Bull Run, George McClellan built a magnificent Union army. Then he did nothing with it. (3m 27s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 3m 25s | "Sarah, my love for you is deathless." Hear the letter Sullivan Ballou wrote a week before Bull Run. (3m 25s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 3m 9s | Blue and gray veterans reunite at Gettysburg in 1938. Historians explain why the Civil War matters. (3m 9s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 2m 35s | At Fort Sumter, a Confederate general fired on his old West Point teacher. The Civil War began. (2m 35s)
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Clip: Ep1 | 4m 30s | Fewer than 4 in 100 enslaved people lived to 60. Yet they resisted and kept their families together. (4m 30s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
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Production made possible by grants from General Motors Corporation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation