Between 1861 and 1865, this epic American story of struggle and survival was written in blood, and in this series is told mostly from first-hand accounts and in the spoken words of the participants themselves, through their diaries, letters, and memoirs. The series concludes with the surrender of the Confederate Army, and then explores the legacy of slavery and the consequences and meaning of a war that transformed the country forever.
The Road to Civil War, battles over Slavery turn violent in Kansas and Harper's Ferry. The election of Lincoln, Secession, Fort Sumter and the First Battle of Manassas.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga in the west. Grant takes command and begins to attack Lee in Virginia. The Wilderness to Cold Harbor and the Petersburg siege.
April 2, 1865 and the fall of Petersburg and Richmond. Lee surrenders to Grant and Sherman takes the surrender of the western Confederate Army. Lincoln's assassination and the second war over reconstruction and the citizenship of former slaves. The legacy of the war.