The Civil War Television Documentary

Production:

"The Civil War"
produced by Ken Burns
narrated by David McCullogh
first televised on PBS Sept. 23-27, 1990, seen by 39 million in 5 consecutive nights
interviews with Shelby Foote, Barbara Fields, James McPherson, Steven Sears, Ed Bearss
voices of Sam Waterston (as A. Lincoln), Jason Robards (as U.S. Grant), George Plimpton (as G.T. Strong), Morgan Freeman (as F. Douglass), Julie Harris (as M. Chestnut), Garrison Keillor (as Walt Whitman), Jeremy Irons (as Alexis de Tocqueville)
music theme "Ashokan Farewell" written 1984 by Jay Ungar

Episodes:

Episode 1: The Cause - 1861 (99 min.)
  • from slavery to Sullivan Ballou's Manassas letter
    		•
    Episode 2: A Very Bloody Affair - 1862 (69 min.)
  • from Julia War Howe to McClellan at Yorktown
    		•
    Episode 3: Forever Free - 1862 (76 min.)
  • from the Peninsula to Emancipation Proclamation
    		•
    Episode 4: Simply Murder - 1863 (62 min.)
  • from Fredericksburg toGrant at Vicksburg
    		•
    Episode 5: The Universe of Battle - 1863 (95 min.)
  • from Gettysburg to Chattanooga
    		•
    Episode 6: Valley of the Shadow of Death - 1864 (70 min.)
  • from Wilderness to Sherman at Atlanta
    		•
    Episode 7: Most Hallowed Ground - 1864 (72 min.)
  • from 1864 election to Atlanta
    		•
    Episode 8: War is All Hell - 1865 (69 min.)
  • from Sherman's March to Appomattox
    		•
    Episode 9: Better Angels of Our Nature - 1865 (68 min.)
  • from Lincoln's death to consequences of the war

    • "The Civil War Comes Home" in Time, 10/8/1990

    Links:

  • Strengths and Weaknesses
  • Credits from the IMDB for the title The Civil War
    History Department | Filmnotes | revised 4/1/2000 by Schoenherr