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9 episodes
1. The Cause - 1861

1. The Cause - 1861
Beginning with an examination of slavery, this episode looks at the causes of the war and the burning questions of union and states' rights.
1 h 39 min
Sep 22, 1990
2. A Very Bloody Affair - 1862

2. A Very Bloody Affair - 1862
1862 saw the birth of modern warfare and the transformation of Lincoln's war to preserve the Union into a war to emancipate the slaves.
1 h 8 min
Sep 23, 1990
3. Forever Free - 1862

3. Forever Free - 1862
This episode charts the dramatic events that led to Lincoln's decision to set the slaves free.
1 h 15 min
Sep 23, 1990
4. Simply Murder - 1863

4. Simply Murder - 1863
This episode begins with the nightmarish Union disaster at Fredericksburg and follows two clashes that spring.
1 h 1 min
Sep 24, 1990
5. The Universe of Battle - 1863

5. The Universe of Battle - 1863
This episode opens with a dramatic account of the turning point of the war: the Battle of Gettysburg.
1 h 35 min
Sep 24, 1990
6. Valley of the Shadow of Death - 1864

6. Valley of the Shadow of Death - 1864
This episode begins with a biographical comparison of Grant and Lee and then chronicles the extraordinary series of battles that pitted the two generals against each other from the wilderness to Petersburg in Virginia.
1 h 9 min
Sep 25, 1990
7. Most Hallowed Ground - 1864

7. Most Hallowed Ground - 1864
The presidential campaign of 1864 set Abraham Lincoln against his old commanding general, George McClellan.
1 h 11 min
Sep 25, 1990
8. War is All Hell - 1865

8. War is All Hell - 1865
William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea brings war to the heart of Georgia and the Carolinas and spells the end of the Confederacy.
1 h 8 min
Sep 26, 1990
9. The Better Angels of Our Nature - 1865

9. The Better Angels of Our Nature - 1865
After chronicling Lincoln's funeral, the episode recounts the final days of the war, the capture of John Wilkes Booth and the fates of the series' major figures.
1 h 8 min
Sep 26, 1990










