The Civil War (1990– )

TV Mini-Series  -   -  Documentary | History | War
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A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.

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Season:

1

Year:

1990
Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 8 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Series cast summary:
...
 President Abraham Lincoln (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Mary Chestnut (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Ulysses S. Grant (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Frederick Douglass (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Walt Whitman (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 William Tecumseh Sherman (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 George Templeton Strong (9 episodes, 1990)
Horton Foote ...
 Jefferson Davis (9 episodes, 1990)
George Black ...
 Robert E. Lee (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Horace Greeley (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Various (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Various (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Various (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Various (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Various (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Himself (9 episodes, 1990)
David McCullough ...
 Narrator (9 episodes, 1990)
Charles McDowell ...
 Sam Watkins (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Elijah Hunt Rhodes (9 episodes, 1990)
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ...
 Various (9 episodes, 1990)
...
 Various (9 episodes, 1990)
Ed Bearss ...
 Himself (6 episodes, 1990)
Barbara Fields ...
 Herself (5 episodes, 1990)
James Symington ...
 Himself (4 episodes, 1990)
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Storyline

This highly acclaimed mini series traces the course of the U.S. Civil War from the abolitionist movement through all the major battles to the death of President Lincoln and the beginnings of Reconstruction. The story is mostly told in the words of the participants themselves, through their diaries, letters, and Visuals are usually still photographs and illustrations of the time, and the soundtrack is likewise made up of war-era tunes played on period instruments. Several modern-day historians offer periodic comment and insight on the war's causes and events. Written by Eric Sorensen <Eric_Sorensen@fc.mcps.k12.md.us>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

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It divided a country. It created a nation.


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Also Known As:

Az amerikai polgárháború története  »

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1.33 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Sam Waterston, who voices President Abraham Lincoln, also portrayed the 16th President in the TV movie Lincoln. See more »

Goofs

In describing the assassination of President Lincoln, the narrator states the president was 54 years old when he died. He was, in fact, 56 years old. This mistake, however, has been corrected on the DVD. See more »

Quotes

Narrator: The trickle of runaways coming into Northern lines now swelled to a flood. One ex-slave who had recently bought his freedom told a Union soldier "if I had known you gun men was a-coming, I'd have saved my money."
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Wings: Plane Nine from Nantucket (1991) See more »

Soundtracks

"Ashokan Farewell"
Written by Jay Ungar
Performed by Fiddle Fever
See more »

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User Reviews

A Poignant and Vivid Look at The Civil War
28 February 2003 | by (UK) – See all my reviews

Not only is "The Civil War" Ken Burns' best documentary, it is one of the best out there, also. It easily mixes emotions with facts, while keeping an eye on narration.

It doesn't go for cheap "recreation" moments; in other words, we don't see a redo of the tale told with about five soldiers who look like they're dressed for Halloween; we instead see real pictures while listening to vivid narrations by such actors as Jason Robards, Laurence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Irons, M. Emmet Walsh, Pamela Reed, and more.

If you haven't seen this four hour epic yet, then go find it at a video store right now.


14 of 17 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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