America and the Civil War (4:04)
Discover how the bloodiest war in American history transformed the face of the nation.
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Videos (24)
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America and the Civil War
America and the Civil WarVideo Clip (4:04)
Video Clip (4:04)
Discover how the bloodiest war in American history transformed the face of the nation.
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Civil War in One Word
Civil War in One WordVideo Clip (1:13)
Video Clip (1:13)
If you had just one word to describe the Civil War, what would it be?
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Civil War's Greatest Myth
Civil War's Greatest MythVideo Clip (2:41)
Video Clip (2:41)
What you think you know about the Civil War may not be the whole truth.
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Grant or Lee?
Grant or Lee?Video Clip (2:19)
Video Clip (2:19)
Which of the admired Civil War generals would you want to lead your country?
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Abraham Lincoln's House Divided Speech
Abraham Lincoln's House Divided SpeechVideo Clip (2:31)
Video Clip (2:31)
Abraham Lincoln's 1858 "House Divided" speech catapults him into the national consciousness with its bold moral assessment of the future of American slavery.
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Confederate vs. Union Soldiers
Confederate vs. Union SoldiersVideo Clip (2:39)
Video Clip (2:39)
Find out what divided the men of the Civil War, and how in many ways they were more alike than different.
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Civil War Turning Point
Civil War Turning PointVideo Clip (3:08)
Video Clip (3:08)
Find out what event turned the tide of the Civil War.
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Legacy of the Civil War
Legacy of the Civil WarVideo Clip (1:22)
Video Clip (1:22)
One hundred and fifty years after it began, the Civil War is still an important component of our national character.
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Origins of Slavery in America
Origins of Slavery in AmericaVideo Clip (3:01)
Video Clip (3:01)
In 1619, the Dutch introduced the first captured Africans to America, planting the seeds of a slavery system that evolved into a nightmare of abuse and cuelty that would ultimately divide the nation.
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The Path to Civil War
The Path to Civil WarVideo Clip (2:25)
Video Clip (2:25)
The election of Abraham Lincoln was a tipping point on the path to Civil War. In the wake of Southern secession, would the new president defend the U.S. forts in rebel territory?
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First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull RunVideo Clip (2:08)
Video Clip (2:08)
The first major land battle of the Civil War, near Manassas, Virginia is a decisive Confederate victory, ending hopes of a quick end to the conflict.
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Battle of Shiloh
Battle of ShilohVideo Clip (2:45)
Video Clip (2:45)
At Shiloh, Tennessee in April of 1862, a Confederate surprise attack backfires when the Union holds firm at the "Hornet's Nest."
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The Union Siege of Vicksburg
The Union Siege of VicksburgVideo Clip (2:37)
Video Clip (2:37)
The heavily fortified city of Vicksburg is the gateway to the Mississippi River. To force surrender, Ulysses S. Grant holds the rebel forces under siege for six weeks.
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The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of AntietamVideo Clip (2:45)
Video Clip (2:45)
The bloodiest single day in American history ends in a Union victory that bolsters President Lincoln's ability to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
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Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of FredericksburgVideo Clip (2:26)
Video Clip (2:26)
General Burnside takes Fredericksburg but experiences a disastrous defeat when attacking Confederate forces entrenched in the high ground above the town.
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Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of ChancellorsvilleVideo Clip (2:30)
Video Clip (2:30)
General Robert E. Lee defies military convention to defeat the Union at Chancellorsville, but was the price of victory too high?
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The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of GettysburgVideo Clip (2:38)
Video Clip (2:38)
For three days in July 1863, Union and Confederate forces clash at Gettysburg in one of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War.
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Surrender at Appomattox
Surrender at AppomattoxVideo Clip (2:38)
Video Clip (2:38)
Cut off from supply lines, General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant in April, 1865 after four long years of Civil War.
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The Failure of Reconstruction
The Failure of ReconstructionVideo Clip (2:35)
Video Clip (2:35)
Reconstruction turns the south into a different type of battleground. Constitutional amendments grant freedom and suffrage to African-Americans but equality remains elusive.
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General Sherman Captures Atlanta
General Sherman Captures AtlantaVideo Clip (2:08)
Video Clip (2:08)
General Sherman cuts the rail lines around Atlanta and captures the key Southern city, bolstering public opinion in the North as Lincoln prepares for re-election.
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Sherman and the Burning of Atlanta
Sherman and the Burning of AtlantaVideo Clip (1:37)
Video Clip (1:37)
Before setting off on his epic march, General Sherman and his troops set fire to the city of Atlanta.
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Sherman Closes in on Savannah
Sherman Closes in on SavannahVideo Clip (2:30)
Video Clip (2:30)
Union forces assault Fort McCallister, the key to Savannah and the final obstacle along General Sherman's march to the sea.
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The Confederate Capital Falls
The Confederate Capital FallsVideo Clip (2:55)
Video Clip (2:55)
In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital of Richmond falls after nine months under siege. General Lee and President Jefferson Davis flee the city as Union forces advance to reclaim Virginia.
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Last Stand of the Confederacy
Last Stand of the ConfederacyVideo Clip (3:21)
Video Clip (3:21)
In march of 1865, Confederate forces made a valiant last stand against General Sherman's advancing troops, but were undone by the most unlikely of errors
Photo Galleries (7)
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Civil War: Confederate Leaders
Civil War: Confederate Leaders(13 Photos)
13 Photos
View images of Confederate leaders from the Civil War, like Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and learn more about the roles they played protecting the southern states.
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Civil War: Artifacts
Civil War: Artifacts(9 Photos)
9 Photos
Explore Civil War artifacts, from medical kits and personal hygiene items, to carbines and currency.
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Faces of the Civil War
Faces of the Civil War(28 Photos)
28 Photos
The Library of Congress recently acquired a rare collection of nearly 700 Civil War-era ambrotype and tintype photographs, donated by the Liljenquist family.
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Civil War: Antietam
Civil War: Antietam(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore the Battle of Antietam--one of the bloodiest of the Civil War-- through photographs of soldiers, the battlefield and monuments.
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Civil War: Battles of Bull Run
Civil War: Battles of Bull Run(10 Photos)
10 Photos
Learn about the two battles of Bull Run through paintings and photographs of the participants, the battlefield and the surrounding areas.
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Civil War: Fort Sumter
Civil War: Fort Sumter(9 Photos)
9 Photos
Explore Fort Sumter, South Carolina, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
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Civil War: Gettysburg
Civil War: Gettysburg(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore the historic Civil War battle of Gettysburg through photographs of the battlefield, the soldiers, and the memorials.
Interactives (1)
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Civil War 150
Civil War 150Interactive
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