CIVIL WAR, THE, EPISODE 1: THE CAUSE (1861) (TV)
Summary
The first of nine episodes in this documentary about the American Civil War, narrated by David McCullough. Moving chronologically through the war years, the documentary probes choices made that affect the United States even today, and strives to illuminate battle strategies and political tactics by translating historical fact into human experience. Archival photos, animated maps, paintings, and other visual aids support the narration. Voices of actors reading letters, diaries, memoirs, speeches and other historical documentation, along with Library of Congress ex-slave recordings, present opinions from the North and South, civilians and soldiers, men and women, politicians and slaves, privates and presidents. Throughout the nine episodes special attention is paid to two typical soldiers: Confederate Private Sam Watkins and Union Private Elisha Hunt Rhodes; and to two typical towns: Deer Isle, Maine, and Clarksville, Tennessee, to gauge the effects of war on everyday life, with various experts lending their perspective on historical events. This episode focuses on the roots of unrest leading to the start of the war in 1861, with war experts Shelby Foote, Barbara Fields and Ed Bearss. Subjects include political and social conditions of pre-war America, important personalities, and various events that caused hostilities to escalate, including Harriet Beecher Stowe's publishing of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the Dred Scott decision, Abraham Lincoln's (Sam Waterston) presidential campaign and election and his efforts to quell rebellion, and increasing violence between citizens and members of Congress. Subtitles within the program include "All night Forever," "Are We Free," "A House Divided," "The Meteor," "Secessionitis," "4:30 a.m. April 12, 1861," "Traitors and Patriots," "Gun Men," "Manassas," "A Thousand Mile Front," and "Honorable Manhood." Other issues include slavery and its role in the hostilites; growing concern over state's rights as more states enter the Union and cause the balance of socioeconomic power to fluctuate; creation of the Confederate States of America and election of their president, Jefferson Davis; and recruiting efforts of the North and South. Other highlights include a description of the firing on Fort Sumter and the Battle of First Manassas, and a profile of John Brown and his role in the start of the war. Other personalities introduced include Frederick Douglass, Mary Chesnut, George Templeton Strong, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, Nathan Bedford Forest, Benjamin F. Butler, and others. A clip of the 75th anniversary of Gettysburg is shown, including a speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The episode concludes with a letter that soldier Sullivan Ballou wrote to his wife shortly before his death at Manassas.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: September 23, 1990 Sunday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:39:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T91:0018
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries; History - American; U S - History - Civil War, 1861-1865
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV, 1990
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ken Burns … Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Music (Misc. Credits), Music direction by
- Ric Burns … Producer, Writer
- Stephen Ives … Co-Producer
- Julie Dunfey … Co-Producer
- Mike Hill … Co-Producer
- David McCullough … Production (Misc.), Senior Creative Consultant, Narrator
- Geoffrey C. Ward … Writer
- Robert Burgess … Camera, Still photography by
- Stephen Petegorsky … Camera, Still photography by
- John Colby … Music (Misc. Credits), Music direction by
- Jacqueline Schwab … Instrumentalist, Pianist, Traditional music performed by
- Jay Ungar … Composer, "Ashokan Farewell", Instrumentalist, Fiddle and mandolin player, Traditional music performed by
- Matt Glaser … Instrumentalist, Fiddle player, Traditional music performed by
- Jesse Carr … Singer, Instrumentalist, Guitar and recorder player, Traditional music performed by, Voice
- Molly Mason … Instrumentalist, Guitar and bass player, Traditional music performed by
- Peggy James … Instrumentalist, Violinist, Traditional music performed by
- Yonatan Malin … Instrumentalist, Flutist, Traditional music performed by
- Peter Amidon … Instrumentalist, Banjo player, Traditional music performed by
- Peter Ecklund … Instrumentalist, Cornet player, Traditional music performed by
- Don Brooks … Instrumentalist, Harmonica player, Traditional music performed by
- Russ Barenberg … Instrumentalist, Guitar and mandolin player, Traditional music performed by
- Old Bethpage Brass Band … Music Group, Traditional music performed by
- Kirby Jolly … Conductor, Old Bethpage Brass Band
- Bernice Johnson Reagon … Music (Misc. Credits), "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" arranged and performed by
- Sanctuary Choir of the Abyssinian Baptist Church … Choir/Chorus, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" performed by
- Jewel T. Thompson … Choral Director, Sanctuary Choir
- Fennell, Frederick, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble … Music Group
- Bobby Horton … Performer, "Dixie" performed by
- United States Marine Band … Music Group, "The Star-Spangled Banner" performed by
- Heritage Americana Brass Band, The … Music Group, "Funeral March No. 1" and "Battle Hymn Quickstep" performed by
- Robert Garofalo … Conductor, Heritage Americana Brass Band
- Sam Waterston … Cast, Abraham Lincoln, Voice
- Julie Harris … Cast, Mary Chesnut, Voice
- Jason Robards (See also: Jason Robards, Jr.) … Cast, Ulysses S. Grant, Voice
- Morgan Freeman … Cast, Frederick Douglass, Voice
- Paul Roebling … Cast, Joshua L. Chamberlain and others, Voice
- Garrison Keillor … Cast, Walt Whitman and others, Voice
- George Black … Cast, Robert E. Lee, Voice
- Arthur Miller … Cast, William Tecumseh Sherman, Voice
- Chris Murney … Cast, Pvt. Elisha Hunt Rhodes, Voice
- Charley McDowell … Cast, Pvt. Sam Watkins, Voice
- Horton Foote … Cast, Jefferson Davis, Voice
- George Plimpton … Cast, George Templeton Strong, Voice
- Philip Bosco … Cast, Horace Greeley and others, Voice
- Terry Courier … Cast, George McClellan, Voice
- Jody Powell … Cast, Stonewall Jackson and others, Voice
- Studs Terkel … Cast, Benjamin F. Butler, Voice
- Derek Jacobi … Voice
- Jeremy Irons … Voice
- Kurt Vonnegut … Voice
- Gene Jones … Voice
- Jerome Dempsey … Voice
- Larry Fishburne (See also: Laurence Fishburne) … Voice
- Betsy Apple … Voice
- Carol Craven … Voice
- Marissa Copeland … Voice
- Halo Wines … Voice
- David Marks … Voice
- Pamela Reed … Voice
- Ronnie Gilbert … Voice
- M. Emmet Walsh … Voice
- Hoyt Axton … Voice
- John Hartford … Voice
- Walt Macpherson … Voice
- Colleen Dewhurst … Voice
- Latanya Richardson … Voice
- Bradford Washburn … Voice
- Wendy Tilghman … Voice
- Joe Mattys … Voice
- Shelby Foote … Voice, Guest
- Barbara Fields … Guest
- Ed Bearss … Guest
- Franklin D. Roosevelt