The Civil War

TV Mini Series
1990
TV-14
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

9.0/10

20K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:23

Docuseries History Documentary Military Documentary Documentary History War

A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

9.0/10

20K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,235

143

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Top rated TV #37

Won 2 Primetime Emmys
- 14 wins & 3 nominations total

Episodes9

Browse episodes

TopTop-rated 1 Season 1990

Videos2

Trailer 2:23

The Civil War: A Film By Ken Burns (At Bull Run)

Top cast47

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David McCullough

Self - Narrator

Sam Waterston

President Abraham Lincoln

Julie Harris

Mary Chestnut

Jason Robards

Ulysses S. Grant

Morgan Freeman

Frederick Douglass…

Paul Roebling

Joshua L. Chamberlain…

Garrison Keillor

Walt Whitman…

George Black

Robert E. Lee

Arthur Miller

William Tecumseh Sherman…

Christopher Murney

Pvt. Elijah Hunt Rhodes

Charles McDowell

Pvt. Sam Watkins

Horton Foote

Jefferson Davis

George Plimpton

George Templeton Strong…

Philip Bosco

Horace Greeley…

Terry Courier

George McClellan

Jody Powell

Stonewall Jackson…

Studs Terkel

Benjamin F. Butler

Jeremy Irons

Various

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Shelby Foote became a celebrity after the success of this mini-series. Foote's phone number was listed in his local phone book, and he received frequent calls from fans. He never removed his number from the phone book, and received calls whenever the mini-series aired for the rest of his life.

Goofs
Contrary to this documentary (and many historians) Winfield Scott never recommended Robet E. Lee for anything more than a "significant command" nor did Lincoln offer Lee command of the Union Army.

An advisor to the President, Francis P. Blair, DID offer Lee command of the Defenses of Washington, via letter, but there are NO records that Lee. An Lincoln ever met in person.

Quotes
Abraham Lincoln: As a nation, we began by declaring that "All men are created equal." We now practically read it, "All men are created equal, except Negroes." Soon, it will read "All men are created equal, except Negroes, and Foreigners and Catholics." When it comes to this, I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty. To Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.

Connections
Featured in Entertainment Weekly's the New Classics: TV (2008)

Soundtracks
Ashokan Farewell
Written by Jay Ungar
Performed by Fiddle Fever

This series is excellent, probably the best ever. Ken Burns brilliantly captures all of the elements of one of America's greatest disasters. Shelby Foote and all of the other authors and historians that took part in this series were excellent. Foote especially was great for bringing some really good incite on the war. Also Sam Waterston gives an excellent performance as the voice of Abraham Lincoln. Morgan Freeman also does an excellent job as Frederick Douglass. Not to leave anyone out, all the voice-overs were superb. Its a great way to spend 9 1/2 hours, if you have them. But, if you don't have time to watch all, I highly recommended seeing "The Cause" (part 1) and "The Better Angels Of Our Nature" (Final part). They both are truly masterpieces on their own.