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IST 605: The American Civil War

A guide to understanding the conflict

Videos

This nine-part documentary-style miniseries covers various aspects of the Civil War.  Each episode highlights a different theme.  For example, the episode titled "The Cause" gives a breakdown of why The Civil War occurred and leads into the first important battle of Bull Run.  With nearly 700 minutes, this is the most thorough multimedia resource of the entire Civil War conflict.  There is one episode completely dedicated to the three-day battle of Gettysburg.  The voice-over narration and unique style of panning images to create a sense of motion make this documentary highly engaging and easy to understand for people of all ages.  

Burns, K., Burns, R., Dewhurst, C., Fishburne, L., III., Freeman, M., & Irons, J. (2004). The Civil War. Burbank, CA, PBS Home Video.

This video file is a biographical documentary that details the life of Frederick Douglas, who was the most influential abolitionist during the the mid 18th century.  The documentary explores his early life where he was born into slavery, his escape to freedom in the North, and his fight against slavery, civil rights (for both men and women), and racial equality. It also delves into his family life/personal life.  It is a must-have resource for understanding one of the most important historical figures during this time period.  It uses primary source documents (readings of his books and speeches) to help convey the themes (equality for all) that many modern-day civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X fought for.  

Nicole London, Stanley Nelson, Mark Fason, Maryland Public Television, & Firelight Media (Producers), & London, N. and Nelson, S. (Directors). (2022). Becoming Frederick Douglass. [Video/DVD] Public Broadcasting Service. https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/becoming-frederick-douglass

This video documentary gives a modern analysis of the Battle of Shiloh. a critical defeat of the Confederate army during the Western Theater campaign in 1862. This documentary focuses on two important parts of the battlefield by asking questions: Why was the Union army unable to detect and prepare for the Confederate surprise attack, and why did the Confederate army lose when they had the complete upper hand on the first day?  The documentary also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the terrain, especially in regard to one section of the battlefield called the "Hornet's Nest."  This series is unique because it uses forensic techniques to discover what really happened during the battle.  The details provided in this video give a clear understanding of what actually happened. 

Bob Bentley (Producer), & . (2006). The Civil War: Shiloh. [Video/DVD] A&E Television Networks. https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/the-civil-war-shiloh

This video is from an episode of Civil War Journal, a History Channel video series that details the battle between the first two ironclad warships used in naval battles. The episode looks at the origins of the two warships and some of the design/construction challenges faced in getting them in seaworthy condition.  The state of the war is discussed, with the naval blockade being the primary reason for the creation of CSS Virginia.  This is an informative video and topic that explains why the Confederates resorted to a desperate and unproved technological innovation to break up the Union's naval blockade.  The battle is a major turning point in naval warfare on a macrohistorical level.    

Rob Kirk (Producer), & Lusitana, D. (Director). (1993). Monitor vs. CSS Virginia. [Video/DVD] A&E Television Networks. https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/monitor-vs-css-virginia