The American Civil War: Causes and Consequences

In its favor, this overview of the causes and consequences of the Civil War does a good job of discussing the economic tensions between North and South and the rising emotions over slavery. In addition, the program examines the roles of non-slaveholding Southern whites, women, African-Americans, and children during the war years, and ties the broken dreams of the ex-slaves following Reconstruction into the Civil Rights movement a century later (a very good point to fit into a short video). But other details are lacking: there is no mention of "States' Rights"--the key concept that led the South to secede; the video makes the Underground Railroad seem to be a war-years invention (which it was not); and it points to Grant's climatic victory at Natchez (not Vicksburg) as the turning point of the war, along with the simultaneous eastern victory at Gettysburg. Given the uneven nature of the program, this is an optional purchase. Aud: H. (R. Reagan)