The Divided Union: The Story of the American Civil War 1861-1865

What caused the American Civil War? This episode traces the evolution of two distinct societies, leading up to that fateful first shot on Fort Sumter. Along the way, the program traces the rise of the Republican Party, the emergence of Abraham Lincoln, industrialization in the North, the impact of the cotton gin on the economy of the South, and the origins and spread of slavery in North America.