The Civil War The Cause (1861) (Season 1, Episode 1)
TV-PG
TV Episode | 100 min | Documentary, History, War

The Civil War

The Cause (1861) (Season 1, Episode 1)

TV-PG

TV Episode | 100 min | Documentary, History, War

Slavery began to flourish in the U.S. at the end of the 18th century with Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin. Whereas it would take one person a day to produce a pound of clean cotton, the cotton gin could produce 1000 lbs per day. ...See moreSlavery began to flourish in the U.S. at the end of the 18th century with Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin. Whereas it would take one person a day to produce a pound of clean cotton, the cotton gin could produce 1000 lbs per day. Business boomed and the demand for slaves to work new cotton fields rose accordingly. Serious objections to slavery began as early as 1831 and the abolitionist movement in the North grew quickly. There was particular concern about whether new States entering the Union would be free or slave States. Some, like John Brown, added religious zealotry to the cause and his raid on the federal at Harper's Ferry in 1859 ended in failure. The Southern States were genuinely concerned that the Union would outlaw slavery altogether. There were 21 million people living in the North compared to only 9 million in the South, which included 4 million slaves. The turning point came in the election of 1860 which essentially became a referendum on slavery. The South reacted swiftly to the election of Abraham Lincoln, burning him in effigy. Between Lincoln's election and his inauguration, 7 southern States seceded from the Union. The expected war began with the attack on fort Sumter. At the time, the Union Army had only 17,000 men and only 2 generals had combat experience. Thus began a massive recruitment campaign on both sides. In July 1861, the first battle of the war took place at Manassas, Virginia just across the Potomac from Washington. It proved to be a disaster for the North. Written by garykmcd See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
44 cast members

Name	Known for
David McCullough Self - Narrator (voice) Self - Narrator (voice) See fewer	Seabiscuit (2003)
Shelby Foote Self - Writer Self - Writer See fewer	Memphis (1992)
Barbara Fields Self - Historian Self - Historian See fewer	The Civil War (1990)
Ed Bearss Self - Historian Self - Historian See fewer	Gods and Generals (2003)
Sam Waterston President Abraham Lincoln (voice) President Abraham Lincoln (voice) See fewer	The Killing Fields (1984)
Julie Harris Mary Chestnut (voice) Mary Chestnut (voice) See fewer	The Haunting (1963)
Jason Robards Ulysses S. Grant (voice) Ulysses S. Grant (voice) See fewer	All the President's Men (1976)
Morgan Freeman Frederick Douglass (voice) Frederick Douglass (voice) See fewer	Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Paul Roebling Joshua L. Chamberlain / Sullivan Ballou (voice) Joshua L. Chamberlain / Sullivan Ballou (voice) See fewer	Blue Thunder (1983)
Garrison Keillor Walt Whitman (voice) Walt Whitman (voice) See fewer	A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
George Black Robert E. Lee (voice) Robert E. Lee (voice) See fewer	The Civil War (1990)
Arthur Miller John Brown / William Tecumseh Sherman (voice) John Brown / William Tecumseh Sherman (voice) See fewer	The Crucible (1996)
Christopher Murney Pvt. Elijah Hunt Rhodes (voice) (as Chris Murney) Pvt. Elijah Hunt Rhodes (voice) (as Chris Murney) See fewer	Barton Fink (1991)
Charles McDowell Pvt. Sam Watkins (voice) (as Charley McDowell) Pvt. Sam Watkins (voice) (as Charley McDowell) See fewer	Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Horton Foote Jefferson Davis (voice) Jefferson Davis (voice) See fewer	To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
George Plimpton George Templeton Strong (voice) George Templeton Strong (voice) See fewer	Good Will Hunting (1997)
Philip Bosco Horace Greeley (voice) Horace Greeley (voice) See fewer	The Savages (2007)
Terry Courier George McClellan (voice) George McClellan (voice) See fewer	The Civil War (1990)
Jeremy Irons Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Dead Ringers (1988)
Jody Powell Stonewall Jackson (voice) Stonewall Jackson (voice) See fewer	The Civil War (1990)
Studs Terkel Benjamin F. Butler (voice) Benjamin F. Butler (voice) See fewer	Eight Men Out (1988)
Derek Jacobi William Russell / Various (voice) William Russell / Various (voice) See fewer	Gosford Park (2001)
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Various (voice) (as Kurt Vonnegut) Various (voice) (as Kurt Vonnegut) See fewer	Back to School (1986)
Gene Jones Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	The Hateful Eight (2015)
Jerome Dempsey Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Network (1976)
Laurence Fishburne Various (voice) (as Larry Fishburne) Various (voice) (as Larry Fishburne) See fewer	The Matrix (1999)
Betsy Apple Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	One Came Home (2010)
Carol Craven Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	John from Cincinnati (2007)
Marissa Copeland Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Amateur (1994)
Halo Wines Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	The Civil War (1990)
David Marks Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Carnage (1984)
Pamela Reed Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Proof of Life (2000)
Ronnie Gilbert Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Camera Three (1955)
M. Emmet Walsh Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Blood Simple (1984)
Hoyt Axton Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Gremlins (1984)
John Hartford Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Walt MacPherson Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Serial Mom (1994)
Colleen Dewhurst Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Anne of Green Gables (1985)
LaTanya Richardson Jackson Various (voice) (as LaTanya Richardson) Various (voice) (as LaTanya Richardson) See fewer	U.S. Marshals (1998)
Bradford Washburn Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Everest (1998)
Jesse Carr Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	Baseball (1994)
Wendy Tilghman Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	The Civil War (1990)
Joe Mattys Various (voice) Various (voice) See fewer	True Colors (1991)
Franklin D. Roosevelt Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The President's Mystery (1936)