America Almost Split in Two: The Full Story of the Civil War | US History

Описание: The American Civil War was the defining moment in U.S. history when the nation came closest to splitting into two separate countries. This full-length documentary explores the story of America from its early 19th-century divisions to the bloodiest conflict in its history.
In the early 1800s, the Northern states rapidly industrialized, building factories, railroads, and new technologies, while the Southern states relied heavily on enslaved labor in vast cotton, rice, and tobacco plantations. Decades of political compromise and negotiation failed to bridge these differences, and tensions only grew.
When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, Southern states feared that slavery would be abolished. One by one, eleven states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, igniting the bloodiest war in American history.
From the shocking first battle at Bull Run to the horrific casualties at Antietam—the single bloodiest day—the war tested the strength and spirit of the nation. Leaders like Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and Abraham Lincoln shaped the course of the conflict, while Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation transformed it into a fight for freedom and human equality.
The decisive Battle of Gettysburg marked a turning point, and General Sherman’s March devastated Southern supply lines, crippling the Confederate economy. Finally, in April 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. The Union was restored, slavery was abolished, and the United States was saved from division—but at the cost of more than 600,000 lives.
Just days after the victory, President Lincoln was tragically assassinated, leaving behind a nation he had worked to preserve.
This video examines the battles, strategies, leaders, and human stories behind the Civil War and shows how this four-year conflict shaped the United States into the strong, united, and free nation we know today.