Civil War Journal: The Conflict Begins [2 Discs]

"As hosted by actor Danny Glover (To Sleep with Anger), the documentary series Civil War Journal travels beyond the surface-level iconography and rudimentary factual knowledge of the U.S. Civil War (1861-65) that many possess, to provide more intimate insights and put human faces on the said conflict. This particular box set contains four episodes culled from the series, each of which investigates a different episode from the early stages of the Civil War. Included are: John Brown's War, about the titular abolitionist who attempted (in vain) to lead southern slaves en masse in a violent insurrection, culminating with a raid on Harper's Ferry; Destiny at Fort Sumter, about the very first Civil War military skirmish, which claimed no lives but set the U.S. on a fatalistic course; The Battle of 1st Bull Run, which documents the first massive conflict of the war and the South's surprising victory; and The 54th Massachusetts, an African American regiment comprised equally of slaves and educated blacks, who gave their all to fight for the cause."