America and the Civil War [2 Discs]

"This documentary miniseries systematically examines the history and evolution of the U.S. Civil War 1861-65, in five themed installments. Part One, Gettysburg: The Boys in Blue & Gray, looks at the titular battle; Part Two, John Brown's Holy War, profiles one of the most controversial and widely misunderstood martyrs of the entire conflict; Part Three, Lincoln's Secret Weapon, examines the pivotal role played by the U.S.S. Monitor in determining a Union victory, and follows a cadre of contemporary Navy divers as they attempt to retrieve artifacts from the ship. Part Four, The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry, examines the Civil War's first all black regiment - a story fictionalized for the 1990 feature Glory. And finally, Part Five, Reconstruction: The Second Civil War, chronicles the period of 1863-1877, as the United States began to rebuild itself and its infrastructure."