The Civil War is a nine-part series that explores the most important conflict in our nation’s history. The war was fought in 10,000 places, more than 3 million Americans fought in it, and over 600,000 men – 2 percent of the population – died in it. It saw the end of slavery and the downfall of a southern planter aristocracy. It was the watershed of a new political and economic order, and the beginning of big industry, big business, big government. It was the first modern war and, for Americans, the costliest, yielding the most American casualties and the greatest domestic suffering, spiritually and physically. It was the most horrible, necessary, intimate, acrimonious, mean-spirited, and heroic conflict the nation has ever known.

What began as a bitter dispute over Union and States' Rights ended as a struggle over the meaning of freedom in America. At Gettysburg in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said perhaps more than he knew. The war was about a “new birth of freedom.”

The Civil War is the highest rated and the most celebrated documentary in public television’s history.

A Film By
KEN BURNS

Written By
GEOFFREY C. WARD
RIC BURNS
KEN BURNS

Produced By
KEN BURNS
RIC BURNS

Edited By
PAUL BARNES
BRUCE SHAW
TRICIA REIDY

Cinematography
KEN BURNS
ALLEN MOORE
BUDDY SQUIRES

Co-Producers
STEPHEN IVES
JULIE DUNFEY
MIKE HILL

Narrated By
DAVID McCULLOUGH

Corporate Underwriter
General Motors Corporation

Other Underwriters
The National Endowment for the Humanities
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Access more credits

Original Broadcast September 1990

Film Honors:
• Emmy Awards, 1991
      Outstanding Informational Series,
      Outstanding Individual Achievement, Writing
• Best Program, National Television Critics
• CINE Golden Eagle Award, 1990
• The Lincoln Prize, Gettysburg College, February 9, 1991
• Golden Reel, Best Sound Editing
• Telluride Film Festival, August 1990
• Dartmouth Film Award, November 1990
• Bell I. Wiley Award, Civil War Round Table, New York, 1991
• DW Griffiths Award
• Christopher Award
• Special Honor, Museum of Broadcasting
• Producer of the Year, Producer’s Guild of America, 1990
• Peabody Award, 1990
• Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History, 1991
• Blue Ribbon, American Film & Video Festival, 1991
• Gabriel Award, 1991
• People’s Choice Award, Best Mini-series, 1991
• Silver Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival, 1991
• Clarion Award, Women in Communications, Inc.
• Humanitas Award, 1991
• Charles Frankel Prize, National Endowment for the Humanities, 1991
• Lamplighter Award, Educational Press Association, 1991
• Best Television Miniseries, National Board of Review, 1991
• Award of Merit, American Association for State and Local History, August 1991
• Annual Achievement Award, Association for Educational Communications Technology, 1991
• Annual Award, NSDAR, 1991
• Angel Award, Gold Angel, Best TV Miniseries, 1991
• Certificate of Recognition, National Telemedia Council, Inc.
• Best Special, Best Program, Television Critics Association
• Best of Gold Medal, International Film and Television, 1991
• American Film and Video Festival, Blue Ribbon, 1991
• Silver Baton, duPont-Columbia Awards Festival, 1992
• The Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, February 1992
• Ohio State Award, 1992
• USC Journalism Alumni Association, Distinguished Achievement in Journalism, 1992
• Grammy Award, Best Traditional Folk Album, 1992
• Grammy Award, Best Spoken Word, 1992
• Best Foreign Television Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1992
• NATPE International Educational Foundation Award, 1992
• NATPE International Educational Foundation Award, 1993
• George Washington Honor Medal, 1993
• Crystal Award, awarded for the PBS Educator's Enhanced VIDEOdisc, 1994