Civil War 360

Millions of dollars worth of Confederate currency. Sheet music filled with boasts of triumph. J.E.B. Stuart's handgun. Smithsonian curators have collected thousands of objects from the Civil War, which collectively offer a rich understanding of the South's viewpoint during this pivotal era in American history. Join country music singer Trace Adkins, whose ancestor fought for the South, as he follows the rise and fall of the Confederacy, from the men who fought to define freedom on their own terms to those who were caught in the wake of war.

A century and a half ago, North battled South in a conflict that would kill more Americans than any other war. The outcome would change our nation forever, and no one had more to gain, or to lose, than enslaved Americans. Join actor Dennis Haysbert as he looks at their struggles through the objects in the Smithsonian's collection. From a bloodstained map to the inkwell Lincoln used to write the Emancipation Proclamation, these artifacts transport us to a brutal and complicated time when our country tore itself apart.