US Civil War Movies

The American Civil War was the conflict that truly tested the young American Republic.  Since the birth of the Republic, major tensions had developed by the time hostilities broke out in 1861.  At the heart of these tensions was the dispute over states' versus federal authority.  After the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 (and fears that he would encroach upon state's rights), most of the southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America, and thus began the US Civil War.  Lasting until 1865, it was the most destructive conflict fought on American soil and claimed more American lives than all other wars combined.

Many of the Civil War movies produced feature some breathtaking scenes of massed troops confronting each other on the battlefield.  For modern viewers, who are more familiar with the very different tactics of modern warfare, these spectacles are often spellbinding.  Another prominent theme running through most Civil War movies is the issue of divided loyalties and the impact of the war on the home front.  We Americans are not accustomed to wars fought so close to home, thus Civil War movies give us insight into the domestic impact of war.