The Civil War with Ken Burns 

I came across the Civil War documentary by Ken Burns in the 2000's & have been hooked on the war ever since. Im not American but it is such a fascinating conflict

Two national treasures chatting about my favorite subject... what a treat! Thanks, ABT!

Ken's epic documentary was what got me into the ACW in the first place - an amazing piece of work.

Civil War Documentary 1991 is still the best American documentary in history..

Garry you know just as much as Ken Burns. Thanks for sharing. 💯👍

Thanks, Garry, for this awesome interview! I am never disappointed by Ken Burns. His documentary on the war impacted countless lives.

America's history, all of it, is still "the recent past"---when compared with the history of the world. The current generations are still living with the effects and ramifications of our unique history, and we cannot understand our current place in history without being able to see---and touch---the places of our recent history. A school-aged child today, with a smartphone, can only appreciate that technology when he/she/they see a slate and a slate pencil on a wooden desk in a preserved schoolhouse. Take away the smartphone, give them a slate and slate pencil, and ask them to divide 2,987 by 183. Walk across the battlefield at Antietam, in the heat of the day, thinking about the men who fought and died there. This puts history into context, this makes history touchable, this makes history learnable. We MUST preserve our history. We MUST teach our history.

Ken still understands his country. He understands his People. Aloha 🇺🇸🙏🏼🤙🏼

I was born in 1953 and I remember Civil War bubble gum cards. I put them down and my mom through them away, she thought them too troubling.

Ken Burn's docs are epic! Great stuff Garry.

Disney tried to get the land several decades ago, but Manassas NBP is hallowed ground. Lots more surrounding property is available, some isn't, but time will yield those lands. It is paramount that American Battlefields must be preserved. There is plenty of land to be had, so nobody should need to to keep historical lands.

Excellent discussion. While I disagree with Ken Burns on his politicsl views, I respect him as an incredible filmmaker and storyteller. Great job, Garry.

"Place is central to being able to hear the ghost and echoes of an inexpressibly wise past. That can come from paintings, drawings, maps, but the thing that really provides it is the land itself - the space - the now quiet [area where it happened] in which you are trying to hear those ghosts - you hear those echoes. You're trying to request with a very big pretty please from the past that it will yield up its secrets to you." - Ken Burns interview with Gary Adelman - 14 April 2024. I'm a tour guide at a distillery. I take my tour groups into an old part of the distillery that was forgotten about for about 60 years. Our Pompeii. It will be cool to quote Ken in this place. I was an 18-year-old Freshman in college when Ken Burns Civil War was first shown on PBS. It holds a huge place in my development as a historian. Thank you for this interview.

Hello from São Paulo, Brazil 🇧🇷🇧🇷

Would love to see Mr. Burns, as a second act, do a series on Reconstruction. I believe it would be a fitting follow up to his Civil War series. On the other hand I understand that there are so many fascinating topics of our history that he has yet to cover. I’m looking forward to his film on the Revolution, which I think is coming out this fall.

I love listening to Ken. He is so thoughtful which turns him into a fantastic communicator

Ken Burns is a true gift for history and his genius for teaching it through film.

Ken Burns is always worth listening to.

Thanks Garry and Ken.

What Union law did the South break by seceding? I've never found one in a history book yet too many people, including "the Union" in 1861 believe this. They "in fact" create their own "history".

What a great body of work Ken has and hopefully more to come.

Two American greats!! 🇺🇸

What could have turned out to be a lecture was reserved to an impassioned discussion. Thanks.

Yes, Ken. Prior to 1989, no one knew the civil war was about slavery.

I find that history is most accessible when it is examined in the context of current events without becoming embroiled in them. Mr. Burns' storytelling is beyond legendary, but his hot takes on how history might apply today are...less so.

Thanks for the conversation!

I love your channel! ❤

An extra comment to help boost the RU-vid algorithm!

ken burns is the 🐐🐐🐐 the first 2:30 of playtime is all 🔥🔥🔥

After some time reading books, seeing videos, talking to park officials, we've discovered that there are 'sacred cows' of Civil War 'knowledge' that no one dares to question.

Don't be fooled by Ken, folks. His aim and focus is to teach American history through his own political perspective.

You wouldn't think a Canadian would care about the American Civil War or the Battle of Gettysburg, and I didn't until I discovered that Canadians were deeply involved, and that the Civil War had a major effect on the fate of my country. Canadians died on the first day and on Little Round Top during that battle. Travelling to Gettysburg Park is on my bucket list.

Outstanding!

Twenty years ago, when Burns still had his Beatle haircut, he sat next to me on a commuter flight from Hartford to Newark. He had a folded copy of the Wall Street Journal under his arm, and when he unfolded it to begin reading, I enthusiastically told him that I was a History major at UConn, and that I had a 300 volume library about the Civil War at home. He then looked straight at me with a look of horror and said : " PLEASE ! " I then laughed and told him I was just joking....I wasn't going to bend his ear...like thousands have probably done to him...about the Civil War. I'm sure it was the LAST thing on his mind that day !! Currently, Burns seems to lean more " woke" than he appeared to be in the 1990s. He did NOT mention the recent tearing down of Confederate statues and what that means compared to the respect shown by General Grant towards Lee and his army at Appomattox, which reflected Lincoln's desire to " let them up easy", in a spirit of respect and reconciliation. Burns did NOT address General Lee encouraging the South to accept its defeat and to move forward with a peaceful reunification. Many of the Southern men and officers fought to defend their home states after it became know that they would be attacked for seceding, and forced back into the Union. Confederate General Jubal Early was one such Unionist who voted FIVE TIMES as a Virginia representative for Virginia to REMAIN in the Union !! These Southern men fought and died bravely with honor. They deserve to be remembered...with honor...as our Northern men are. To paint all Confederates as cruel slave whipping sadists and as all members of the KKK who terrorized the blacks for many decades is WRONG ! That would be the same as saying all Northerners were fanatical murderers like John Brown and his sons....butchering people in Kansas with broadswords ! This current claim of " systemic racism" is plain WRONG and demands for "reparations" are an ignorant insult to the soldiers who PAID THE PRICE OF FREEDOM for the slaves with their LIVES !!!!! From the black soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts regiment at Battery Wagner, to the thousands of Yankees slaughtered at Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor, and to the assassination of Lincoln himself....they all paid the price, and all future generations beyond them have a DUTY to make the most of the freedom they have been given WITHOUT all this "woke" propaganda creating hate and resentment.

Just today passed a "preserved" sign by the Bristow Station battlefield. Lots of data center encroachment on Manassas too.

Ken Burns in the movie, Gettysburg: “ General, please get down, we cannot spare you.”

National Treasure. Great interview skills, Garry. Listening is a lost art.

Love Ken Burns

Who or what are these "retrograde forces" opposed to teaching "anything disturbing about our past" or "an honest history"?

Wow - Garry and Ken, sitting side-by-side. It gets no better...

As a foreigner, I have been fascinated by your Civil War. Someday I’d like to see the Mason Dixon Line and places like that. Just like Ken Burns says society needs to know where we’ve been. 🇨🇦🇨🇦

Ken Burns (and Garry Adelman) never disappoints...

Careful, if you push for history education the next thing you know we'll have SHTEM or SHTEAM

Ken Burns, why dont you do a documentary on the American Red Cross, Clara Barton, and those that helped her, susan b anthony, frederick douglass, walter polk phillips(POTUS), woodrow wilson, mabel thorpe boardman. I write blog and stories on the history.

✌

Wonderful

Where was Ken Burns when the statues were/are being pulled down? Shelby Foote would have been disappointed in Burns for his absence from that debate. Foote once explained the "Great Compromise" to Burns. Clearly, the confederate statues were part of that compromise. And regardless of the arguments over those statues, pro and con, Burns was the one who should/could have reminded us all of Foote's point, on the matter. But Burns was awol.

Must we talk of slavery every time the Civil War is brought up? You act like the newly freed slaves went to the north and lived like kings. People in the north didn't want them either. Make sure you tell it all from both perspectives. So sick of people today saying they're sorry for something they had nothing to do with.

We live in satans earth, but thankfully it is sprinkled with some men and women who bring truth and joy for some of us.

Ladies and Gentlemen We're sitting under Ken Burns' learning tree 🌲

“ Don’t fight uphill me boys” RE Lee

Ken burns talking history education - ironic.

An excellent film maker and historian who should just keep his mouth shut when it comes to modern American politics because he proves his utter ignorance whenever he opens his mouth on the subject.

So Ken Burns is about 70 or so? He looks 40. If this was shot in '91, then he is about 30. I'm confused.

Sorry Ken, but you lost a lot of my respect when you joined the revisionists in calling for the removal of statues.

Biased.

Ahh but is it real, or is it memorex?

The American Battlefield Trust can do better than to sit down with Ken Burns.

Amazing filmmaker and historian, but way too far out there in left field for my liking politically. The far far right and the far far left are what divides this country today. The real, right answers generally land somewhere in the middle give or take . . .

Did you ask him if he knows if there's a Little AND Big Round Top? Lol

Excellent