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NPT Explores Secession in First of Multi-Part Documentary Series on Civil War

Friday, 17 December 2010
Nashville Public Television Explores Secession in First of Multi-Part Documentary Series on Civil War in Tennessee Together with the Renaissance Center, NPT joins nation in commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War; First Documentary airs January 3 NASHVILLE, Tennessee – December 20, 2010 – "Shall it be peace, or sword?" When Abraham Lincoln pondered how to conclude his first inaugural address, delivered on March 4, 1861, it was these words he considered. He was struggling with how to make the nation whole again – seven states had already seceded from the union. While Lincoln ultimately chose less inflammatory language, the nation chose sword. Secession tore the country apart, and with it, states, communities and families. Nowhere was the debate more heated than in Tennessee, where some were willing to lay down their lives for what they saw as a threat to their way of life, while others were willing to die to preserve the Union they loved. The Civil War is figuratively referred to as a conflict of brother against brother. In Tennessee, it was a cold, hard fact. In 2011, the nation marks the 150th Anniversary of the start of the Civil War. To commemorate the historic event, Nashville Public Television (NPT) and the Renaissance Center present Tennessee Civil War 150, a new series of documentaries delving into life in Tennessee during the war. The first episode, “Secession,” premiering on Monday, January 3, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. and airing numerous times through the month of January, explores why many Tennesseans chose to join the Confederate States of America and fight a new war for their independence. “NPT joins many organizations in Tennessee commemorating the sesquicentennial of the war,” says Beth Curley, president and CEO of NPT. “Throughout the state, and especially here in Middle Tennessee, there are markers and reminders of the horror and heroism of those dark days in our nation’s history. As an educational resource, we feel that it’s our mission to preserve that history, and provide context for viewers, now and for generations to come.” “Secession,” produced by NPT’s Ed Jones (Beautiful Tennessee: Parks & Preservation) and narrated by former NBC and MNBC news anchor John Seigenthaler, Jr., covers Tennessee’s internal struggle, including how the geographic and cultural divisions throughout the state determined loyalty to the Union or the Confederacy. The main players in the secession are highlighted: Isham Harris, who as governor attempted to push Tennessee to secede; state senator and future president Andrew Johnson, whose devotion to the Union ultimately put him at odds with the state he represented; and “The Fighting Parson,” W.G. Brownlow, whose heated opposition to the Confederacy made him not only a Southern prisoner, but a Northern celebrity as well. The factors that caused conflict in the state are explored: the fear of the growing abolitionist movement in the North, and the embodiment of that fear in the election of Lincoln, a president referred to as a “Black Republican;” Governor Harris’ unsuccessful call for secession in February of 1861; the significant change in loyalties after Fort Sumter; and the efforts of Unionist East Tennesseans to separate from their seceding state. “As a life-long history buff, I feel incredibly privileged to be producing documentaries for Tennessee Civil War 150," says Jones. “I hope that my fascination with the war comes through to viewers. Our goal is to inspire those tuning in to dig deeper on their own. Hopefully, we'll bring some clarity to this controversial topic, and create a few new history buffs in the process.” Although Tennessee’s secession story officially ends in June of 1861 when it joins the Confederate States of America, the documentary includes stories of the hardships caused by Confederate occupation of the Eastern part of the state, Union occupation of the Middle and West, and the horrific in-fighting that ripped families and communities apart. Over the next three years, Tennessee Civil War 150 will focus on several areas of life in Tennessee, including the role of women, rivers & railways, music, the African-American experience and the Battle of Shiloh. The series will be supported by a comprehensive website and short broadcast vignettes that expand on the content in the documentaries. Tennessee Civil War 150 is made possible in part by The Tennessee National Heritage Area, the Tennessee Dept. of Education and the Tennessee Sesquicentennial Commission. About Nashville Public Television Nashville Public Television is available free and over the air to nearly 2.2 million people throughout the Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky viewing area, and is watched by more than 600,000 households every week. The mission of NPT is to provide, through the power of traditional television and interactive telecommunications, high quality educational, cultural and civic experiences that address issues and concerns of the people of the Nashville region, and which thereby help improve the lives of those we serve. # # # Photos: Harpers_East_TN_unionists.jpg - A Cover of Harper's Weekly Magazine features East Tennessee Unionists. Image public doman. Union_dissolved.jpg – A Flyer announcing South Carolinas secession from the Union in December 1960. Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archives Isham_G._Harris_-_Brady-Handy.jpg – Tennessee Governor Isham Harris. Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archives brownlow gov.jpg – W.G. Brownlow. Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archive
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 May 2011 )

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