This episode charts the dramatic events that led to Lincoln’s decision to set the slaves free. Convinced by July 1862 that emancipation was now morally and militarily crucial to the future of the Union, Lincoln must wait for a victory to issue his proclamation. But as the year wears on there are no Union victories to be had, thanks to the brilliance of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. The episode comes to a climax in September 1862 with Lee’s invasion of Maryland. On the banks of Antietam Creek, the bloodiest day of the war takes place, followed shortly by the brightest: the emancipation of the slaves.

Detailed Episode Description with time code:

Prologue :00 -:01:28
Photography and the war.

3.1 Chapter 1 - THE CIVIL WAR Series Title :01:29 -:04:54
Lincoln realizes that emancipation will be needed to win the war.

3.2 Chapter 2 - 1862 Forever Free :04:55 - :05:30
The Union army is stalled outside Richmond. Meanwhile, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson is on the attack in the Shenandoah Valley.

3.3 Chapter 3 - Stonewall :05:31 - :10:55
Stonewall Jackson, a "pious, blue-eyed killer" triumphs in his Valley Campaign, successfully keeping Union troops off the Peninsula. The South cuts cotton production to pressure England and France into recognizing the Confederacy. Lincoln has to find a way to keep Europe from coming in on the side of the Confederate government.

3.4 Chapter 4 - The Beast :10:56 - :16:46
General Benjamin Butler is put in charge of the Union occupation of New Orleans. When local women insult his troops, he issues "General Order No. 28." Nearby, unrest grows among slaves on the plantations. Lincoln backs a plan to encourage freed slaves to return to Africa.

3.5 Chapter 5 - The Seven Days :16:47 - :24:16
Union and Rebel troops clash outside Richmond. Confederate commander Joseph Johnston is seriously wounded and Robert E. Lee takes charge. When Lee and McClellan clash for seven days, every battle except one is a Union victory, but McClellan retreats down the Peninsula and all the way back to Washington.

3.6 Chapter 6 - Kiss Daniel For Me :24:17 - :32:09
When the Union army occupies the Southern coast, plantation owners flee, leaving behind 110,000 slaves. The pressure for emancipation grows. Deer Isle, Maine loses its first soldiers, and in Clarksville, Tennessee, tensions run high between occupying Northern troops and local citizens. Lincoln decides to emancipate slaves but his cabinet advises him to wait for a military victory.

3.7 Chapter 7 - Saving the Union :32:10 .:44:39
Lincoln replaces McClellan with John Pope, who leads the army to the second Battle of Bull Run-another Union disaster. Lincoln reluctantly reinstates McClellan. Robert E. Lee decides to invade the North and, heading for the federal rail center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, takes up positions in Sharpsburg, Maryland, in front of Antietam creek. McClellan arrives with vastly superior forces.

3.8 Chapter 8 - Antietam :44:40 - 1:02:10
The Battle of Antietam, a costly Union victory, is the bloodiest day in American history. The next day, Lee and his army slip back across the Potomac River. Introduction to Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Union officer from Maine. Lincoln permanently removes McClellan from command. Photographer Mathew Brady opens a landmark exhibition in New York-"The Dead of Antietam."

3.9 Chapter 9 - The Higher Object 1:02:11 - 1:11:17
U.S. Grant tries to conquer Vicksburg, Mississippi, but fails. Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, September 22, 1862. "The war is ennobled, the object is higher."

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[The Educator's Index is an alphabetical and timecode specific listing of topics covered in each episode.]