In the course of 1865 the war grows ever more deadly, the home front is stripped to fill the armies, and the economy is crippled by debt and inflation, while the stubborn survival of the Confederacy seriously undermines support for Lincoln's war. In the end, it seems that Lincoln's early critics, who played such a pivotal role in the beginning of the series, are proven correct. Victory did require massive bloodshed and complete conquest of the South....

Discusses Lincoln's presidency from the perspective of the second year of the Civil War, examining the actions of Lincoln and other military and political leaders as well as the hardships faced by ordinary citizens and public opposition to the war.