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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001106A
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00:01 ♪ Chime and drums ♪
00:13 I'm standing on the very spot where the course of history 00:16 changed in a dramatic way. One of the most deadly battles of 00:21 all time was fought right here on this hillside. _/ 00:27 didn't fight with high tech weaponry but primitive musket 00:31 loading rifles and bayonets. The fighting here was brutal hand to 00:36 hand combat. Imagine standing here and looking down into a 00:46 group of soldiers charging at you with swords and bayonets. 00:49 Would you be gripped by fear or courage? Would you run or would 00:55 you stand your ground? Would you try to save your life or would 00:59 you willingly sacrifice it for what you believed in? What 01:04 choice would you make? Choices were made here that not only 01:09 influenced the outcome of this battle, but also influenced the 01:13 result of this war and ultimately it impacted the 01:17 course of world history. Sometimes simple choices we make 01:22 have a huge impact. Life is made up of choices, individual 01:31 decisions that can influence our future and even determine our 01:36 ultimate destiny. This life here and now is a matter of cause and 01:42 effect. Like the butterfly effect. You've heard of that 01:46 principle haven't you? If not we're going to discover what 01:50 it's all about, why it's important and how it relates to 01:54 this place, Gettysburg and the American Civil War. 01:59 ♪ ♪ 02:17 One hundred and fifty years ago on the eve of the Civil War, the 02:23 United States consisted of only 34 states, not the 50 states we 02:27 know today. On this map, you can see the mighty Mississippi 02:32 River, a landmark that divides this country in half from top to 02:37 bottom, east from west. Most of the land west of this river was 02:44 defined as territories, not individual states. On the west 02:48 coast of America there were only two recognized states, 02:51 California and Oregon. During the Civil War this country had a 02:57 total population of just over 30 million. That's about 03:02 one-tenth of America's population today. Another 03:07 landmark was created during the Civil War. It was known as the 03:11 Mason-Dixon line, a division of philosophy, a division of 03:15 politics and a division in the way of life created this 03:19 imaginary line. On certain issues the southern states had 03:24 very different views and values from the northern states. 03:30 Freedom runs deep in the soul of America. A spirit of 03:34 independence is what led to the American Revolutionary War in 03:39 1776. The founders of this nation signed a document 03:43 declaring separation from Britain. It's known as the 03:46 Declaration of Independence. One of the world's most famous 03:50 documents. Representatives from 13 individual states signed at 03:56 bottom and so was born the United States. Less than a 04:05 hundred years later, freedom and independence would again become 04:09 issue leading to war. The nation would be tested over the idea 04:14 that all men are created equal. The northern states believed 04:18 that the slaves should be free. The southern states believed 04:23 they should be free to rule over other people. In the 19th 04:31 century most of the heavy industries existed in the 04:35 northern states where as the southern states were mostly 04:39 agricultural growing cotton and other crops and for that a large 04:44 labor force was needed, slave labor. The economy of the south 04:49 centered on slavery. Slavery was the single most important thing 04:55 supporting the southern states. This key issue over slavery is 05:00 what led to the American Civil War. Wars are waged over a 05:07 difference in ideology or opinion and difference of 05:10 opinion can lead to arguments. Arguments can lead to war. The 05:15 American Civil War even forced brothers with different opinions 05:19 to take opposing sides. As Abraham Lincoln, the 16th 05:25 President of the United States took office in March 1861, the 05:30 controversy between the north and the south had become very 05:34 aggressive. The next month hostilities erupted into 05:39 physical war when southern rebels attacked Fort Sumpter, 05:44 battle that launched the Civil War. Southern slave states from 05:54 Texas to Virginia seceded from the union and created their own 06:00 government called the Confederate States of 06:02 America. They chose Jefferson David as their president and 06:06 established their own constitution. Suddenly the 06:10 United States was divided, torn into two separate countries. The 06:17 north was called the Union, the south was called the Confederacy 06:22 The Union soldiers or federal troops were called Yankees. The 06:27 Confederacy soldiers, or southern troops, were referred 06:30 to as Rebels. During the next four years death would enter the 06:38 experience of thousands of families across this continent 06:42 on a level unimaginable. It's said that more American lives 06:46 were lost during the Civil War than all other American wars 06:51 combined. This terrible war involved everyone in the nation 06:55 in one way or another. By the end of June 1963, America had 07:03 been fighting itself for two years. Thousands of lives had 07:07 been sacrificed. There was no end in sight and the next 07:11 conflict would happen right here at Gettysburg. General Robert E. 07:20 Lee, the commander of the Confederate armies, decided to 07:24 invade northern territory. His goal was to bring the war to a 07:28 close by walking into the White House in Washington, D.C. and 07:32 taking President Lincoln captive. Army generals on both 07:36 sides believed that capturing the enemy's capital city would 07:40 end the war. At the end of June 1963, Rebel troops from the 07:49 south crossed into the state of Pennsylvania north and west of 07:53 Washington, D.C. On the first day of July one mile west of the 07:58 small town of Gettysburg, Lee's Confederate army collide with 08:03 Union troops and the first skirmish soon escalates. 08:12 The battle fought on this land in and around Gettysburg was the 08:16 deadliest battle ever fought on U.S. soil. Over three days of 08:21 intense fighting. Fifty thousand men would die. Three days that 08:27 changed American history forever Many heroic actions took place 08:32 here, but according to some it was the decision of one 08:37 individual that turned the tide of the battle and changed the 08:41 course of history. His name: Joshua Chamberlain. 08:51 Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was born on the 8th of September 08:55 1828 in Brewer, Maine, the northern most state. He was 09:00 the oldest of five children. As regular church attendees Joshua 09:06 grew up reading the Bible and singing in the church choir. He 09:10 was torn between the aspirations of his mother to be a preacher 09:13 while his father, a former military serviceman, wanted him 09:17 to join the army. Joshua attended Bowdoin College in 1848 09:22 where he studied liberal arts. Here at Bowdoin he met many 09:27 people who would influence his life. One of the most notable 09:30 notable was Harriet Beecher Stowe, the wife of Professor 09:34 Calvin Stowe. She was the author of the famous book Uncle 09:39 Tom's Cabin. This well known novel written before the Civil 09:43 War describes the harsh reality of slavery and was instrumental 09:48 in the antislavery movement spreading across the northern 09:52 states in the 1850s. After graduation Joshua Chamberlain 09:58 continued studying for three more years at Bangor Theological 10:02 Seminary. Upon his return to Bowdoin he began his career in 10:07 education as a professor of rhetoric. He was fluent in 10 10:11 languages and just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War was 10:15 appointed as Professor of Modern Languages in 1861. 10:23 (drums sounding) When President Abraham Lincoln asked for men to 10:27 defend the Union Chamberlain not only joined but also encouraged 10:32 his students to do the same. He was appointed Lieutenant Colonel 10:36 of the 20th Maine Regiment in August of 1862. His younger 10:42 brother Thomas also joined the same regiment. Another brother 10:46 John served as an army chaplain. Just before marching to 10:54 Gettysburg Chamberlain was promoted to full colonel. 10:57 (Drums and cheering) Upon arrival at Gettysburg the 11:05 first day of the battle didn't go well for the northern 11:08 soldiers. The Union Army was forced to retreat as the 11:13 persistent Confederate overran and captured the town of 11:17 Gettysburg. Having been pushed south of the town, Union Army 11:24 leaders surveyed the land and worked throughout the night to 11:28 position them on high ground. By the next morning they created a 11:33 defensive line that ran from their right flank on Caulk's 11:37 Hill across Cemetery Ridge and ending at Little Round Top. It 11:42 was this left flank at Little Round Top that became a key 11:46 point of decision in the Civil War. Colonel Strong Vincent, 11:53 Chamberlain's commanding officer assigned the 20th Maine regiment 11:58 to guard the outer edge of the left flank. He told them to hold 12:02 the line at all cost. This monument sits on Little Round 12:09 Top overlooking the battlefield below. It's in honor of Colonel 12:14 Vincent who was mortally wounded the second day here at 12:17 Gettysburg. During the heat of battle Vincent stood on this 12:21 large boulder so his men could see him. He shouted, Don't give 12:26 an inch! But this prominent position also made him a prime 12:30 target. A fatal bullet struck him in the thigh as he was 12:34 standing fully exposed on this rock. He died five days later at 12:39 the age of 26. (Chaplain John Wagga speaking) 12:48 _ battle of Gettysburg it was known as Little Round Top. 12:51 In fact, we are at the end of the Union Line on July 2nd, 1863 12:55 Now this position was something that was determined by a 12:56 commandeering decision of Governor K. Warren. So this 13:00 position is not just one place on the battlefield. This is 13:02 disconnected from the other part of the army in the actual chain 13:07 of command going back to Fort Meade. Most people in the army 13:09 on the other part of the line did not even know that the 20th 13:13 Maine was located here. So their position is an isolated spot on 13:17 the battlefield, the very end of the Union line. They could not 13:19 give up, quit or let the enemy go through them or around them 13:24 because it would have jeopardized the rest of the 13:25 Union line down below from this high position on the battlefield 13:30 I'm standing at the spot on Little Round Top where the 20th 13:40 Maine soldiers were positioned on July 2. On the left flank 13:45 Joshua Chamberlain and his men are holding the vulnerable edge 13:49 of the Union Army. Down below charging up the hill are the 13:54 Confederate Rebels, the 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment. 13:58 Their first attempt fails and they fall back. But the Rebels 14:04 regroup and charge again with the same results. 14:07 Those men knew that this was their chance to take this hill 14:11 and perhaps defeat the Union Army on their own soil. The 14th 14:15 and 15th Alabama Regiment made charge after charge after charge 14:19 and as they did so the 20th Maine would begin to run out of 14:22 ammunition. It was an unsupported position. They did 14:24 not have reinforcements or people reinforcing even their 14:27 ammunition. As they stood on this hill in an act of bravery 14:31 and courage Joshua Chamberlain chose something that was very 14:34 unorthodox. From a fixed defensive position atop of a 14:38 hill he commanded a charge with bayonets and as those men heard 14:42 that command it crystalized. In that moment of decision rung 14:45 true within them and gave them the courage as Joshua 14:47 Chamberlain led that charge down the hill to win the fight and 14:52 they did so sweeping down in a hen's fashion and took literally 14:55 the 14th and 15th Alabama soldiers by surprise and the men 15:00 would surrender. That moment in this battle, seemingly 15:05 insignificant at that time would impact this battle for the three 15:07 days of fighting and impact the rest of the Civil War by what 15:11 took place at the men that stood their ground at Little Round Top 15:14 under the command of Joshua Chamberlain. 15:16 Many historians believe this to be the pivotal moment in the 15:22 Civil War. Had Chamberlain yielded to the enemy, the battle 15:25 of Gettysburg might have resulted in the Confederate 15:28 victory, a victory for the southern Rebels. So on the 15:38 third day General Robert E. Lee changes his strategy and decides 15:42 to attack the middle of the Union line at Cemetery Ridge. 15:46 This is known as the famous Pickett's charge. However, his 15:52 brave soldiers are forced to march across a mile of open 15:56 field. Fabled canon and muskets take their toll. Historians have 16:03 remarked that the sounds of the mass of canons may well have 16:08 been the loudest manmade sound on the north American continent 16:12 up until that point. By the end of the day this strategy also 16:18 failed and Lee is forced to retreat from Gettysburg. His 16:22 invasion of the north had failed Joshua Chamberlain continues to 16:33 serve until the end of the Civil War. Chamberlain regularly 16:38 carried two things in his chest pocket, a small Bible and a 16:42 framed picture of his wife Fanny During a battle in March of 1965 16:47 a confederate bullet went through the neck of his horse 16:52 and hit the picture frame before circling around one of his ribs 16:56 just under the skin inside his chest and exiting out his back. 17:00 Again he survived. A month later General Chamberlain received a 17:07 special message. A Confederate staff officer came to him under 17:12 a white flag and stated, Sir, General Lee desires a cessation 17:17 of hostilities until he can hear from General Grant as to the 17:21 proposed surrender. And so concluded the biggest struggle 17:26 between the states. At the Appomattox Court House on the 17:30 12th of April 1865 General Lee surrendered his southern army. 17:38 The end of the war when the Confederate Army was 17:40 surrendering, the Union Army chose a man that had the respect 17:44 of both sides and that man was Joshua Chamberlain. He received 17:48 the surrender flag from the Confederate Army given to him by 17:51 General John Gordon and giving testimony really to the courage 17:54 that was exhibited on this battlefield in the mind's eye 17:57 would see him receiving that surrender because of the impact 18:00 that not just we recognized here but what the armies and the 18:04 general commanders recognized. _ even the Confederate 18:08 Rebel Army recognized that as well because that would be an 18:10 honor to turn it over to him, Joshua Chamberlain, such a great 18:13 commander and person that fought here at the Little Round Top at 18:18 Gettysburg. 18:19 He was gracious in victory and showed the highest respect to 18:22 the Confederate leaders. He was seen as a unifying figure and 18:27 played a major role in bringing reconciliation between the 18:31 northern and southern states. For his bravery here at the 18:42 battle of Little Round Top Joshua Chamberlain received the 18:46 nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor. His citation 18:50 reads: 19:30 Joshua Chamberlain died in 1914 from complications of his 19:36 lingering battle injuries. At the age of 85, he was the last 19:41 Civil War veteran to die as a result of war wounds and so 19:46 considered to be the last casualty of the Civil War. 19:50 He was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Brunswick where his 19:54 grave is marked with a reddish granite stone. So let's come 20:03 back to the butterfly effect. What is it and how does it work? 20:07 Well the concept is actually quite simple. It asks if a 20:12 butterfly flaps it wings does that movement have any effect 20:16 other than propelling the butterfly. In 1863 a scientist, 20:22 Edward Lawrence, proposed that a butterfly flapping its wings 20:25 could set molecules of air in motion that could have far 20:29 reaching effects. Who hasn't tossed a pebble into a pond and 20:33 watched the ever widening ripples in the water? The pebble 20:37 sinks but it has a physical effect on the movement of the 20:40 water. Could the same ripple type effect happen in the air. 20:45 In his theory, the law of sensitive dependence upon 20:48 initial conditions, Lawrence went so far as to say that the 20:53 small movement of air caused by a butterfly's wings could 20:56 generate and multiply enough air movement to start a hurricane on 21:01 the other side of our planet. Now if the movement of a small 21:06 butterfly can have such a dramatic effect, what about us? 21:09 Does what we do and the decisions we make have any 21:14 effect beyond the immediate? Could it be that everything we 21:19 so results in an influence that affects others? Is it possible 21:26 that the Battle of Gettysburg fought here 150 years ago has 21:33 affected how you and I live today. Some historians claim 21:37 that a single decision made by one man on July 2, 1863 21:43 determined the course of history The Butterfly Effect happened at 21:49 Gettysburg. In the face of defeat, the decision made by 21:53 Joshua Chamberlain created a pivotal point that would have 21:57 far reaching effects. Had it not been for his order to fix 22:00 bayonets and charge the Union Army might have lost this 22:06 battle of Gettysburg and the Confederate Army could have 22:08 marched right into Washington DC and won its independence. Then 22:13 the result of the Civil War would have been a divided nation 22:17 North and South. The United States would have been the 22:22 dis-United States. America would have been carved into two, 22:26 perhaps three, or even four different nations. But all 22:33 because one man of courage chose to advance against the enemy on 22:36 this battlefield 150 years ago the nation was kept intact. Had 22:42 it not been for Joshua Chamberlain there might not have 22:45 been a United States. Had there not been the United States the 22:50 political world might be totally different today. For 22:54 example, without the United States involvement in World War 22:58 II the outcome of the war would have been different. Hitler and 23:01 the Nazis would have triumphed in Europe and their allies would 23:06 have been victorious in the Pacific. How different out world 23:10 would be today if it were not for the decision of Joshua 23:15 Chamberlain. There's a Bible story about another man called 23:20 Joshua. He was the leader of Israel after Moses. He led his 23:24 soldiers into battle to claim the promised land. He realized 23:29 that life is made up of choices and that our decisions play a 23:33 key role in our destiny. His advice is summed up in a simple 23:39 text: 23:49 Joshua knew that life is a matter of choosing whom you will 23:53 serve. And that isn't a multiple choice question. It's a decision 23:58 limited to two options. Joshua realized that the greatest 24:02 battle is not fought on the physical battlefield with a 24:05 visible enemy. The real battle is with an invisible enemy. It's 24:10 a battle for your mind and your will. The apostle Paul describes 24:14 the battle strategy in this way: 24:30 It's a spiritual battle that you and I face every day, a battle 24:35 for our loyalty. The Bible says that we belong to whomever we 24:40 choose to follow and obey. The Bible says we belong to whomever 24:45 we give our allegiance to. Now here's the amazing thing. The 24:51 works on a s |
Revised 2020-08-26