This episode of America's Castles explores some of the mansions and plantations that played a significant part for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The magnificent houses showcased are an eclectic mix of architecture and design, and evoke the gracious heritage of "Southern hospitality." America's Castles: The Confederacy would be useful for classes on American History, Architecture, American Culture and Geography. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

• ambiance
• brocade
• cupola
• Doric
• eclectic
• epitome
• faux
• fulcrum
• inherently
• latitude
• portico
• predicated
• profound
• solace
• somber
• unfathomable

1. The Civil War is sometimes called the "war of familiarity." What does this term mean? How is the Civil War different from other wars Americans have fought?

2. Many of the surviving plantations in the South remain a legacy to a cultured, graceful world that no longer exists. But there is an irony to these gracious estates. How were these estates built at the expense of African Americans? What is irony of the gracious facade and the truth?

3. Discuss the irony of Robert E. Lee's home, Arlington House.

4. Arlington House, once the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, is now a national monument. What is the significance of Arlington? How did Robert E. Lee's home become America's most famous and prestigious cemetery?

5. What is the unique history of Arlington House?

6. Many of the homes showcased in America's Castles belonged to the "landed gentry." What does this term mean? Who were the landed gentry? How is it possible for a gentry to exist in a country that does not have any titles or nobility?

7. Jefferson and Varina Davis moved to Richmond, Virginia, after he was appointed the first (and only) Confederate president. How and why did the house the Davises occupied become the center for the Confederacy during the Civil War?

8. Discuss why the Hunt-Phelan House was considered the strategic and emotional midpoint between the North and the South during the Civil War.

9. Secret tunnels under the Hunt-Phelan House proved useful for its occupants during the Civil War. Why did the house have these tunnels? What purpose did they originally serve?

1. Design three homes or houses that represent how the majority of Southerners in antebellum period lived. Your designs should include a plantation for the wealthy, quarters for slaves, and homes for yeoman farmers. Use your designs to illustrate the differences in Southern life for different members of the society.

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Air Dates

• June 17, 1999
• June 20, 1999
• July 15, 1999
• June 15, 2006
• June 17, 2006
• June 20, 2006