On November 20, 1866, the doors opened to a building intended for a unique altruistic

purpose. It was intended to be a great place, with a great cause, and it started that way.

Or funnily, that's not how it stayed at all. Over the years, it would become the exact opposite.

The things that would go into happen there and who they would happen to

would be truly disturbing. This is the story of the Gettysburg Orphanage, and as always,

viewer discretion is strongly advised.

From the outside, and especially as a Canadian, the American Civil War feels like something

most Americans grow up already knowing. It's one of those historical events that seems

to almost exist in the background of American life. People know who the Union and the Confederates were,

they recognize the names of major battles and generals, and they know which presidents were involved.

And that makes complete sense. It was by far the deadliest war ever fought by Americans,

and the changes that set in motion reshaped the country in ways that are still felt today.

You'd probably rank it as one of the most important events in the nation's history.

What might come as a surprise to some American viewers though is how little of that familiarity

carries outside the United States.

In my experience, non-Americans usually know the broad historical outcome and maybe recognize

names like Gettysburg or Robert E. Lee, but often only as vaguely familiar references.

So for the American viewers of the channel, the beginning of this story may sound familiar and even a rehash of common knowledge.

And then for the non-American viewers who have little interest in the Civil War, this may feel like it's going a bit deeper than you'd normally care for, but it's just for a short little bit of context for the rest

the story. Anyways, in the late spring of 1963, the American Civil War reached one of its most

consequential turning points. Just weeks earlier, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had won a stunning

but costly victory over Union forces

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