North and South is an American mini-series based on the trilogy of novels by John Jakes which were set before, during and after the Civil War, and followed the various fortunes of the Main and Hazard families. The first series remains the seventh-highest rated miniseries in TV history. The miniseries first aired on 3 November 1985 on the ABC network and had an all-star cast, including Patrick Swayze, Kirstie Alley and James Read. The first two seasons had six episodes around 90 mins in length, while the third series only had three episodes. The series was nominated for a host of Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Awards but only won one Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Miniseries or a Special.
In 1842, Orry Main and George Hazard head to West Point where they begin a friendship that will bind their respective families together despite their very different backgrounds. Orry is the son of a cotton plantation owner from South Carolina, while George is the son of a wealthy Pennsylvania ironworks owner. The two young men need their wits about them to endure the cruelty of their drillmaster, the sadistic Elkanah Bent, who seems to resent them for being rich. Although he has always wanted to attend West Point, Orry is not a natural student and spends most of his time mooning over the beautiful Madeline Fabray, who he briefly met after saying his goodbyes to his family. Despite Madeline’s promise to write to him, Orry is disappointed when no letters are forthcoming.
After two years, the cadets are granted summer leave so George takes Orry home to Pennsylvania to meet his family, but George’s sister, Virgilia, an abolitionist, takes an instant dislike to him. When Orry returns to Mont Royal, he is devastated to learn Madeline is to marry Justin LaMotte and that her father hid his letters. Back at West Point, Orry and George conspire to have Bent expelled but when they are successful, Bent vows to get his revenge and it comes sooner than anyone expects. After graduation, George and Orry are sent to fight in the Mexican War, and they discover Bent has blackmailed his way into a commission when he orders them to lead a suicidal charge which leaves Orry severely wounded. Despite all those years at West Point, George and Orry spend very little time in the army.
As Orry recuperates, George falls in love with Constance Flynn, the Irish-Catholic daughter of an army surgeon, and he quits the army. Orry drowns his sorrows in alcohol but soon comes out of his melancholy when George asks him to be his best man. George marries Constance and is given a share of Hazard Iron after the death of his father. Back in South Carolina, Orry reconnects with Madeline and they become secret lovers with the help of Maum Sally (Olivia Cole), Madeline’s servant.
As five years pass by, Orry inherits Mont Royal after the death of his father and assumes his position as head of the family. George and Orry become partners in a cotton mill when the Main family travel to Pennsylvania for a visit to the Hazards. Orry’s cousin, Charles, strikes up a friendship with George’s younger brother, Billy, as both young men are heading to West Point soon and the bond between the families strengthens. Unfortunately, Billy is also taken with Orry’s man-eating sister, Ashton, who pursues him to annoy her sister, Brett, who is sweet on him. When the Hazard family are invited to Mont Royal, a reluctant George allows Virgilia to accompany them but she promises to be on her best behaviour. Virgilia meets Grady (Georg Stanford Brown), a slave belonging to James Huntoon, a shady politician, who is Ashton’s fiancรฉ. When Virgilia bumps into Grady the following day, they spend the night together in a barn and hatch a plan for his escape.
Ashton marries James Huntoon but he leaves her at Mont Royal when he goes to New Orleans on secession business, however he is really visiting Madam Conti’s (Elizabeth Taylor) brothel where he meets Bent. Huntoon shows Bent a photo of his wedding and Bent is fascinated by Madeline realising she is the spitting image of a woman in a portrait in Madam Conti’s office. As Bent studies the picture, Madam Conti tells him a sad story of a mixed race prostitute who married a white man and died giving birth to their daughter. Madam Conti also reveals the identity of the man and muses the daughter will be a grown woman by now.
Orry and Brett arrive in Pennsylvania for a visit but Virgilia starts throwing insults at Orry who retaliates with a few choice words of his own. When George urges Orry to apologise to Virgilia, Orry refuses and drags Brett away but Virgilia gets on the same train as them which is stopped at Harper’s Ferry by the abolitionist leader, John Brown (Johnny Cash), who intends to take the passengers hostage. Virgilia joins the abolitionist group with Grady, who is now her husband, but the militia soon appears and there is a gun fight that leaves Grady dead. A distraught Virgilia is imprisoned but she is released into the custody of Congressman Sam Greene who does not hide the fact he expects her to pay him in kind.
A depressed Orry hits the bottle and ends up having a bitter fight with Brett who is waiting on his blessing to marry Billy who has wisely chosen the sweeter sister. When Orry slaps her, Brett leaves for Charleston to stay with Ashton and is happily surprised when she discovers Billy has been stationed at nearby Fort Sumter. Ashton, still smarting over Billy’s rejection, asks Forbes LaMotte to hire a hitman to kill Billy but he fails. When George visits Orry, they overcome their differences and Orry finally gives Billy and Brett his blessing to marry. An angry Ashton conspires with Forbes to have Billy killed (again) but Madeline overhears the plans and manages to warn Orry. Billy and Brett get married at Mont Royal but they are attacked by Forbes en route to the train station. Charles rushes to help Billy fight off the attackers and Forbes is killed. Orry disowns Ashton for her part in trying to harm Billy but she wickedly calls him a traitor for consorting with Yankees.
Lincoln wins the election and the first shots are fired at Fort Sumter as the Civil War begins. Worried George will lose all the money he invested in the cotton mill to the southern cause, Orry travels north to give him his share of the profits but Virgilia finds out he is there and tries to have him killed by inciting a lynch mob. George and Orry drive the mob away but Virgilia is disappointed by the lack of support from her family and leaves the mansion with the family silver. George and Orry part ways at the train station, uncertain of the future, as the Civil War will likely tear their families apart.
Further Reading
Explore the characters and books that inspired the series
EPISODE ONE: The timeline is from the summer of 1842 to the summer of 1844 which corresponds with George and Orry’s first two years at West Point which is where most of the story takes place. When the young men get their summer leave, Orry goes with George to Pennsylvania and we meet his extended family which sows the first seeds of the bond that will eventually tie them all together. When not at West Point, the focus moves to Madeline Fabray and her father’s plans to have her marry Justin LaMotte.
EPISODE TWO: The timeline is from the autumn of 1844 to the spring of 1848 which corresponds with George and Orry’s final two years at West Point and their eventual posting in the Mexican War. Before taking up their posts, George visits Mont Royal but he is appalled when he witnesses a slave being punished and it nearly causes a rift between him and Orry. After being expelled from West Point, Bent gets his revenge on George and Orry when he blackmails his way into a commission and orders them to lead a suicidal charge against the Mexican forces which leaves Orry permanently crippled. George falls in love with Constance Flynn, the daughter of an army surgeon, and quits the army to marry her.
EPISODE THREE: The timeline is from the spring of 1848 to the summer of 1854 which is a significant time jump. Now permanently out of the army, Orry inherits Mont Royal after the death of his father and becomes Madeline’s secret lover. In Pennsylvania, George is given full control of Hazard Iron when his brother proves to be inept. The Mains visit the Hazards and a friendship begins to blossom between Orry’s cousin, Charles, and George’s younger brother, Billy, who are both heading to West Point soon. Orry and George agree to a partnership in a cotton mill on the condition that no slaves are used, but Virgilia is disgusted at having the Mains in her home.
EPISODE FOUR: The timeline is from the summer of 1854 and the autumn of 1856 and it is the Hazards turn to visit the Mains in South Carolina but they unwisely let Virgilia to come along. Virgilia meets Grady, a slave, and agrees to help him escape after spending the night with him in the barn much to the horror of her family. Ashton is spurned by Billy when he learns how flirtatious she is with other men and he turns his attention to Brett instead. Justin becomes increasingly brutal towards Madeline and starts drugging her to keep her docile but not before she learns that her maternal great-grandmother was black.
EPISODE FIVE: The timeline is from the spring of 1857 and November 1860 where Ashton marries James Huntoon, an aspiring politician, but neither intend on being faithful to each other. When Bent meets Huntoon at a brothel and is shown a wedding photo, Bent notices the resemblance between Madeline and the painting of a former prostitute who once worked there. As tensions grow between the north and the south, Orry and Brett travel to Pennsylvania but Virginia causes an upset and Orry tells Brett she can’t marry Billy. Virgilia, now married to Grady, joins the abolitionists at Harper’s Ferry and Grady is killed. When Abraham Lincoln is elected president, several Southern states make plans to secede and establish themselves as a separate nation.
EPISODE SIX: The timeline is from November 1860 to April 1861 where Brett flees to Charleston to stay with Ashton when she has a bitter argument with Orry and is delighted to discover Billy has been posted to Fort Sumter. George visits Orry to make amends and Orry finally gives his blessing for Brett and Billy to marry at Mont Royal. Jealous, Ashton asks her lover, Forbes LaMotte, to have Billy killed but the plan fails when a drugged Madeline overhears Forbes discussing the plans with Justin, Madeline managed to warn Orry and it is Forbes who ends up dead. Ashton is disowned by Orry but she angrily accuses him of being a traitor for consorting with Yankees. As the tensions continue to escalate, Orry travels north to give George is share in the cotton mill profits but Virgilia tries to have him killed when she incites a mob. As things calm down, Orry says his goodbyes to George with neither known what the future holds for their families. As the first shots ring out, the Civil War begins.
ORRY MAIN: The second son of Tillet and Clarissa Main, Orry grew up on his family’s plantation in South Carolina and is often at loggerheads with his father as Orry’s ideas for Mont Royal are deemed too modern. Orry leaves the plantation to pursue an army career at West Point where he meets his lifelong friend George Hazard. The friendship brings the Hazard and Main families together and they are eventually united when Orry’s sister, Brett, marries George’s brother, Billy. Orry’s career is halted when he is permanently crippled so he retures to South Caroline to take over the plantation when his father dies. Orry is in love with Madeline Fabray who is forced to marry Justin LaMotte but they become secret lovers.
ASHTON MAIN: The eldest daughter of Tillet and Clarissa Main, Ashton is very beautiful but very spoiled and she is used to getting her own way. Ashton falls in love with Billy Hazard but he is repulsed by her antics with other men so he turns his attentions to Brett instead. Jealous, Ashton vows to get her revenge and she plots to kill Billy twice but fails. when Ashton sees with half of Billy’s graduation class, she discovers she is pregnant and enlists Madeline’s help in aborting the child. Later, Ashton marries James Huntoon, an aspiring politician, but neither are faithful. Ashton is eventually disowned by Orry for her part in trying to kill Billy but she accuses him of being a traitor.
BRETT MAIN: The youngest child of Tillet and Clarissa Main, Brett is the exact opposite of her sister as she is kind and sweet-natured. Brett falls in love with Billy Hazard but seems destined to lose out to her beautiful sister but Billy eventually sees through Ashton and falls in love with Brett instead. Brett and Billy’s marriage plans are put on hold when their families fall out but Orry finally gives them their blessing when George comes to Mont Royal to reconcile. However, the newlyweds barely get to spend any time with each other when the Civil War breaks out and Billy heads out.
CHARLES MAIN: The nephew of Tillet and Clarissa Main, Charles comes from a poorer branch of the family so he has grown to resent his cousins. Charles seems to have no direction in life but he soon gets taken under the wing of Orry and eventually wants to attend West Point. Charles becomes friends with Billy Hazard when the two families meet and they become close just like Orry and George did before them.
CLARISSA GAULT MAIN: The matriarch of the Main family is a strong comforting presence who loves all her children even when they test her patience. When Clarissa is widowed, she lends her support to Orry when he inherits the plantation and she develops a good relationship with George’s mother, Maude Hazard.
TILLET MAIN: The patriarch of the Main family and owner of Mont Royal who often clashes with his son, Orry, over his ideas to modernise the plantation. Tillet has old-fashioned views on how a plantation should be run and that includes punishment for slaves who do not obey. When Tillet dies, Orry is finally free to make the changes he feels are necessary for Mont Royal to survive but the war soon gets in the way.
GEORGE HAZARD: The second son of William and Maude Hazard, George lives at the family home of Belvedere which is in Lehigh Station, Pennsylvania. George leaves to pursue an army career at West Point where he meets his lifelong friend Orry Main. The friendship brings the Hazard and Main families together and they are eventually united when Orry’s sister, Brett, marries George’s brother, Billy. George quits the army after the Mexican War ends and marries Constance Flynn, the daughter of an army surgeon. When William Hazard dies, the family iron business is divided between George and his older brother, Stanley, but George eventually takes it all over when Stanley proves to be inept.
CONSTANCE FLYNN HAZARD: The daughter of an army surgeon, Constance falls in love with George when she meets him during the Mexican War. When George proposes, she is initially reluctant as she knows she will be looked down upon for her Irish accent and Catholic faith but George’s mother welcomes her wholeheartedly. Constance is a kind and warm person who becomes an integral part of the Hazard family, especially during the Civil War.
VIRGILIA HAZARD: The only daughter of William and Maude Hazard, Virgilia is a passionate abolitionist but her actions often put her at odds with her family. Virgilia disgraces the family when she spends the night with Grady, a slave, while visiting the Mains in South Carolina and later helps him escape. Virgilia eventually marries Grady but he is later killed at Harper’s Ferry. Destitute, Virgilia is rescued by Constance but she eventually leaves her home when she comes to the conclusion that her family will never support her beliefs.
STANLEY HAZARD: The eldest son of William and Maude Hazard, Stanley is weak-willed and too easily influenced by his scheming wife, Isabel, who often berates him for not standing up to his brother. When Stanley proves to be inept at controlling the finances of Hazard Iron after the death of his father, he is incensed when his mother hands the reins over to George.
ISABEL TRUSCOTT HAZARD: As the wife of Stanley, Isabel is a controlling and scheming woman who isn’t above resorting to dirty methods to get what she wants. She is constantly goading Stanley into standing up to George to reclaim his rightful place as the firstborn son.
BILLY HAZARD: The youngest son of William and Maude Hazard, Billy is set on following in George’s footsteps by going to West Point and he forms a strong friendship with Charles Main who will attending at the same time. When Ashton Main sets her sights on Billy, he is initially pleased by her attention but soon sees through her. Billy eventually falls in love with Brett Main but their plans to marry are in serious jeopardy when their families fall out. After a reconciliation between George and Orry, Billy finally marries Brett at Mont Royal but has to fend off a murder attempt planned by a vengeful Ashton. The newlyweds barely have any time together before the war breaks out.
MAUDE HAZARD: The matriarch of the Hazard family spends most of her time keeping the peace between her warring eldest sons but she hands over control to George when Stanley compromises the safety of the workers at Hazard Iron. Maude develops a good relationship with Orry’s mother, Clarissa, and they comfort each other in their widowhood.
WILLIAM HAZARD: The patriarch of the family and owner of Hazard Iron dies quite early on in the series but he seems welcoming enough when Orry comes to visit and is extremely proud of George.
MADELINE FABRAY: A beautiful Creole from Charleston who falls in love with Orry but is forced into marrying the cruel Justin LaMotte by her father who reveals on his deathbed that she is of mixed race. Disgusted by her husband who cruelly mistreats everyone, Madeline becomes Orry’s secret lover when he returns to South Carolina. However, Madeline is eventually drugged into docility by Justin to the extent she forgets all about Orry. She is instrumental in foiling the attempt on Billy’s life and eventually finds refuge at Mont Royal.
JUSTIN LAMOTTE: The owner of a plantation called Resolute is a cruel man who marries Madeline and rapes her on her wedding night. As his behaviour becomes increasingly controlling, he drugs Madeline into a stupor to prevent her from leaving the house and kills her servant, Maum Sally, who is her only ally.
ELKANAH BENT: The illegitimate son of a US senator, Bent is a sadistic man who torments the life out of George and Orry when they are at West Point. When he is expelled, he vows revenge and almost gets Orry killed during the Mexican War. Later, Bent stumbles upon the secret of Madeline’s heritage.
JAMES HUNTOON: An aspiring politician, James marries Ashton but neither remain faithful to each other and he is shocked when he learns the part she played in trying to kill Billy. Huntoon is a staunch supporter of the Southern cause and secessionist.
