Episode 1

Orry Main leaves Mont Royal, SC, for West Point. Along the way, he meets Madeline Fabray and Maum Sally who have over turned their carriage. Orry offers to bring Madeline to Resolute, where her father and fiance Jusin Lamotte are staying. Falling in love at first sight, they promise to keep in touch while he's at West Point. At the train station in NYC, Orry is harrassed for his southern accent, and becomes engaged in a brawl when George Hazard comes to his rescue. George from Leheigh PA is also on his way to West Point, and the two become fast freinds. Here at West Point, the two meet Bent, who is their drill sargent and gives them trouble from day one. On a break, George beings Orry home to PA with him, where Orry is bombarded with George's sister Virgilia's abolitionist talk. Orry arrives home to find the new slave overseer, Salem Jones about to whip a slave, and yells at him. He arrives home just in time for Madeline's wedding, where he discovers that it was her father who took his letters he wrote her, and that she did not infact stop writing to him.

Episode 2

Back at West Point, Bent is causing more and more trouble for the cadets, including almost getting one killed (Fisk). George, Orry, and some others plan a way to get back at Bent, which results in his dismissal from the academy. Both George and Orry graduate from West Point, and back home Orry confesses his love to Madeline, while Justin repeatidly treats her unkindly. Both George and Orry fight together in the Mexican-American War, and at the Battle of Churubasco, Orry is seriously wounded due to the insane orders of Bent who was reinstated. Orry's sergeon who denys the amputation of his leg, Patrick Flynn, has a lovely daughter who he sets George up with at a dance. With the news of his father's death, and his new love for Constance Flynn, George resigns and beats up Bent. Orry returns home and sinks in to a drunken stupor. On his way to the train station to go to Lehigh Station with George, a slave (Priam) is found to be missing, and escaped with the aid of Madeline.

Episode 3

George leaves Mount Royal for PA, and Orry lets Priam escape on the trian because of George. George and Constance get married, and Orry attends Virgilia's Abolitionist speech and preceeds to walk out. Back home Orry and Madeline begin to meet at the All Saint's Chapel in secret. At Hazard Iron Works, there is a huge explosion due to the cancelation of George's order on steel bands by Stanley. Tilet Main dies, and the older Ashton and Brett along with Charles appear in this episode. Charles has feelings for Semarmis, a slave of the Mont Royal and Orry fires the slave overseer, Salem Jones. At a local tavern, Charles and Jones get into a brawl after words are exchanged which is later ended by Orry. James Huntoon asks Orry to court Ashton, and Charles gets in trouble again, this time resulting in a duel. Orry teaches Charles how to win a duel and he does. The Main family travels to PA to visit George, where Ashton catches the eye of Billy Hazard whom Charles warns and tells to pay attention to Brett. Madeline goes to the Chapel, but finds Justin there with a slave girl. Thinking that she was spying on him he beats her, and Orry finds her. Constance tells George that she wants Belvedere to be a part of the underground rail road.

Episode 4

The Hazards visit SC where Virgilia meets Grady, the coachman of James Huntoon. Billy preceeds to see Ashton in the barn with Forbes Lamotte. After a night with Grady, Virgilia decides to help him escape, per her idea. Nicholas Fabray, Madeline's father dies, and while he is on his death bed he confesses to taking Orry's letters so she would agree to marry Justin. He also tells her that although her mother's skin was pure white, her grandmother was a slave from Africa. Both familes go to West Point to see Charles and Billy graduate. Orry and Madeline meet in the Chaple again, and they plan on leaving SC and going north.

Episode 5

Ashton goes to Madeline for help because she is pregnant with a child that is not James'. Upon returning, Justin drills her with questions about where she was becuase he did not see her in the restaurant in Charleston where she said she was while she was really helping Ashton. Justin then locks her in a bedroom; Maum Sally tries to save her, but Justin comes and hits her. Maum Sally dies falling down the stairs. Madeline becomes sick, and the doctor comes but the result is Justin drugging her. Ashton gets married to James. In New Orleans, James meets Bent at Mme Conti's place, James shows Bent his wedding picture. This results in Bent recogninzing Madeline, so he asks to see the portait in Mme Conti's office, which is of Madeline's mother. Bent now knows of Madeline's heritage due to the story she tells. Orry and Brett travel north to see George. At Harpers Ferry, there is a raid by John Brown (aka Captain Smith), accompanied by Virgilia and Grady (who are now married). Grady is shot and killed and John Brown is hung. Virgilia is in an asylum and is taken out by Congressman Sam Greene. Constance announces that she is pregnant. Orry starts drinking again and after an argument with Orry, Brett leaves and goes to stay with Ashton.

Episode 6

Billy is in SC, stationed at the Fort, and meets up with Brett. On election day, Lincoln is elected and they are followed through the streets which ends in a Fight. The men were paid to follow Brett and Billy by Ashton. George is also in SC on election day. War is declared. Out west, Charles has to choose sides. Ashton consipires with Forbes Lamotte, her lover, to kill Billy. Brett and Billy get married. Madeline over hears Justin and Forbes talking about the conspiracy against Billy, she tries to go and warn them, and wounds Justin with a sword on her way out. She goes to Mont Royal, but they have already left. Charles goes after them; Billy and Forbes have a duel, but the guns are rigged. Billy stabs and kills Forbes. Orry confronts Ashton and tells her that she is basically disowned from the family. Justin comes to take back Madeline, as he dismounts slaves with guns appear in all the windows, with Charles on the porch. Justin takes with Orry; he does not allow Justin to take Madeline back. Billy and Brett are in Washington, along with Bent and Bredetta. Virgilia comes home, and Orry travels to PA to give George 1/2 million dollars from their cotton mill. Constance brings out their baby Hope. Virgilia organizes a mob which convinces Orry to leave. The CSA fire on Fort Sumter. Virgilia tries to leave, stealing a lot of valuables, but she is caught by Constance, who lets her go.