What They Fought For By James M. Mcpherson - 880 Words

Over 150 years, the Civil War had been the bloodiest war in the American history, also known as â€Å"The War Between the States† or â€Å"Brother Against Brother†, it was fought between the Union or the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. The war lasted four years from 1861 to 1865. What motivated these men to fight and what is the cause of the Civil War is a subject that many historians tried to find out. The book â€Å"What They Fought For† by the author James M. McPherson focuses more on the motivation of North and South soldiers in the Civil war than the ultimate cause of it. It concentrates on the reason why and what drove them into the Civil War, the most brutal war in history. McPherson’s arguments mainly about what motivated men to fight, whether the soldiers knew what they were fighting for or they had no idea what they thrown themselves into through the study of the letters and diaries written by the fighters themselves. He stated that men fight for patriotism and along with other reasons .He rejected the idea and the paradigm saying that â€Å"primary group cohesion† is the main factor motivating soldiers in combat, simply put into words is the bonding enables men to fight. McPherson went on and said his research had led him to a different conclusion. McPherson examined numerous letters from the North and South soldiers were written during the Civil War. When looking at the letters as a whole, the common reasons for joining include duty, government,Show MoreRelatedThe Civil War: The Second American Revolution? Essay examples1083 Words   |  5 Pagesunpleasant, why did the majority of the soldiers withstand their difficulties and continue to defend their beliefs through war? This is what author James M. McPherson discloses to the readers in his book, What They Fought For: 1861-1865, as he credibly recreates the issues and incidents of the civil war through the words of the soldiers themselves. James M. McPherson is a famous American historian, author, and editor that has a fascination with the Civil War. According to Amy Lifson, McPherson’s enthusiasmRead MoreEssay on What They Fought for708 Words   |  3 PagesWhat They Fought For 1861 - 1865 This book was a good analysis of Civil War soldiers diaries, and letters to their loved ones. Which explains what they were going through in their lives and what they fought for and risked their lives for in this conflict. In the book the author James M. McPherson uses information from l00s of diaries and letters from the soldiers to learn why they fought in this war. The Union soldiers fought to preserve the Nation that was created in 1776, to save itRead MoreHow A Soldier Can Fight And Kill People From His Own Country1562 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Civil War was gruesome war that was fought between a country divided. 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McPherson wrote this great book which came to be an important contribution toRead MoreFor Cause and Comrades Essay757 Words   |  4 PagesFor Cause and Comrades For Cause and Comrades by James M. McPherson consists of mostly of soldiers’ diaries and letters home as to why the men were fighting the Civil War. The initial motivation the union and confederacy sustain throughout the story proves that personal honor is valued more than their lives. The opening chapter of the book is mostly a plot overview of the events that had yet to come. Fratricide, Meaning one that murders or kills an individual (as a countryman) havingRead MoreJames M. Mcpherson : An American Civil War Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesJames M. McPherson: James McPherson was born on October 11th 1936, he is an American Civil War historian. He received the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, his most famous book. McPherson was the president of the American Historical Association in 2003, and is a member of the editorial board of Encyclopedia Britannica. In his early career McPherson wanted to leave a legacy as being known for the historian who focusses on more than one point. Through skillful narrative in a broad-rangingRead MoreThe Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness1065 Words   |  5 PagesRevolution (1991), historian James M. McPherson was asked, â€Å"If Lincoln were alive today, what position would [h]e take on abortion†¦?† (p. ix). McPherson responded: I do not pretend to know where Lincoln’s philosophy of liberty†¦would have led him on the abortion issue. But his ideas and actions on the subject of slavery, freedom, [and] civil liberties†¦are as interesting and perhaps as relevant today as they were a century and a quarter ago (pp. ix-x). How is freedom defined? What does it mean to be human