For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War Short Essay Answer Key

Short Essay Answer Key

1. What questions did the Princeton students have when McPherson took them to Gettysburg in the spring of 1976?

In the spring of 1976, when McPherson took several Princeton students to Gettysburg, the students essentially provided him with the origins of this book. As they stood on the field and looked over the site of Picket's Charge, the students began asking questions about what made the men at Gettysburg do what they did. They wanted to know how men could willingly march into a wall of firepower knowing that they'd likely not come out the other side. McPherson notes that while he was unable to answer those questions in a satisfactory manner at the time, they provided him with the idea for this book.

2. In "Chapter 1: This War is a Crusade," what difference does McPherson note between the Civil War and the Vietnam War?