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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When discussing various war memoirs, McPherson mentions that James Gooding, a black soldier in the 54th Massachusetts, wrote which of the following?
(a) Hard Marching Every Day.
(b) Hard Tack and Coffee.
(c) On The Altar of Freedom.
(d) The Rebel Yell and the Yankee Hurrah.

2. By 1863, McPherson states, trouble and sorrow in the dis-United States was almost beyond calculation, as the war had claimed how many lives?
(a) 300,000.
(b) 75,000.
(c) 150,000.
(d) 500,000.

3. Soldiers in the discussion of military coercion stood firm under fire for the Prussian army under the command of ________ because they feared their officers more than the enemy.
(a) Frederick the Great.
(b) Frederick William I.
(c) Napoleon Bonaparte.
(d) Gerhard von Scharnhorst.

4. When McPherson recounts the tale of James and John Welsh, he says that James moved to what state in 1853 and became a Republican?
(a) Virginia.
(b) Maine.
(c) Iowa.
(d) Illinois.

5. In May 1864 the 7th New York was delighted to be ordered into action; they were less excited nine months later after having lost how many men?
(a) 98.
(b) 309.
(c) 147.
(d) 291.

Short Answer Questions

1. After the discussion of "short-timers" psychology, McPherson notes what percentage of 3-year enlisted Union soldiers from 1861 reenlisted?

2. McPherson quotes a sergeant who had spent the first twenty months of service guarding railroad bridges, as being disgusted with the lack of action. Which state was he from?

3. As McPherson discusses religion's role in the Civil War, he notes that a lieutenant from New Jersey who fought in the conflict was what religion?

4. During "Chapter 6: A Band of Brothers," McPherson notes that studies of combat motivation have shown the need of soldiers to prove themselves to wane after how many battles?

5. From which state was the soldier who felt that religion was what made brave soldiers, during the discussion of Civil War faith?

Short Essay Questions

1. What can readers conclude about the use of alcohol as a motivational tool, during "Chapter 4: If I Flinched, I was Ruined"?

2. Explain the adrenaline rush described by McPherson in the discussion of how soldiers responded to battle.

3. How did the tone of soldiers' letters home change from their initial zeal after the first few battles were over?

4. During "Chapter 3: Anxious for the Fray," what attitude did the soldiers on both sides have about the upcoming war?

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

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

7. After saying that Civil War soldiers were the most literate in history, what facts and figures does McPherson cite that lend legitimacy to his sources for the book?

8. As the Civil War began, in what way did both the North and the South believe they were each fighting for the cause of liberty?

9. In the discussion of regimental bonding, what is "primary group cohesion"?

10. During the discussion about the adrenaline rush phenomenon, what did soldiers experience once the adrenaline had worn off?

(see the answer keys)

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