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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the discussion of Southern propaganda, a planter wrote his wife of the defense of innocent women from the "lecherous Northern hirelings." From which state was this soldier?

2. When talking about the relationships between enlisted men and their officers, McPherson notes a major from which state who visited his sick and wounded soldiers every day?

3. In July 1861, what battle caused Northern volunteers to flock to the army?

4. Toward the end of "Chapter 3: Anxious for the Fray," McPherson notes that men were shocked by war as most of them were in what age group?

5. After the discussion of "short-timers" psychology, the author notes the pride and honor of a soldier were bound up with the pride and honor of all BUT WHICH of these?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what purpose does McPherson relate the story of James and John Welsh in the opening of "Chapter 2: We Were in Earnest"?

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

3. Why, in "Chapter 6: A Band of Brothers," were disparaging remarks between regiments so common?

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

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

6. What ideological concepts and convictions initially motivated the Confederate soldiers to enlist and fight, as discussed by McPherson in his analysis of the beginning of the war?

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

8. According to "Chapter 5: Religion is What Makes Brave Soldiers," why does religion become so important to soldiers during war?

9. What methods did officers used after they were confronted with undisciplined troops early in the war?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss three ways in which religious belief convinced the South that God was on their side. Be sure to include quotes, supporting information from the text, and outside research as necessary.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss Civil War soldiers' reactions to fear in their first few battles and the accompanying desire to prove themselves as courageous individuals. Include supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 3

In a well-developed essay, compare and contrast the Northern concept of liberty with that of the Southern version of liberty. In what two major ways do their interpretations differ? Be sure to include supporting information from the text.

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