View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. During the discussion of "short-timers" psychology in the Union army, what was the name of the rule that prevented this phenomenon in the Confederate army?

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

3. As McPherson discusses the officer in the 4th Alabama, who was determined to fight a "black republican" leader, he reveals that leader is what relation to him?

4. Soldiers from all BUT WHICH of the following states are mentioned in the discussion of green recruits who wanted to prove their manhood through battle?

5. In the discussion of the "fighting drunk" terminology, Confederate soldiers were accused of an unlikely combination of whiskey and what?

Short Essay Questions

1. As the war got underway, what feeling did soldiers have about "safe" positions in the rear of battles?

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

3. 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?

4. How did the Calvinist doctrine of predestination factor into soldiers' lives in the discussion of religion?

5. How did the Civil War transform irresponsible men into responsible ones as the war got underway?

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

7. In "Chapter 6: A Band of Brothers," what three synonyms did Civil War soldiers write a great deal about?

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

9. 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?

10. When discussing his framework for the book, what three categories does McPherson say he has used and borrowed from John A. Lynn?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the qualities that a good officer would possess, based on the letters from soldiers. Fully explain three essential qualities and explain why each is important to the soldiers in the book. Include quotes and supporting information from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the Southern war effort during the Civil War with that of the Revolutionary War soldiers. Discuss three things that Confederate soldiers saw themselves as having in common with the Revolutionary fighters, and include supporting information from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the reactions of soldiers who received encouraging letters from home with those who received complaining letters from home. What affect did each type of letter have on soldiers in the book? Include supporting information from the text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,213 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample