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. Which of the following was a favorite word of Confederate recruits, during the discussion of their perceived fate, if the South were to be forced back into the Union?

2. As McPherson talks about the literacy rates during the Civil War, he says that what percentage of Union soldiers were literate?

3. As "Chapter 4: If I Flinched I Was Ruined" opens, which of the following is NOT a traditional means of motivating soldiers to fight?

4. When discussing various war memoirs, McPherson mentions that Union artilleryman John Billings wrote which of the following?

5. 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.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why, according to "Chapter 5: Religion is What Makes Brave Soldiers," does religion make soldiers brave?

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

3. What ideological concepts and convictions initially motivated the Union soldiers to fight in "Chapter 2: We Were in Earnest"?

4. What conclusion is reached about the role of religion as a motivating factor at the end of "Chapter 5: Religion is What Makes Brave Soldiers"?

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

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

7. 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?

8. In the discussion of leadership, what do the soldiers' letters indicate about the differences in leadership between the Confederate and Union armies?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In a well-developed essay, explain and discuss two examples--one Union, one Confederate--of how the phenomenon of primary group cohesion kept soldiers fighting during the Civil War. Include supporting information from the text.

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 attitudes of Union soldiers toward the war before and after the Emancipation Proclamation. Be sure to discuss why some Union soldiers were angered by Lincoln's Proclamation, and include supporting quotes and information from the text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,229 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample