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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. From which state was the major whose letter home during the summer of 1862 contained the line "slavery must be cleaned out," from which the title of the chapter was inspired?

2. Which individual was one of the highest-ranking Jewish officials during the war, who denounced the Emancipation Proclamation to his wife in January 1863?

3. When a Pennsylvania cavalry corporal wrote his mother in 1863, he listed his obligations to duty. In what position did he place his obligation to his mother?

4. The November 8, 1865, diary entry of a sergeant in the 8th Ohio cavalry noted that how many members of his regiment had voted for Lincoln, as opposed to sixteen votes for McClellan?

5. By 1864, when a captain in the 5th Alabama wrote of the burning of Chambersburg, how much money did he say soldiers demanded from their victims' houses?

Short Essay Questions

1. Based on the discussion of post-traumatic stress disorder, how likely does McPherson consider the possibility that many regiments suffered from this now well-acknowledged psychological issue?

2. Explain the phenomenon of "dry rot," as discussed in "Chapter 10: We Know That We Are Supported at Home."

3. In the discussion of vengeance, what disturbing instructions did some soldiers send in letters home to their wives?

4. In Lincoln's discussions of democracy, what fear did he express if the South should be allowed to secede?

5. Under what conditions were black soldiers allowed to join the Confederate army during the final year of the Civil War?

6. What challenges did soldiers face in the last year of the Civil War that exacerbated their combat exhaustion?

7. Describe the information and political education level maintained by soldiers in "Chapter 7: On the Altar of My Country."

8. McPherson denies, in the discussion of liberty, that Southern soldiers were obsessed with slavery. What statistical evidence does he supply to support this?

9. After discussing how the conflict between love of family and love of country was a major concern for many Confederate soldiers, how does McPherson say the men resolved this dichotomy?

10. In the discussion of the mail service, why was it more difficult for the Confederate army to maintain efficient mail service than it was for the Union army?

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

In a well-developed essay, analyze and discuss the effect being in the presence of slavery had on non-abolitionist Union soldiers. Include quotes and supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 3

In a well-developed essay, compare and contrast military discipline between the Civil War and one more modern conflict. Include supporting information from the text and outside research as necessary.

(see the answer keys)

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