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. When talking about the frustrations of Union soldiers in the last two years of the war, what amount do readers learn drafted men could pay to acquire a substitute?

2. From which state was the private who wrote in January 1862, after speaking to a slave whose husband had been beaten, that he was convinced of the "cruelty and inhumanity of the system"?

3. In the discussion of the psychological and physiological issues soldiers faced in 1864, a private in the 100th Pennsylvania wrote that he slept one night out of how many?

4. In the discussion of the psychological and physiological issues soldiers faced in 1864, modern studies have shown that a unit is exhausted if it twice suffers what fraction of casualties?

5. In the discussion of the Confederate ideal of white supremacy and the right to slavery, from which state was the soldier who wrote he was "fighting for our liberty against tyrants of the North...who are determined to destroy slavery"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In "Chapter 9: Slavery Must be Cleaned Out," what convinced non-abolitionist Union soldiers that slavery was an evil that must be stopped?

3. How did Northern soldiers initially respond when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation?

4. What difference did class and education make in terms of support when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation?

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

6. What can be considered ironic about the Confederate fascination with liberty, as discussed in "Chapter 8: The Cause of Liberty"?

7. What was meant when some soldiers wrote home about being stuck in a "rich man's war," toward the end of "Chapter 7: On the Altar of My Country"?

8. In the discussion of revenge, why does McPherson say that the Confederate army was more motivated by hatred and revenge than the Union?

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

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

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

Based on McPherson's discussions, analyze and discuss three ways in which the fact that the Northern and Southern armies were comprised primarily of volunteers affected a key component of the war as a whole. Include supporting information from the book and be sure to cite sources as necessary.

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)

This section contains 1,223 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample