Review Of Why They Fought By James M. Mcpherson

James M. McPherson is the Author of the Book entitled What They Fought 1861-1865 For, in his introduction McPherson explains that he “…carved from research for a larger book tentatively entitled Why They Fought.” (McPherson, 1994) This is a book that elucidates the attitude of the soldiers that fought during the Civil War, it discusses their Honor and courage, masculinity, discipline, religion, their fear, pain, and death among others. In his synopsis, McPherson says that his book “…gives voice to the very men who risked their lives in this struggle and places them in the great and terrible choir of a country dived against itself.” (McPherson, 1994) What They fought For 1861-1865 is divided into three chapters; Chapter one: “The Holy Cause

It was a second war to acquire the freedom anticipated by America. The Civil War began in April 12, 1861 and ended in May 9, 1865. The Revolutionary War and Civil War are often compared in the book by the participant soldiers; “a captain in the 5th Alabama Infantry wrote to his mother: “How trifling where the wrongs complained of by our Revolutionary forefathers, in comparison with ours! If the mere imposition of a tax could raise such a tumult what should be the result of the terrible system of oppression instituted by the Yankees?” (McPherson, 1994) Yankees whom are often described as tyrants and did not want to see the south prosper. Jefferson Davis claimed that the war was for the states, and that the “…South needed to defend itself against a “tyrannical majority…” (i.e. Shi & Tindall, 2015, p. 465) It is often mention that many did not know what they were fighting for, like a Texas private who wrote, “we are fighting for matters real and negotiable… our property and our homes” (McPherson, 1994) , but Lincoln frequently said that the main goal was to restore the Union. What did he mean by restoring the union? His idea was rejected by most of the Confederate states because they thought that Lincoln was lying. They believed that Lincoln’s goal was to end slavery.

If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others I would also do it” (i.e. Shi & Tindall, 2015, p. 465) To which the confederate states did not agree to. In “The Best Government on God’s Footstool” chapter the question remains unlock, what or why they were fighting for? In the Civil War, there were two sides North and South, and the first question asked in chapter two is “Why did the North fight?” (McPherson, 1994) It was understandable of why the south fought, they fought for their independence, property and way of life, for their survival as a nation but the North didn’t seem to have the need to struggle for four years. The North lost 360,000 lives and the untold resources that were indefinable, yet a Confederates who said they fought for the same goals as their forebears of 1776 would have been surprised by the intense convictions of northern soldiers they were upholding the legacy of the American Revolution” (McPherson, 1994) The Gettysburg Address gives a wide view of why the North was fighting, Abraham Lincoln’s Most famous speech, but considerate a failure at the time given. In the Gettysburg Address speech, Lincoln summarizes the reason why there was a war sever years prior to the Civil war, he says that our Father