Review Of What They Fought For By James M. Mcpherson
In “What They Fought For 1861-1865,” prize winning author James M. McPherson writes a conflicting non-subjected book that explores the major motivations of the men who enlisted and fought the Civil War. McPherson examines in a non-biased tone the reason why the men in gray and blue fought in the bloodiest war in American history. James M. McPherson discusses the significant characteristics of the theme and ideas of the book that explores ideology. Within the conflicting book, McPherson analyzes the major theme and idea of ideology or “what Civil War soldiers believed they were fighting for” (McPherson pg. 1).
McPherson encounters the quarrel that many historians disagree upon: whether or not the soldiers during this war knew their intentions of fighting the war. However, within McPherson’s book, he supports the idea that soldiers motives within the Civil War may have been influenced by social pressure, companionship, “masculinity; concepts of duty, honor, and courage” (McPherson pg. 1). Men who did not fight for this reason fought for their country as many believed that if “Our Fathers made this country, we, their children are to save it”
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By reading McPherson’s book, it is also believed that many soldiers were well aware that they were fighting to create a country that our Founding Fathers believed should be constructed: as one nation where everyone is guaranteed to be created equal with freedom among every man. However, from acquaintance and investigation, those can come to the consummation that some soldiers were also blinded by incomprehension. For example, the Confederates believed that they were fighting for their rights and freedom from the North. However, they fail to see that the North was fighting for the rights and freedom for the slaves from the
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