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Introduction
The current essay is an evaluation of McPherson’s book “For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War”. A critique of the book will be produced based on the review of several crucial points. First of all, the main thesis of the author will be presented and analyzed in terms of its support. Second, the central arguments of McPherson’s research will be identified and studied in details. Third, the weakest elements of the book regarding clarity and research of the author’s interpretation of sources will be demonstrated. Fourth, a conclusion (based on a reasoned personal opinion) on whether slavery was the main reason for the Civil War will be drawn. The present paper will be divided into parts according to the abovementioned outline.
“For Cause and Comrades” by McPherson: a brief overview
James M. McPherson is a historian who specializes in the American Civil War. Apart from research, he was the president of the American Historical Association, and is an active member of the project “Encyclopedia Britannica”. He received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for his book “Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era”. The book “For Cause and Comrades, which is a subject of a present paper, received the Lincoln Prize. The study of McPherson is in-depth research on the causes of the Civil War. In addition, it should be mentioned that his work is one of the most extensive pieces on insights into the American Civil War.
The war occurred in the years 1861-1865 between the southern United States, the Confederacy that seceded from the Union, and the northern United States that were loyal to the Union. It should be mentioned that most of the soldiers volunteered for army service. They voluntarily joined the army under the economic and social pressure that was the case at that time. Around three million soldiers took part in the Civil War. Seven southern states had seceded from the Union in 1861, and the war started. It had ended in 1865 with the victory of the Union, and the Confederacy collapsed. As a consequence, slavery was abolished in all states where it existed.
The author analyzed over 25,000 letters and 250 personal diaries from 1076 soldiers that fought on both sides. The author studied a sample of 647 Union and 429 Confederate. The abovementioned sample can be obviously called representative, as he considered soldiers of different ages, marital status, geographical distribution, and different occupancy (navy, artillery, cavalry, and infantry). However, some scholars highlight that some groups were underrepresented, as Black Union soldiers, foreign soldiers, unskilled laborers, and officers.
The Author’s Central Thesis
McPherson intended to demonstrate the real motivation of soldiers from both sides to participate in the war. Personal diaries and letters from different kinds of groups were the best way to find true reasons objectively. The author studied three different categories: initial motivation (why soldiers took part in the conflict), sustaining motivation (why they continued participating), and combat motivation. Through these documents, McPherson shows the real reasons why these men were involved in the war.
The author studied soldiers’ statements and argued that the main motives to participate in the war were duty, honor, and masculinity together which make up a strong motivation. Concerning duty, it is an old concept, originated from the Victorian era. In the 19th century in America, duty was seen as a blinding moral obligation. By duty, soldiers understood their individual and collective responsibility towards the American flag, and towards their reputation in the eyes of colleagues.
Other vital concepts that were the motivation for the fight are honor and masculinity that are strongly connected with a man’s sense of duty. According to the letters and diaries, taking part in the battles means proving man’s qualities to yourself and others. At that time, joining the army was a vital step to become “a real man”, to show one’s masculinity, and, thus, to deserve respect from peers, government, society, and even family. It should be highlighted that many young men joined the Civil War voluntarily under the pressure of public shame since the abandonment of the army was not part of the social norm. Consequently, joining the battlefields was not a matter of personal choice.
Nowadays duty, honor, and masculinity are often seen as governments’ manipulations of patriotic feelings or as an idealization. McPherson points out that in those days, soldiers’ mindsets involved these concepts, as can be seen from their personal diaries and letters. However, the author states that initial idealization often could not stand the real horrors of the war, and the rhetoric of soldiers was changed in the letters to families.
Moreover, McPherson focuses on soldiers’ morale and endurance throughout the Civil War. When they were faced with the realities of war, their initial views and often illusions underwent significant changes. One of the statements McPherson makes is that fears of the war never left soldiers at all stages, but instead, they learned to control it with the support of external and internal help. By external help, the author understands a strong and reliable leader that improves morale and endurance. Concerning the internal help for soldiers, such a role played religious beliefs.
Weakest Points of the Book
In my personal opinion, the arguments that McPherson provided in his research are strong and compelling. However, the only critique that can be produced is the incomplete representativeness of certain types of soldiers. The author’s arguments are based on personal diaries and letters, and he claims them to be representative. Even though McPherson analyzed different kinds of soldiers (regarding their background), he underrepresented Confederates, having studied 429 samples (against 647 for Union). Furthermore, the author did not adequately represent foreign soldiers, Black Union soldiers, and officers that were also an essential part of the fighters.
Main reasons for the American Civil War
It is unreasonable to state that slavery was the only reason for the American Civil War. However, it was definitely a major cause of secession from the Union. The South (Confederates) was not ready to abolish slavery and to abandon the idea of white supremacy. At the same time in the North of the states in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made The Emancipation Proclamation that meant that the country was moving towards equality and universal human rights. The conflicting interests of the North and the South led to the American Civil War.
In conclusion, the book “For Cause and Comrades” by McPherson is a large representative study of the reasons why people joined the American Civil War. The author studied in details numerous letters and personal diaries of soldiers who took part in the war. He concluded that the main reasons for joining the army were duty, honor, masculinity, and social pressure. Apart from the analysis of the main argument, the current paper addressed the weakest point of the book and the main reasons for the Civil War.
Work Cited
McPherson, James M. For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War. Oxford University Press, 1997.
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