The War That Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters

In his analysis of the Civil War, McPherson introduces several historical theses to refute them. Choose one of the theses and conduct further research, then support or challenge McPherson’s refutation in a detailed analysis.

How does McPherson articulate his admiration for Lincoln? Analyze his strategic use of tone and diction to superimpose an emotion-based judgment onto a framework of historical fact.

Explain the relationship that McPherson outlines between the preservation of the Union and the abolition of enslavement.

Chapter 2 focuses on the decades leading up to the Civil War, while Chapter 12 discusses the years immediately following the war. What similarities and differences are there between these two periods?

Explain the role of enslavement in European countries’ nonintervention in the American Civil War.

Chapter 12 focuses on Reconstruction and the white supremacist backlash in the South. How does McPherson suggest that this backlash is enabled by presidents and the North from 1865 forward?

Choose a contemporary political issue and draw upon McPherson’s arguments to articulate how this issue relates to the Civil War.

In Chapter 3, McPherson identifies the emergence of two distinct and opposed civil religions. Do these civil religions still hold sway today? Support your position using examples from both the text and contemporary politics.