There have been many different theories on why the civil war began, and what caused the soldiers to fight for either side. These theories include such things as slavery, idealism, patriotism, protection of homeland, independence, and pure hatred for the opposition. It is difficult to pick out one thing that caused the soldiers to fight, but letters and diary entries give us some insight as to what motivated many of them. This paper will look at various reasons as to why the Confederate and Union soldiers fought with such endurance.
Many Confederate soldiers seemed motivated by the mere memory of the Revolution. Even in periods of defeat they did not give up. This is reflected in a letter written by a farmer's son, who told his father "Instead of indulging in feelings of despondency let us compare our situation and cause to those of our illustrious ancestors who achieved the liberties we have ever enjoyed and for which we are now contending." (10). This view seemed to give many of the soldiers a reason to join the fight and stick to it to the end. The hope of succeeding even in the face of adversity was a prominent theme.
Soldiers spoke of liberty and independence as their cause for fighting. They felt the North was tyrannical and if they were to lose the war, their independence would be taken away from them. As one soldier stated, the war was "a struggle between Liberty on one side, and Tyranny on the other." (11). Others voiced similar convictions, "Sink or swim, survive or perish," wrote a young Kentuckian who went with the South, "I will fight I defense of my country."" (11).
Many of the Rebels felt that they fought for everything and the Yankees simply had no reason at all to fight. This belief made them feel as if they could not be defeated, as a lieutenant from Tennessee puts it, "the Yankees are sacrificing their lives for nothing; we ours for home, country, and all That is dear and sacred Every one seems to know that his life liberty and property are at stake, hence we never can be whipped.
How battles were fought The way trench battles were fought contributed greatly to the slaughter of men. ... Haig had no comprehension of what he was sending men into." ... Instead of sending out machine guns they would often send out cavalry in its place which resulted in even bigger losses. ...
The Things They Carried The Things They Carried was full of war stories, each one telling a telling a different kind of truth. ... What was so hard to believe about this story was that it was a woman. ... However the author uses a woman as he tells the story-truth which makes you get a better sense of what Vietnam actually did to people while they fought there. ... They all went from sweet young kids to killers that would never be the same. ... Thinking about his made you think about the war as a whole and what it did to people. ...
They were called Eddie Randall's Blue Devils. ... They where visiting St. ... How ever, what he really wanted to be doing was just playing jazz. ... They made several successful albums in this style. ... Miles fought a battle with drugs, but never completely came out on top. ...
Every man in our humanistic society has a role to play, but because of the war in Vietnam, many men were forced to carry what they loved to the battlefield. ... For instance, the Vietnam War is the most costly war ever fought in American history; more than the world wars and the civil war in which American soldiers fought. In the first chapter of Tim O'Brien's work, the narrator explains what different soldiers carried with them to war, which arguably represents some of the manly roles in the society. ... The high amounts of professionals that were taken from what they know and thr...
In the revolutionary war some rebels wished for a country where they could speak freely, have any religion, make their own rules, and determine their own taxes. ... American soldiers fought to preserve freedom in Europe, one hundred sixteen thousand five hundred and sixteen Americans died in that war alone. ... Freedom- for some it means being able to listen to what you wish, being able to dress how you want, or watching what you desire on television. ... I think our founding fathers would be amazed to see that we are still alive, but then again maybe not because they know how much people will...
What matters to some teenagers today? ... What about, "Should I go and fight for my country?" ... As teenagers they had hardly lived a quarter of their lives. ... Perhaps if they had received some kind of insight into what war was about then they would have had second thoughts about going. ... I appreciated how a generation of young men were scarred for life by what they thought would be a "lark". ...
They started off to the New World on the Mayflower, where the conditions were just as harsh as they were in England and Holland, if not more. ... They were the structure and strength. ... Instead of being cowardly and staying in Europe, they fought for what they believed was right. They didn't let the king and the Church of England tell them what to do. They actually went out and started a new life, which takes more bravery and strength and courage than anything else imaginable. ...
