The Civil War has been described as one of the most important events in the life of the United States. It was a time when the United States was no longer united, but was instead divided between North and South due to the ongoing feud over the legal standing of slavery nationwide. For four years many people were subjected to horrific measures, especially soldiers who participated in the fighting. Despite the brutality of the battle, the soldiers experienced numerous daily hardships that made their time at war almost intolerable. Being far from one's homes and loved ones, having access to only inadequate food and shelter, increasing the risk of disease, barely surviving harsh winters, enduring ferocious summers, and dragging long days were the regular struggles of a Civil War soldier. (“Overview” par. 8). The question many people ask about this era is: If the extreme conditions of war were so unpleasant, why did most soldiers withstand the hardships and continue to defend their beliefs through war? This is what author James M. McPherson reveals to readers in his book What They Fought For: 1861-1865, believably recreating the problems and incidents of the Civil War through the words of the soldiers themselves. James M. McPherson is a famous American historian, author, and publisher fascinated by the Civil War. According to Amy Lifson, McPherson's enthusiasm for the Civil War truly began when he was a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, studying the abolitionist who had an influence on Abraham Lincoln's political successes. After being intrigued by some topics such as abolitionist Abraham Lincoln, Reconstruction...... the focus of the paper ...... focused on the debate about what was right or wrong about slavery. McPherson carefully executes the logic behind the courageous acts of many Civil War soldiers, both Confederate and Union, as they refused to disperse their battle, regardless of the unfavorable environment, in order to give the audience a better understanding of the reasons and causes behind what happened. temporary but serious division of the nation. Works Cited “American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).” Revolutionary War 101. Np, nd Web. April 21, 2014. "James M. McPherson." Contemporary authors. Gale, January 16, 2014. Web. April 20, 2014. Lifson, Amy. "Biography of James McPherson". National Fund for the Humanities. Np, nd Web. April 20, 2014.McPherson, James M. What They Fought For: 1861-1865. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Univ., 1997. Print."Overview of the Civil War." Civil war. Np, nd Web. April 21. 2014.