Mighty Scourge

¶ … Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War Book Review This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War is a book written by James McPherson, a distinguished and well renowned historian of the Civil War. This text consists of sixteen chapters, each of which clearly outlines and examines a fundamental and critical aspect that is associated with the war (McPherson, 2007). The book is one of the best historical books on the topic, offering a detailed account of the many issues that came about with regards to the Civil War.

The book is a free flowing narrative that addresses some of the crucial questions regarding the Civil War, ranging from why it started, why the South lost, various aspects that steered and motivated the soldiers on both sides, to the manner in which we assess the well renowned leaders on both sides, such as Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.

The authors responds to all of these aspects and questions in an interesting manner, emphasized by a comprehensive understanding of innumerable primary and secondary sources on practically every aspect of the civil war. Readers in general and also individuals such as students will find it largely helpful to read this particular book (McPherson, 2007). Theme of Lincoln and how it fits to the context of the Civil War The overall theme that is identified in the two last chapters of the book, chapters 15 and 16, concerns President Abraham Lincoln.

President Lincoln, who was the 16th President of the United States, is considered by some to be one of the greatest presidents to have led the nation. This was because he led the United States (U.S.) through one of the most overwhelming periods in its history, the civil war period. When Lincoln took office as President, he seemed to have very little charisma and barely received any amount of respect from the various politicians of the Unions. However, he was wiser than many expected.

Lincoln created a cabinet that was made up of most of his critics, individuals who came to be influential and contributory in helping assemble the monetary and industrial resources of the North for victory. In addition, the spectacular political skills that Lincoln possessed enabled him to administer a key extension of government supremacy and authority. This was essential not only for army victory in the year 1865, but also for the forthcoming development of modern America.

On 22 September, 1862, President Lincoln made a declaration, that on the first day of the year 1863, all the slaves in every state, as well as in the regions under Rebel control, would officially be 'free men' and would not be under slavery any longer. The resistance that Lincoln faced was the reinstitution of the laws and the rules that were there in the 1860 period with slavery continued in the South.

This declaration and the victory of President Lincoln in that election had a massive impact on the evolution of the United States up until the present day and also on the civil war. Utilizing the textbook, video, and Lecture Point, what do they say regarding your particular topic? McPherson covers President Abraham Lincoln, the main figure of the whole conflict of the Civil War; Lincoln is still controversial up until this point in time. This is covered by the author in the preceding two essays in the book.

President Lincoln is an individual; as a topic he has somewhat divided the opinions of individuals in the United States. The author gives a detailed and clear historiography of President Abraham Lincoln. McPherson offers a captivating and fascinating representation and depiction of President Abraham Lincoln, and provides various bases through which readers can understand him (McPherson, 2007).

In particular, the culminating essay of the book takes into consideration the substantial addition of decision-making power that President Abraham Lincoln amassed during the course of his role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States. It was, for case in point, under these amassed powers that slavery was ended, and this decision was consequently sanctioned by the United States Congress (McPherson, 2007). McPherson asserts that President Lincoln's rationale for ending slavery was in fact a military decision.

This was simply because labor provided by the slaves supported the Confederate economy. In addition, African-Americans all over the nation were fighting successfully and effectually for the Union in their several numbers, so as to additionally advocate and support the abolitionist reasons for ending slavery. In the end, there was a vital shift in the working of the constitution of the United States (C-SPAN, 2007).

Summarize how the issues raised by McPherson are significant to the evolution of American History and, in particular, the outcome of the Civil War Throughout the whole book, McPherson makes an attempt to distinguish between myths and facts by providing as many certainties as possible. Without a doubt, a lot of ideas garnered from essays in the book can be read as a reproach and a remedial lesson to present-day leadership in the United States of America, irrespective of political party.

Different from a number of his other contemporaries, the author McPherson does not employ history to expound his own political discourses. However, what he has to mention with regards to President Abraham Lincoln and others leaders leaves a clear understanding about leadership of the past (Yardley, 2007). President Lincoln, as the 16th President of the United States, is considered to be one of the greatest presidents to have led the nation because he took it through one of the most overwhelming periods, the civil war period.

Some of the topics raised in the book by McPherson encompass the evolution of United States history to what has come to be in the present day. In this aspect, while being president and commander in chief, Abraham Lincoln came up.