The Killer Angels and Slavery - 1591 Words

When a researcher studies the causes of most wars, the causes for nearly any war are usually innumerable. However, there are a select few wars that even in the presence of several different motives, one underlying object or ideal seems to always be the root of the problem. One prime example of this idea is the American Civil War wherein almost every individual soldier had a different reason for being on the battlefront. One nation whose people had grown into a melting pot had slowly been torn down the center for several decades before the inevitable war came. Slavery seemed to affect everything in the United States during the time leading up to, during, and even after the Civil War. Thus, the issue was unavoidable, and whatsoever conflict†¦show more content†¦Quite literally brothers had to fight brothers. This sort of warfare shook every solider, commander, and political leader down to their core as they gave the orders to, or actively engaged in combat. The average man who passionately watched the slave debates was now thrust into the combat, whether as a solider or a civilian in the crossfire. There is almost no other topic in the history of the United States that seeped down to every individual man s lifestyle and became a focus mentally and in the warfare in the way slavery did. The average man s point of view on slavery is shown in Michael Shaara s The Killer Angels through soldiers who fought and died over this very ideal. This book s perspective on the common viewpoint on slavery gives a deep insight on the people who didn t belong to the political extremes, which is a topic left out in history a decent amount of the time due to a possible lack of relevance seen by instructors or authors. Through this book it becomes visible how every man has is own just cause for fighting in the war, as shown in Chamberlain s speech that he gives to the soldiers that refused to fight wherein he states: Some of [them] volunteered to fight for the Union. Some ca me in mainly because [they] were bored at home and this looked like it might be fun. Some came because [they] were ashamed not to. Many of [them] came because it was the right thing to do (Shaara 29-30). Even with all theseShow MoreRelatedThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1521 Words   |  7 PagesThe book The Killer Angels was published in 1975 by the Ballatine Booksand was written by Michael Shaara. The Killer Angels is a historic novel about the time of the American Civil War, more specifically The Battle of Gettysburg. Shaara wrote this historical masterpiece with the sole purpose of letting the reader know exactly how the war was for the men actually putting their lives on the line to get this great country of America to the stature it is today. In order to accomplish his goal of creatingRead MoreThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1290 Words   |  6 Pages The Killer Angels Essay â€Å"There is no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.† Stated by Abraham Lincoln, this quote embodies the essence of war, its tragic character and unfortunate occasional necessity. Accordingly, the outcome of war and its battles is often determined by the attitudes of the leaders of the opposing sides, including their causes for the willingness to fight and to be fought. Such was the case with the Battle of GettysburgRead MoreThe Killer Angels By Abraham Lincoln1046 Words   |  5 Pagesagainst itself cannot stand.† Lincoln believes that there is no such thing as a balance between free and slave states and that the two contradictory governments are bound to fall. That describes the conflict that occurs in the fictional novel, The Killer Angels, a civil war story between the Union and Confederate states fighting to achieve the government they yearn for. The setting takes place in the midst of the Battle of Gettysburg as the two sides prepare for the fight. The Confederate officers include:Read MoreThe Killer Angels By Michael Shaara1634 Words   |  7 PagesAuthor Background Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Shaara, the author of The Killer Angels, was born on June 23, 1928 in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was an author of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. Although writing was his passion, Shaara was very athletically successful in high school, winning more awards than any other student in the history of the school for sports such as basketball, track and baseball. He acquired a skill in boxing, and of the 18 matches ShaaraRead MoreThe Killer Angels by Michael Shaara Essay1393 Words   |  6 PagesShaaras intent, it can be justifiably stated that he succeeds in his objective. The Killer Angels does not merely relate what assaults and defenses where made by which colonels and generals. Instead, the book delves into the emotions of the major figures of the battle and what they endured physically and mentally as they planned for assault, defense, or mere preservation of life. In this way, The Killer Angels aids the reader in unders tanding the causes for the Battle of Gettysburg and the incidentsRead MoreKiller Angels Essay1856 Words   |  8 Pagesevidence does he present to make his point? Do you agree or disagree with him? Trevor Jenke Professor Lockwood History 1301: M-W 12:30 2 December, 2013 Killer Angels Book Review 1. During the Civil War, there were two sides, the Confederate Army and the Union Army. While the Confederates fought for slavery, the Union fought for their freedom. While the Confederates fought for the continuance of state’s rights, the Union fought, the Union fought for what its name stood for, preservingRead MoreEssay about The Civil War1422 Words   |  6 PagesThe Civil War The Civil War lasted 5 years, took 600,000 lives and yet there exists doubt in what is the main reason behind it. I myself feel that the major issue that triggered the war was slavery, which for the South threatened economy. I am going to discuss how issues of slavery existed before the war, how it was in the minds of soldiers during the war, and then still existed after the war. The North favored a loose interpretation of the United States Constitution, they wanted to grantRead MoreThe Killer Angels By John M. Skipper Essay781 Words   |  4 PagesHistory 1301 John M. Skipper The Killer Angels is a historic backstory of the days leading up to the Civil War. The story is told from multiple viewpoints including Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, George Meade, and Winfield Scott Hancock. It is mentioned the Army of Northern Virginia is moving behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, and that the Army of Potomac is also moving, but is traveling very slow. This is one of the characteristics which plagued them throughout the war. ShaaraRead MoreEssay about The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara957 Words   |  4 Pages The killer angels is a world acclaimed novel that was written by an author known as Michael Shaara. In the year 1975, it was granted the Pulitzer Prize for creative writing. It gives us in details the occurrences of the four days in the Battle of Gettysburg. This was during the American Civil War that occurred in the year 1863. At this time, troops that comprised of both the Union and Confederacy were at war in town called Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This is a piece of story that is driven by dispositionRead More The Killer Angels Essay1365 Words   |  6 PagesWars have been fought for many different reasons through the years, and that holds true for the American Civil War (1861-1865). In Michael Shaaras Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Killer Angels, the reasons for fighting the war are brought about through the officers and soldiers at a famous battle site of the Civil War, Gettysburg. Gettysburg was one of the most documented battles of the whole war. It took place over a sp an of three days and can be viewed as a turning point from Confederate