Lamarla Fletcher
Professor Matt Jennings
U.S. History
21 November 2023
What this Cruel War was Over
What's the story is the author trying to tell?
In the book “What This Cruel War Was Over,” Chandra Manning embarks on a noble
mission to uncover underlying beliefs and perspectives about slavery and the American Civil
War. Her narrative takes on a peculiar perspective, one that is not often considered or explored
by many other authors. Manning focuses on the perspectives of the soldiers who fought in the
war. By understanding what ordinary soldiers thought this gives great insight into the “why”
behind the war. Revealing the morals and values of the time, allows for a more nuanced
discussion and comprehensive view. The cause of the American Civil war is still a modern
debate among historians and civil war enthusiasts. This is due to a variety of reasons.
Manning claims to grasp a fuller and more nuanced understanding historians must be
careful not to project current ideologies onto past generations. “The problem with such
projections is that they impose modern views backward rather than trying to come to grips
with nineteenth century Americans on their terms.” (page7). It’s important to view history in
this lens as each generation of people were shaped by the culture and values of their time.
Manning argues that both the North and the South wholeheartedly believed that their reason
for fighting was noble. The North fought for the purpose of protecting their ideals of liberty,
