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The Killer Angels Research Paper

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The Killer Angels Summer Reading/Writing Assignment Essay
The Battle of Gettysburg is considered one of the bloodiest battles during the Civil War, and an important mark in American history. The Killer Angels presents key moments of the battle, and the people who fought each for their own reasons. There are men who primarily fought for homeland, battled for an ideal, or combated for glory. There are three different men highlighted in the book that fought for these reasons. General Robert E. Lee, of the Confederate side, went into battle to fight for his homeland, which was Stratford Hall, Virginia. Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, of the Union side, fought for the ideal of every man being treated equal and looking upon his men like family each of equal importance. General James Longstreet, of the Confederate side with General Lee, fought for glory and victory. Through understanding the personal priorities and values of these three individuals, it becomes clear why they decided to fight in the war. General Robert E. Lee is portrayed by the author, Michael Shaara, as a wise, older man, who believed in following the traditional ways of battle. General Lee’s loyalty to his men was only surpassed by his unfailing loyalty to his homeland, Virginia. When Virginia split off from the

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Union, Lee split off with it. His home seemed …show more content…

Chamberlain to be the main voice in the novel for the Union side. With a compelling background as a professor who knew seven different languages, Chamberlain fought for an ideal: the idea of equality for every individual, freedom to every man. During a speech to the Regiment, he described them as a different army. What they were fighting for was something new, that no army had fought for before. “We’re an army going out to set other men free.” (Shaara 30). And although some people, for example, Buster Kilrain, did not believe in equality for all men, Chamberlain never allowed his beliefs in freedom to

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