i've read up on some thing about why in any case someone would want to join the army and came up with some unexpected things. Some people join the army today because they want to be away from their parents, haha (weird right?). Another trending topic a few years ago was the reason of fighting Al Qaeda (Osama Bin Laden) and that could sum up to the reason of fighting for a cause, kind of like the what the southerners did and their will to fight for slavery and state power. I don't know why people would lose countless lives for owning slaves ... well kind of (I know it's their life and culture and everything)... but state power is something I understand a lot more. Some other reasons that pop up now a days are Family traditions, pride, and getting ones college tuition payed off. (that and family traditions are probably minor reasons, but worth mentioning.) A few people back in the day joined because of family (friends and siblings signed up together) and also, obedience to their goals. The last thing i want to mention, that was probably already mentioned in class but w/e, was the fact that people joined in on the civil war because they thought it would be over by Christmas (like it would be over really soon). I personally wouldn't join the army today after i graduate highschool because "I" don't really have that much of an important reason to do so... it's not like my parents died in 9/11, or I love adventure out in a battlefield (LOL) or it will dull my pride to the point where i will be diagnoses with MDD heheh. I think that that choice could be for someone else... yeah. But .you know. if it was back in the civil war, SURE cause. you know. I would know everything about the battles and become a historical person for saving countless lives in battle and ending the civil war pretty quick. (LOLJK I PROBABLY WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING ANYWAYS.) yeah i still wouldn't. I don't think that fighting in battle and obedience to physical training is a problem... i just wouldn't want to do it. I mean if I already was a soldier, I would be feeling like any other average soldier (bad environment, risks, that kind of stuff). To sum it up, joining the army back in the civil war had it's differences, and I probably wouldn't want to deal with any of it. hahaha. yeah long post :P .