The author implies that the essays in Smith's book refers specifically to which of the following?
Show Hint
- The sense of pride and accomplishment that Black soldiers increasingly felt as a result of their Civil War experiences
- The civil equality that African Americans achieved after the Civil War, partly as a result of their use of organizational skills honed by combat
- The changes in discriminatory army policies that were made as a direct result of the performance of Black combat units during the Civil War
- The improved interracial relations that were formed by the races' facing of common dangers and their waging of a common fight during the Civil War
- The standards of racial egalitarianism that came to be adopted as a result of White Civil War veterans' repudiation of the previous racism
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an inference question based on a reading comprehension passage. We need to identify the specific focus of John David Smith's book, "Black Soldiers in Blue," as described by the author of the passage.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
The question asks what Smith's book specifically refers to. We must find the sentence in the passage that explicitly states Smith's thesis.
The first paragraph states: "Smith's essays clearly expresses his thesis: loyalty, friendship, and respect among White officers and Black soldiers were fostered by the mutual dangers they faced in combat."
This sentence is the key to answering the question. We need to find the option that best paraphrases this statement.
Let's analyze the options:
(A) The sense of pride and accomplishment that Black soldiers increasingly felt...
While the passage mentions the "courage and effectiveness" of Black units, which would lead to pride, this is not presented as the central thesis of Smith's book. The thesis is about the relationship between Black soldiers and White officers.
(B) The civil equality that African Americans achieved after the Civil War...
The passage mentions that some abolitionist officers hoped for postwar civil equality, but it does not state that this was the subject of Smith's book. The focus is on the wartime experience itself.
(C) The changes in discriminatory army policies...
The passage says Smith "accurately describes the government's discriminatory treatment" and the "campaign... to get the opportunity to fight." This is a component of the book, but not its central thesis as described by the author.
(D) The improved interracial relations that were formed by the races' facing of common dangers and their waging of a common fight during the Civil War
This is a direct and accurate paraphrase of Smith's thesis: "loyalty, friendship, and respect among White officers and Black soldiers were fostered by the mutual dangers they faced in combat." This option perfectly matches the description in the passage.
(E) The standards of racial egalitarianism that came to be adopted as a result of White Civil War veterans' repudiation of the previous racism
This is too broad and speculative. The passage focuses on the relationships formed during the war due to shared combat, not on a general postwar change in racial standards.
Step 4: Final Answer:
Option (D) is the correct answer as it directly reflects the explicit statement of Smith's thesis found in the passage.
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