AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Sherman's March and Total War (Day 144/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about Sherman’s March and Total War as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

General Ulysses S. Grant, Wikimedia Commons

After the failure of prior Union generals to wage a decisive blow to the Confederacy, Lincoln gave Ulysses S. Grant the role of Commanding General. 

General Grant at Vicksburg, Wikimedia Commons

Grant knew that one of the largest advantages of the Union was their high population. So, he adopted an extremely aggressive strategy of attrition that led to high casualties and immense destruction of the South.

Sherman’s March Map, Wikimedia Commons

As part of this new approach, General Sherman led a devastating campaign from Chattanooga to Savannah to shatter the strength of the Confederacy. As the soldiers marched, they completed a deliberate dismantling of southern territory and infrastructure.

Sherman’s March to the Sea, Wikimedia Commons

Livestock were killed, machinery wrecked, cities destroyed, factories demolished, and thousands of miles of railroad tracks were torn up. This method of total war destroyed the food and resources necessary for survival and broke the spirit of the Confederacy. 

The total war approach as evidenced through Sherman’s March contributed a cost to the Confederacy of $3.3 billion as measured in human capital, government expenditures, and physical destruction.

Join me tomorrow as I explain the End of the Civil War in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!