William T. Sherman and the Union's 'Hard War' Approach in 1864-1865

Authors

Lori L. Infanzon, Gettysburg CollegeFollow

Document Type

Student Research Paper

Date of Creation

Spring 2025

Department 1

GLI History

Abstract

This research is a historiography of the extent to which Sherman's actions in 1864-1865 represented a significant shift to a 'hard war' approach utilized by the Union army. Upon review of contemporary accounts, scholarship from the World Wars period, and scholarship from the 1960s to the present, this paper concludes that the scope and scale of Sherman's actions in 1864-1865 represented a significant escalation in the usage of hard war tactics designed to secure Lincoln's election 1864, accelerate the ending of the war, and dramatically revolutionize Southern society.

Comments

Written for AMHI 641: The American Civil War

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Infanzon, Lori L., "William T. Sherman and the Union's 'Hard War' Approach in 1864-1865" (2025). GLI MA in American History Student Works. 10.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/glihist/10