Final answer:
Sherman's March to the Sea was a military campaign during the American Civil War where Union forces led by General Sherman destroyed Confederate resources across Georgia to demoralize their ability to continue fighting.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is what the student's question is referring to. This was a significant military campaign during the American Civil War, led by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman. After capturing Atlanta, Sherman turned his sights on Savannah, moving his troops across Georgia in a destructive campaign that would demoralize the Confederacy. Sherman's forces left a trail of destruction that was 300 miles long and 50-60 miles wide. They destroyed railroads, looted homes, burned plantations, and freed slaves. The fall of Savannah on December 21, 1864, was considered a 'Christmas gift' to President Lincoln, as it further weakened the Confederate war effort.
The march was a turning point in the war, employing a strategy of total war intended to break the Confederates' will to fight by destroying not just their military targets but also their economic resources. This march demonstrated a transformation in warfare tactics, focusing on waging war against civilian resources as well as military objectives to expedite an end to the conflict.