Question

question 15 of 20

how did shermans march to the sea help ulysses s. grant achieve his goal of weakening the confederacy?

a. it provided a way to enlist formerly enslaved people to work for the union.
b. it destroyed the confederate will to continue fighting.
c. it provided the means to attack lees army from all sides.
d. it cut off every available means to supply food to the south.

Explanation:

Analyze the military strategy of the campaign

General William Tecumseh Sherman's campaign through Georgia in late 1864 utilized the strategy of "total war." This strategy targeted not only military targets but also civilian infrastructure, crops, and property to break the Confederacy's economic capacity and psychological resolve.

Evaluate the impact on Confederate resolve

By marching through the heart of the South virtually unopposed and destroying railroads, industry, and agricultural supplies, the campaign demonstrated that the Confederate government could not protect its citizens. This directly shattered the Southern population's morale and their will to continue the war effort.

Assess the multiple-choice options

• Option A is incorrect because enlisting formerly enslaved people was already established by the Emancipation Proclamation and occurred throughout the war, not as a primary goal of this specific march.
• Option B is correct because the psychological and material destruction of total war directly targeted and destroyed the Confederate will to fight.
• Option C is incorrect because the march did not surround Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia from all sides.
• Option D is incorrect because "every available means" is historically inaccurate; other supply lines and regions remained, though heavily disrupted.

Answer:

• (A) It provided a way to enlist formerly enslaved people to work for the Union.
• (B) It destroyed the Confederate will to continue fighting. (Correct answer)
• (C) It provided the means to attack Lee's army from all sides.
• (D) It cut off every available means to supply food to the South.