In the Shadow of Memory: Understanding the Popular Historical Memory of Civil War General William T. Sherman
Abstract:
This project focuses on attempting to determine the driving forces behind the formation of how we remember the individual known as William T. Sherman. As a General, Sherman holds a contemptuous spot in history. Many consider him the forefather to the induction of the rather violent war strategy known as Total War. To understand how we came to understand Sherman’s legacy as such, I focus on looking at the birth of narratives coming from Southern Historians who supported something called the Lost Cause, and his relationship with this idea and how the South conceptualized their loss of the Civil War through it. In addition, I look at those from the North who were critical of Sherman and created their own narratives in efforts to sully his legacy. This includes looking at Sherman’s relationships with critics in the Media, Political opponents, and other Civil War Generals. Together, I believe these two narratives work in tangent to provide the biggest driving force for the formation of the Sherman remembered in popular memory today.