The American Civil War was fought from 1861-1865. It was a turning point for this still young nation. One of the many units that fought for the North was the 54th Massachusetts, a unit of all free black men. The men in this unit were all free when they volunteered to join and fight. Though promised differently, the men of the 54th Massachusetts did not receive the same pay as a white soldier of the same rank. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and his men were one of the main units in the assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. The 54th Massachusetts was the first black unit for the US Army and paved the way for so many after, and also dissolved many stereotypes. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1963, at that…
adopted it covers up all differences of class and country.” This quotation means that the uniform the men wear for battle symbolizes union and brotherhood no matter what race and culture, during war all men are equal. This quotation relates to the movie “Glory” because it shows how the American Civil War created a union between two different races. The movie “Glory” it is about a union of men who sacrificed there life for the Union Army during the American Civil War. “Glory” tells a story of the…
War's first all-black volunteer regiment through the narration of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick). After serving at the Battle of Antietam, Colonel Shaw is offered the command of the first all-African-American regiment. During his leadership, Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, are confronted with discrimination from both Confederate soldiers and Union officers. Along with the gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) and escaped slave Trip (Denzel Washington), Shaw…
This battle redeemed the Black soldiers' fighting ability in the eyes of White skeptics, including General Strong, who commanded the 54th Regiment to lead the assault on Fort Wagner, scheduled for July 18. Strategically, a successful attack on Fort Wagner would allow Union forces to seize control of Charleston Harbor. Located on Morris Island, Fort Wagner protected Battery Gregg overlooking Fort Sumter. This means that capturing Fort Wagner was valuable because it enabled the Union to shell…
of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first official all African American force in the United States military. Because of their achievements, the 54th Massachusetts had a positive impact on the views…
the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry’s bravery. The 54th Massachusetts was an all-black regiment that fought for the Union during the Civil War. The regiment formed in March of 1863 just shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation. Captain Robert Gould Shaw was appointed to be Colonel of the regiment by Governor John A. Andrew. This regiment primarily performed labor work. On July 18, the 54th Massachusetts was eventually acknowledged after taking the first attack on Fort Wagner. As a…
troops. Around 1,500 African-American volunteers from the Philadelphia area had traveled north to enlist in the 54th Massachusetts troop, the first famous black regiment. During the stay at camp William Penn, many black soldiers complain about the unfair treatment they received at camp by fellow soldiers and authorities. According to Donald Scott, one black soldier wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln, writing that his white officers would not let him vote and would not let him go home…
Glory is a 1989 war film which portrays the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer infantry in the American civil war (1861-1865). The screenplay was written by Kevin Jarre, inspired and based largely on the personal letters and experiences of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the novel One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchard, and Lay This Laurel (1973) by Lincoln Kirstein. It is directed by Edward Zwick and stars Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, Mathew Boderick, and Denzel Washington as the main characters in…
Glory, often called “one of the most powerful and historically [films] accurate ever made about [the] war,” (McPherson, Glory) is a film from that tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first African American regiment who volunteered to fight for the Union Army. Many of the scenes of the war help portray what the members went through. However, three scenes best depict the experience of the war for the regiment: when Colonel Shaw reads the proclamation from the…
Whites remained the priority in the nation at the time. It was only until white volunteers started to dwindle that African Americans were welcomed into the army. With racism still extraordinarily prominent within the United States, it was inevitable that these soldiers would face discrimination. Avila reported that “African Americans soldiers encountered much discrimination. They served in strictly segregated units led by white officers, many of whom were reluctant to promote African Americans…