Bold. Honest. Hardworking. These are some characteristics of Captain Robert Gould Shaw, leader of the 54th Infantry of Massachusetts. Shaw was born into a lazy family, but it took him some courage to fight his way to being a good, healthy leader. He got there, but through major adversity. Coming out of the University of Harvard, Gould Shaw couldn’t find any occupation that fulfilled his wants. Once he joined the Union Army, he knew he had found something great. Robert Gould Shaw was influential in the Civil War because he led the 54th Infantry of Massachusetts, he fought threw the 54th Infantry of Massachusetts, and he fought with his team at Fort Wagner. The 54th Infantry of Massachusetts was the first African-American team to be formed in …show more content…
Everytime that the battle got serious, he was there with his people. One of these situations was when the 54th Infantry was asked to defeat a little Georgia town, and instead of taking the command and just going along with it, Shaw depended on his man to help him fight back against the command. In Britannica School, it reads, “With the rank of colonel, Shaw oversaw the recruitment and training of the 54th, then led it into combat. At one point the 54th was commanded to torch a defenseless Georgia port town, an action to which Shaw objected.” Gould Shaw wasn’t just a captain of a military team, he was a leader of a group with very little experience. Without Shaw, there is no way that African Americans would have had their chance to fight. No matter what bad luck may have been given to Shaw, he got through it with his team. Adversity is what Shaw loved, and that is what made his team so successful. In American National Biography, it reads, “In May the untested regiment was sent to Hilton Head, South Carolina. The Fifty-fourth’s first engagement proved an embarrassment to Shaw and his men. Despite Shaw’s objections, the regiment took part in the burning of the undefended port town of Darien, Georgia.” As you can see, he wasn’t just a captain who sat on the sides and didn’t do anything. He put his life out on the line, just like his soldiers, every battle or …show more content…
During the end of the time Shaw was captain of the 54th Infantry, the group was in charge of fighting Fort Wagner. Their duties were to fight them with everything they had, and the 54th Infantry went all the way. In Britannica School, it redas, “The regiment distinguished itself on July 16, 1863, when it responded to a Confederate surprise attack at James Island, South Carolina. Two days later the regiment heroically assaulted Fort Wagner, which protected Charleston, South Carolina. Approaching along the ocean, the 54th attacked the fort’s sand and dirt embankment and after fierce fighting temporarily held it before being forced to retreat.” Therefore, with the aggressiveness of the 54th Infantry, Shaw and his men went strong on their journey to assault Fort Wagner. Through the fight, there was a lot of blood and tears, and especially tears. In that same article, it reads, “Nearly half of the regiment’s troops were casualties, including Shaw, who was killed in the evening of July 18, 1863.” Since the 54th Infantry of Mississippi led the battle, it was horrible that they were the victims of death. When Gould-Shaw died in the fight at Fort Wagner, there was sadness but also gratefulness. Shaw was the perfect guy to lead the first African-American team, and this helped show the importance of African
The strength, determination, and perseverance of this regiment helped shape the way African American regiments were to act and fight on the battlegrounds. They became the main reason that blacks in the North started to volunteer which marked one of the turning points in the war. “Glory” depicts the events that the 54th regiment experiences mainly through the eyes of their leader; Shaw leading up to the bloody battle. Before Shaw was recruited to be the leader of the 54th regiment he took part many battles beforehand.
But they were met only by a deadly volley of rifle fire. At this point the Confederate Colors fell many of times. Finally realizing they could no longer hold their position the Confederates fell back crossing the bridge trying to still defend their position and losing many Confederate soldiers. They were order to retreat to Honey Springs were they held their
Movies and Hollywood have captivated our ideas of history whether it being movies such as 300 or my current topic Glory. Movies have profound impact on our historical perception and even though these movies try to stay accurate they still present major inaccuracy. Now in this paper I will be reviewing and detailing the historical validity of the 1989 Civil War blockbuster Glory, the movie is centered on the Massachusetts 54th regiment that was predominately made up of African American free men and their commander Robert Gould Shaw, who was the son of a prominent Abolitionist family in Boston. Shaw was originally was apart of the 7th New York who had aided in the defense of Washington and later join and rise up the ranks in the 2nd Massachusetts.
Robert E. Lee’s (1807-1870) contribution to the United States as a war general and commander received positive connotations for his commitment, attitude and inspiration on the battlefield. However, it is debateable about his contributions because of Robert Lee’s association in the Civil War (1861-1865) to the Confederate Army that fought for the Southern States. Robert Lee lead many successful campaigns and battles including the following; helping defeat Mexican armies that lead to U.S land gains and westward expansion, battles against a more powerful army in the Civil War. Despite these achievements Lee’s loyalty for the Confederate Army that fought to uphold slavery undermines his success and is highly debateable about whether his contribution is justified or not. Robert Lee’s contributions to his nation begin before the Civil War in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
When thinking of black history month and how so many people fought for the rights of African American people, most of think of patriarchs like Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, but how many of us know of the feats done by people like Claudette Colvin or Noble Drew Ali? Many people such as them go unheard of during this time of year and yet, they have accomplished such high feats considering what they went through. Being a minister and a politician who denounced racism like Henry McNeal Turner or the protests that prisoned Soledad Brothers began have not been recognized for so long and its time to remind people of what they have done. Many feats have been done, such as leading a revolt against a police station that refused to do the law services to a black family in need or the case of going against imperial influence from Britain. You can only wonder who else went unnoticed.
As conflict arises a nation may enter into a state of destruction and violence, leading to the prominence of admirable leaders characterized by their ingenuity, ideals and admirable attributes. The American Civil War was an imperative and decisive series of battles that lead to the creation of resolutions regarding the conflict over slavery. With the progression of the war, leaders emerged from the Confederate and Union armies, among the most notable are Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate army, and Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, colonel in the Union army. The strategic decisions and military positions reflect the personal attributes of these prevalent leaders, thus affirming their dexterity and personal emotions. In The Killer Angels, a novel by Michael Shaara, the paralleling and contrasting attributes of Robert E. Lee and Joshua Chamberlain are asserted as their decisions and personalities influence the outcome of the war.
With all of these soul-shattering, life-changing conditions, it is less of a war and more of a test of strength for the soldiers, here at Valley Forge. Some men were going home and not returning. Other men just completely deserted. Even George Washington’s position was uncertain, the members of congress didn’t trust him. Life at Valley Forge was obviously horrible, and the ugly truth is that it wouldn’t get much better.
For years before the Civil War many countries and populations had slaves. Many were innocent people have been enslaved by their religion, their skin, their class, or native culture. For example the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians and the Jews by the Nazis all because of religion. Native people in Central America and the Caribbean were taken by the Spanish to work for no pay and for no reason. Others have been enslaved by their skin like in the American Civil War innocent Africans were taken from their homes and forced to work for no pay, their class was very low and no one wanted them as citizens.
Regardless of this, the unit showed extraordinary courage and dedication (“The 54th”). Their attack on Fort Wagner caused great damage on the fort, leading the confederates to leave it soon afterwards (“The 54th”). Glory tells this story almost flawlessly but there are some minor historical inaccuracies throughout the movie: Robert Gould Shaw in the film is shown to accept the job of commanding the
In the beginning of the occurrence Shaw Initially only took the the command of the 54th regiment to satisfy his mother and father. Shaw
After that he realized to get there respect he needed to show it to them. Slowly he gains respect of the soldiers and the officers by getting them new supplies like shoes, uniforms and refused to take the payment they offered him because the soldiers were going to get paid lower than the white men. Shaw’s leadership skills have changed from the beginning, to a strong and brave leader as he lead his regiment to the final battle to the front line. The regiment view of Shaw has changed to him receiving full respect from his soldiers, and a strong leader you lead the first Colored regiment in the civil
Slavery, the War on Black Family While slavery in America was an institution that was started over 400 years ago, the affects were so horrific that it is still felt today by modern day African Americans. Many families had to deal with the constant stress of being sold which made it difficult to have a normal family life. Slaves were sold to pay off debts, an owner dying and his slaves were sold in an estate sale, or when an owner’s children would leave the home to begin a life of their own, they would take slaves with them. Often times, children were not raised by their parents, other family members of someone designated to watch the children because the mother and father had to work long hours and the children were too young to join them.
The men of the 54th regiment proved themselves worthy of the freedom for which they were fighting, and the respect of their fellow white soldiers. Through the eyes of Shaw the movie glory is told . At the beginning of the movie, Shaw is fighting in a battle and manages to survive despite heavy union losses. Horrified by the violence of the war
In the battle scene, the 54th is pinned down and taking massive amounts of enemy fire, and yet none of the soldiers are making any sort of move to fight back. Their comrades are dying all around them, but the men simply lie there in the sand covering their heads. Thus it falls to Colonel Robert Shaw to be the beacon of courage for his men in order to lead them to glory. While the movie is undoubtedly about the struggles of the African American men of the 54th, it cannot be overlooked that at every turn they require guidance and mercy from their benevolent white colonel. It would be unrealistic for a company of African American men to accomplish what they did in the Civil War without Shaw’s help, but it is still worth noting that in some ways this feels largely like movies where the white man comes to save the savages (e.g. Dances With Wolves, Avatar, The Last Samurai).
The character Captain Miller in the film "Saving Private Ryan" represents the ideal soldier in a period of great despair. He indicates strength and fortitude all through each scene. Captain Miller shows numerous traits of being the perfect individual for the employment in the quest for Private Ryan. This mission has his men in complete turmoil and he handles everything so placidly and respectively. Captain Miller 's authority qualities tie his attributes together and make him solid all around that a war legend ought to be.