The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in History, Memory, and Film: Selected Sources
On Sunday evening at 7PM EST I will be hosting a movie discussion about Glory (1989), which tells the story of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the men of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry—the first Black regiment raised in the North in 1863. This event will be open to all paid subscribers. You should receive a zoom invite by Friday evening.
Want to join us? All you have to do is upgrade to a paid membership by Sunday.
Future movie discussions include: Emancipation, Gettysburg (30th anniversary), and Lincoln.
How to Watch the Movie
You can watch Glory on YouTube, Netflix and Roku.
Selected Sources
In the meantime, here are some additional resources on the history and memory of the 54th Massachusetts as well as the filming of the movie.
A brief overview of Robert Gould Shaw’s life can be found at Wikipedia. It’s actually pretty good.
The Massachusetts Historical Society has some incredible resources related to Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th, including Shaw’s battle sword.
Historian Brian Pohanka authored this brief history of the regiment’s assault at Battery Wagner on July 18, 1863.
The Shaw/54th Massachusetts Monument here in Boston was beautifully restored in 2022.
I had the pleasure of attending the rededication of the memorial last year.
Here is your’s truly discussing the history of the 54th Massachusetts and a bit about the memorial for the American Battlefield Trust.
I enjoyed this documentary about the filming of Glory.
And here are a few deleted scenes from the movie.
Additional Reading
Russell Duncan, Where Death and Glory Meet: Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry (University of Georgia Press, 1999).
Russell Duncan ed., Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (University of Georgia Press, 1999).
Douglas R. Egerton, Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments that Redeemed America (Basic Books, 2016).
Gordon C. Rhea, Stephen A. Swails: Black Freedom Fighter in the Civil War and Reconstruction (Louisiana State University Press, 2021).
George Stephens and Donald Yocovone eds., A Voice of Thunder: A Black Soldier’s Civil War (University of Illinois Press, 1998).
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday evening.
Yesterday, I watched Glory for the first time since the early 1990s. We paused, about halfway, to have dinner. I needed that break; there's a lot to digest in the first half. I remembered why I hated the flogging scene and cried as I had decades ago. The scene at Ft. Wagner was accompanied by real fireworks in our neighborhood, making it all the more surreal.
I look forward to our discussion on Sunday evening.
Kevin, I know you can't cover every Civil War film but would you consider adding the movie Andersonville to your list?