Glory Movie Essay

Also, the 54th is portrayed in the movie as being made up largely of runaway slaves, like John Rawlins or Private Trip. In fact, it was actually mostly a regiment of freed men like Thomas Seares, not only recruited from Massachusettes, but also New York and Pennsylvania. The assault on Battery Wagner was attacked on the wrong side in the movie, and it also suggests that over ½ of the regiment was lost during the assault. However, official records state that they had 272 casualties, which is closer to 40%. Lastly, the way in which they whipped and flagged the black soldiers is historically inaccurate because the practice of flogging had been outlawed before the civil war, and Robert would not have whipped them because it symbolizes slavery, which is what they were trying to

The movie Glory can be described as a classic “underdog story.” It is a true story about a group of African American soldiers known as the 54th Massachusetts Regiment who faced constant prejudice and resentment by white soldiers and officers throughout the Union. However, under the leadership of Colonel Robert Shaw, they were able to prove themselves as a formidable fighting force at the battle of Fort Wagner. Although the 54th Regiment suffered heavy casualties they showed the Union that African American soldiers could be just as effective as white soldiers. While the movie Glory did paint an accurate picture of the Civil War, the 54th Regiment, and the Battle of Fort Wagner, it did have its fair share of stereotypes.

Starship Troopers is a classic novel written in 1959 by retired Navy Lieutenant Robert Heinlein. At the time that it was published Starship Troopers was controversial yet won the Hugo Award in the 1960’s for being one of the best science fiction novels. One of the controversies surrounding the book is the main character’s history teacher’s view on violence and how violence “has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” The book had such a cult following that there has been a film adaptation. It is a work of literature that has stood the test of time and is being read in our schools today. This may not seem shocking for such a classic book, but being science fiction it is a true accomplishment.

They said that though blacks should not be enslaved, they should not be equal to the white male. The army was extremely reluctant to commission black officers -- only one hundred gained commissions during the war. For example, Colonel Shaw was white. African American soldiers were also given less supplies and rations. In addition, they received inferior ammunition and weapons and absolutely no medical treatment on or off the battlefield. For example, the soldiers were not given shoes when they asked for them, until Colonel Shaw demanded them for his men. This greatly affected their ability to fight. With less to keep them warm or defend themselves, you are going to have more casualties. Black soldiers served in artillery and infantry and performed all noncombat support functions that sustain an army, digging trenches, hauling supplies, cooking food, tending to the wounded, and providing personal service.

When the 54th is marching south, they run into a regiment of white soldiers, and a quarrel breaks out between Private Trip and some of the white men. Rawlins steps in to stop the fight and one of the white men is about to be disciplined, but Rawlins says that there is no need. This scene is displays the harsh criticism the 5th received, even from their own side, but it also gives a halo effect to Rawlins, who could have easily said nothing, and watched the soldier get punished. Later on down the road the 54th meets up with Colonel James Montgomery, the colonel of another all black regiment. In the movie Montgomery was a racist and didn’t discipline his men at all. While the real Montgomery was noted to have discipline issues, the movie probably took it way out of hand, Montgomery even shoots one of his men for misbehaving. Montgomery later takes the 54th “to see some action”, which actually meant looting and setting fire to a town of innocents. In the movie, Montgomery threatens Shaw to set fire to the town by saying he’ll take command of the 54th if he doesn’t follow orders, so Shaw reluctantly orders the town to be burned. Shaw writes of this event in his letters, stating “the civilian population of women and children were fired upon, forced from their homes, their possessions looted, and the town burned.” Shaw also noted, "On the way up, Montgomery threw several shells

Glory is the story of Robert Gould Shaw and his command over the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, which was one of the first all-black active duty regiments in the Union Army in November of 1862. The movie speaks of Colonel (Col) Shaw’s bravery, his pride, his empathy and love for his Soldiers. Col Shaw himself was from a wealthy Boston family with parents who were influential abolitionists. At 23 years old, Robert Shaw dropped out of Harvard to be commissioned in the Union Army to fight in the Civil War of the States. This movie is based on a true story and the letters that Robert Shaw wrote home and in his personal journal are currently located in the Houghton Library of Harvard University. The movie is based on the factual accounts of these letters. The manner in which Robert Shaw led the 54th Infantry was a direct result of his first experience in combat; it was the Battle of Antietam (Maryland).

From a military standpoint, the charge on Fort Wagner was a disaster, the casualties were egregious; “In the final analysis, the 54th’s casualties numbered 281: 54 killed; 179 wounded; 48 whose bodies were never identified.” (Missing Soldiers 2014) But it was the men of the 54th that would inspire millions of black men and women across America to strive, fight, and withstand all to become a full citizen of the United States. The 54th Massachusetts showed the world what real men are capable of, regardless of their skin color.

It was lead by Robert Gould Shaw, a 25 year old man with little experience. He had fought at Cedar Mountain and Antietam but had not really been tested. It was said that, “Shaw was at first reluctant to accept the colonelcy, doubting his capacity to handle well the large responsibilities it entailed”(Dudley Taylor Cornish, 75). He was doing a fine job, many said that blacks could march better and learn faster than whites; but they struggled to find the respect they deserved. The 54th showed much promise in training. They were able to be just as good as any white regiment, but the government was holding them down because, even though they had an excellent force, they were still an all black regiment and had to be treated much differently than whites. Governor John Andrew saw the great work theses soldiers were putting in and wanted to offer them commission and promotion. Unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln thought otherwise. Lincoln feared northern public opinion on promoting young black soldiers too early before society was able to swallow blacks being in the war. Robert Purvis, a black abolitionist from Charleston, South Carolina, wrote, “Notwithstanding the advances made by the government in forming regiments of colored men, it argues a sad misapprehension of the character, aspirations and self-respect of colored men, to suppose that they would submit to the degrading limitations which the government imposes in regard to the officering of said regiments” (McPherson 177). Many of the Northern Blacks were extremely frustrated with the decision by Lincoln. By not promoting them even though they are worthy basically meant that the common white man was more important. If they would have given the worthy soldiers a promotion, it would show that the Blacks are as good as whites and they deserve respect. But Lincoln’s decision halted the regiment’s

Colonel Shaw and the African American soldiers who joined him in the 54th Massachusetts regiment, were fighting against the pay of soldiers. The U.S. Army paid African-American soldiers $10 a week and white soldiers were paid $13 a week. To protest against this, the entire regiment, both soldiers and officers, refused to accept their wages until black and white soldiers earned equal pay for equal work. This did not happen until the war was almost

The movie Glory was a wonderful depiction of the group of men involved in the 54th Massachusetts colored regiment. The men of the 54th regiment were part of the first black regiment to serve in the U.S. military and were all volunteers. Lead by twenty-three year old Robert Gould Shaw these men were held a high amount of pride, enthusiasm, and bravery as they willingly fought against all of the racial harshness of the U.S. military system. The men of the 54th regiment put up with stereotypes and unacceptable training conditions - while being consistently being challenged to actually stay in the military and not desert. Glory depicts all of the issues that surrounded the 54th regiments black solders and white captions with amazing

In summary “Glory” tells the story of the 54th regiment of Massachusetts volunteer infantry, made up of black men, some free and some escaped slaves; who were led by whites. Robert Shaw, the son of Boston’s abolitionists was the commanding office whom this story was told through his eyes. The director depicts throughout the film the men of this regiment proving themselves worthy of freedom for which they are fighting, and the respect gained of their fellow white soldiers; Moreover, I have picked certain scenes that represent this.

You never truly know a man until you see how they act and respond under certain uncontrollable circumstances. Where they are to decide what to do, either good or bad, like fight or flight. Today A simple example would be you are walking on the street and you see someone steal a women's purse, you can either do something about it and try to get it back or just stand by and watch as the man runs away. In this case in the movie Glory, it is about the 54th regiment, a volunteer colored fighting force made up of northern freemen, and some escaped slaves Overall Glory is about the freedom of millions of people from forced labor and captivity on unjust causes. These brave men risked their lives knowing if they succeed, all the slaves and laborers

After receiving the news that “colored” soldiers would be earning $10 a month as opposed to the $13 a month given to white soldiers (Glory Articles and Textbook Page 352), frustration and disappointment pervaded throughout the regiment. Enraged, Trip tore up his paycheck and yelled at all of the other soldiers to do the same, which they did. To silence the chaotic regiment, Colonel Shaw fired his gun into the air. Shaw announced that all of the officers would also be ripping up their checks. This scene was a major turning point because it symbolized that all of the officers and soldiers were in the war together and no one is more important than someone else based on their skin color. The wage inequality was never equalized until 1864, after eighteen months of campaigning done by the soldiers.(Glory Article, Textbook Pg 352) However, this scene symbolized both a unification between the officers and the soldiers but also symbolized a unification between the regiment and each other after they stood up for what was

“The characters in Glory never seem less than three-dimensional” (Berardinelli). Even the sequencing of the events in the movie are primarily factual. Vincent Canby of The New York Times tells us that “One of the film’s least effective sequences is historically true: a raid on the tiny South Carolina village of Darien during which Shaw was forced by a superior officer to order his men to plunder and burn all buildings. “Other inaccuracies include the confederate stronghold guarding Charleston Harbor is depicted in the movie as taking place from south to north when actually it was north to south. A major inaccuracy in the movie was the 54th was portrayed as largely being made up of runaway slaves when in all actuality it was free men from Massachusetts, New York, and

Surprisingly that just simply is not the case. Most of the men that joined, volunteered as free men from the North. Most of these men have been dealing with stereotypes and slavery all their lives, and now because of Abraham Lincoln, these men believe they have a something to fight for. The reason many men volunteered was because of Lincoln’s words and actions, it rallied the men in such a way that motivated others to contribute to the cause of ending the war, white or black. Throughout the whole movie, the men kept having doubts about their orders. They had to burn a village down to the ground, watch one of their fellow men be flogged in front of them, and other things that did not help keep up morale. Like I described earlier, the Civil War era was something Americans have not experienced, it was total war. Regardless the regiment stuck together and kept training until their first battle. Up unto this point, they have not had the chance to fight, they’ve mainly been working on labor and building projects. The men feeling uneasy, want to fight and they are tired of not getting the opportunity to show themselves. Finally they get assigned to join the front in South Carolina. During the first battle, Shaw is injured, but saves the man that saved him earlier in the movie and earns the respect of his men. This scene/battle arguably was the motivation that would bring demise to the 54th