An Essay On The Movie Glory

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The 1989 film Glory highlights the bravery displayed by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. It is a powerful and engaging film that holds the attention of the audience with action-packed scenes and emotionally-charged performances by the actors. It touches on historical events such as the Battle of Antietam and the storming of Fort Wagner. Glory chronicles the struggles faced by one of the first all African-American Infantry Regiments as they fought the Confederate enemy, while also fighting injustices in the army in which they served. The film opens with a scene portraying the Battle of Antietam where Union soldiers are being led by Captain Robert Gould Shaw, played by Matthew Broderick. This battle took …show more content…

The partial victory of the Battle of Antietam gave President Lincoln the backing he needed to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which states "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." However, there were some limitations, such as slavery was unaffected in bordering states and it was dependent on a Union victory. Ultimately, the Emancipation Proclamation itself did not end slavery but it did provide a great boost in the moral of many …show more content…

Their pay was indicative of that. It was assumed upon enlistment that African American soldiers would receive pay as white soldiers. However, it came to light that while white soldiers received $13 per week, African American soldiers only received $10 per week. In protest of the injustice, the soldiers and officers of the entire regiment refused pay until black soldiers and white soldiers were compensated equally. It was not until the war was almost over that this happened.
Initially, the 54th Infantry was given menial duties, such as manual labor; it was questioned by many whether they would see battle. However, on July 16, 1863 they faced Confederate troops on the battlefield on James Island, South Carolina. The 54th Infantry was successful in halting an attack by the Confederates at the cost of 42 Union

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