The Black Experience in the Civil War<BR>Movie: <i>Glory</i>

MiCR Lesson Plans and Materials for Glory

Grade Level: 8-12, College

Subject: History, Black Studies

Film: Glory

MPAA Rating: R

Keywords: Glory, Glory the movie, Glory lesson plans, lesson plans for Glory, black experience in the Civil War, African-American soldiers in the Civil War, Civil War, 54th Massachusetts Infantry, Robert Gould Shaw, 54th Massachusetts, African American Soldiers from Columbia Pennsylvania, Equal rights, black soldiers in the Civil War, Port Hudson, Gardner's photographs of the Civil War, Civil War photographs, lesson plans for the Civil War, Civil War lesson plans, Lesson Plan, Movies in the Classroom,

Author: Cynthia Kirkeby

Affiliation: ClassBrain, Inc.

Date: 4 June 2003

Duration: various

Background:
The 54th Volunteer Infantry was a regiment of free black men from Massachusetts that fought in the Civil War. This movie is based on two historical novels and the letters of Robert Gould Shaw, colonel of the infantry. The two books were: One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchand and Lay This Laurel by Lincoln Kirstein. The film follows Colonel Robert Shaw as he prepares the soldiers of the regiment for war. However, the Colonel is white and the soldiers are free black men, so there is a lot of tension between them. The culmination of the movie centers around the charge against Fort Wagner, a brutal segment of Civil War history.

This film is being used throughout the U.S. to teach about the Civil War in high school and college classes. The film is rated R, so permission must be received from parents of high school students before it can be used in class (See our permission slips under About Movies in the Classroom).

Lesson Plans

Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan:
The Fight for Equal Rights: Black Soldiers in the Civil War
NARA lesson plan (be sure to click on Teaching Activities at the bottom of the page).
Source: NARA

54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Company I
Portraying the experience of the African American soldier in the American Civil War in South Carolina.
Source: Civil War @ Charleston

Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts
Even though part of the Civil War was fought to abolish slavery, there were many that thought the black man could not fight and plan like the white man, and therefore should not be able to fight. The 54th regiment was key in changing that perception for many.
Source: PBS

African American Soldiers from Columbia, PA in the Civil War
Lesson Plan – Problems facing the African American soldier during the Civil War.
Source: Millersville University

Lesson Plan – The Civil War
Source: Small Planet Communications

The Siege of Port Hudson: "Forty Days and Nights in the Wilderness of Death"
African American soldiers played a critical role in the Civil War. This lesson plan from the National Parks Service explores the ways that society’s perceptions changed after they witnessed the participation of the black soldier in the Civil War. Students also explore the importance of the Mississippi.
Additional Materials
Source: National Parks Service

Learning Links

Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War
This fascinating “sketchbook” shows the war as it was, no whitewash. You can see daily life, the aftermath of battles, and a close-up of Gettysburg. It depicts black and white soldiers alike.
Source: Cornell University Library

Civil War Links on the World Wide Web
"These links to information about the Civil War, the Underground Railroad and quilting provide further resources for your study."
Source: Michigan.gov

History of African Americans in the Civil War
This is a short and thorough summary of the involvement of the African American soldier in the Civil War.
Source: National Parks Service

The African American Odyssey – The Civil War
A showcase of materials from the Library of Congress covering the African American experience during the civil war.
Source: Library of Congress

Civil War Maps
“The Civil War Map collection of the Geography and Map Division consists of reconnaissance, sketch, coastal, and theater-of-war maps, which depict troop activities and fortifications during the Civil War.”
Source: Library of Congress