American Experience - The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry
Early in the Civil War, most whites thought that blacks would never be able to fight in the disciplined manner of the U.S. Army. But as Union casualties mounted, President Lincoln realized that the country would need every able-bodied man they could muster. As noted in this program, once the Emancipation Proclamation was signed at the start of 1863, recruiting of black soldiers began, and they answered the call enthusiastically. Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the 26-year old scion of a white abolitionist family in Boston, the 54th stormed the Confederate Fort Wagner in a bold attack that generated heavy casualties, but galvanized Northern admiration for black soldiers and spurred enlistment.
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