
The title of the film recalls the "glory" for which the July 28, 1863, edition of the weekly Columbus Enquirer reported that First-Sergeant Robert John Simmons, mortally wounded at Battery Wagner, came to fight (Simmons himself wrote, in an account of the Battle of Grimball's Landing that was published in the New York Tribune on December 23, 1863: "God has protected me through this, my first fiery, leaden trial, and I do give Him the glory").
What is the name of the movie with the title glory?
Glory (1989 film) Jump to navigation Jump to search. Glory is a 1989 American war film directed by Edward Zwick about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the Union Army's second African-American regiment in the American Civil War.
What is the movie Glory about in the Civil War?
Glory (1989 film) Glory is a 1989 American war film directed by Edward Zwick about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the Union Army's second African-American regiment in the American Civil War.
Is the movie Glory based on a true story?
Glory (1989 film) Glory is a 1989 American war film directed by Edward Zwick, starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman. The screenplay by Kevin Jarre was based on the books Lay This Laurel by Lincoln Kirstein and One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchard, and the personal letters...
Who was the all-black regiment that inspired the movie ‘Glory?
On the 150th anniversary of the bloody battle that inspired the movie “Glory,” take a look back at the all-black 54th Massachusetts Regiment. On the 150th anniversary of the bloody battle that inspired the movie “Glory,” take a look back at the all-black 54th Massachusetts Regiment. For nearly two years, the Civil War was a whites-only affair.
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What is the main message of the movie Glory?
The film itself focuses on the theme of diversity and implications that diversity has when it is mixed with the structure of the U.S. military. When it comes to the military, everything is very structured. Everybody has their place and they are do as instructed.
Is the movie Glory based on fact?
Directed by Ed Zwick with a screenplay by Kevin Jarre, the film tells the true story of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) as he leads the 54th Massachusetts, the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer regiment.
What is Glory based off of?
Glory tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry from its organization in the winter of 1863 to the climactic assault of July 18, 1863, against Fort Wagner, a massive earthwork guarding the approach to Charleston. The Union military and naval effort to capture Charleston failed in 1863.
Is the film Glory historically accurate?
But, is it just a good story, such as so many Hollywood pictures, or is it good history? The answer is, actually, both. The movie falls far short as an accurate depiction of the history of the 54th Massachusetts.
What did the movie Glory get wrong?
Incorrectly regarded as goofs The movie claims that "over half" of the regiment was lost during the assault on Fort Wagner. According to official records, the 54th sustained 272 casualties, closer to 40%. Of those casualties, 116 were fatalities, just under 20% of the men to storm the fort.
Why is the movie Glory so important?
The film's most important contribution is its success in challenging this narrow interpretation by reminding white Americans of the service of roughly 200,000 Black Americans in Union ranks and their role in helping to win the war and end slavery. By 1863, the outcome of the war was far from certain.
What is the full meaning of Glory?
praise, honor, or distinction1a : praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent : renown. b : worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving giving glory to God. 2a : something that secures praise or renown the glory of a brilliant career. b : a distinguished quality or asset The glory of the city is its Gothic cathedral.
What does Glory mean in the Bible?
The Hebrew word which is used for glory in the Old Testament has the simple meaning of "heaviness" or "weight". It was used in everyday speech to express the worth of a person in the material sense, and then to express the ideas of importance, greatness, honour, splendour, power, and so on.
Why does Trip call Thomas snowflake?
Why does Tripp call Thomas a snowflake? He was a black person who acted white.
What is the most important scene in Glory?
One of the movie's most memorable scenes occurs the night before the assault on Fort Wagner, as various members of the regiment gather to sing songs, pray, and offer up words of inspiration. Glory also makes a point of showing how isolated Shaw is.
How many soldiers were in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment?
162. This roster includes the names of the more than 1,500 soldiers and officers who served with the 54th Massachusetts Regiment at some point between March 1863 and April 1865. The men's age, enlistment and mustered out dates, place of origin, profession at enlistment, rank, and company are also provided if known.
Does Fort Wagner still exist?
Although the Atlantic Ocean consumed Fort Wagner in the late 1800s and the original site is now offshore, the Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners have acquired and preserved 118 acres (0.48 km2) of historic Morris Island, which had gun emplacements and other military ...
Did the Union Army take Fort Wagner?
While the Battle of Fort Wagner was a Confederate victory, this battle showed the fierce determinations of African Americans in the Union army with the brave assault led by the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. For their valor, numerous soldiers, such as Seg.
Was Cabot Forbes Real?
The character of Major Cabot Forbes in the film Glory is based somewhat on Edward Hallowell and his brother. Little lasting recognition of either Edward or his brother Norwood exists.
Does Fort Wagner still exist?
Although the Atlantic Ocean consumed Fort Wagner in the late 1800s and the original site is now offshore, the Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners have acquired and preserved 118 acres (0.48 km2) of historic Morris Island, which had gun emplacements and other military ...
Who was Cabot Forbes?
Cabot Forbes (1836-18 July 1863) was a Major in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment of the US Army during the American Civil War.
Who played the white officer in the movie Glory?
Remember the movie Glory, from way back in 1989? Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman portrayed soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment—a unit of free African American volunteers—commanded by a white officer, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick). The film dramatizes the fateful assault on Fort Wagner, a Confederate bastion on Morris Island, S.C. Now this actually happened. On July 18, 1863, Colonel Shaw led the charge of 600 men under withering fire against the well-protected battery. Shaw was slain early in the assault, and 256 soldiers were wounded, captured, or killed. Says historian John David Smith, “The Confederates considered the black soldiers to be insurrectionists and their white officers inciters of slave revolts, so they refused to respect the Yankees as soldiers. Accordingly they dumped their dead bodies in a pit.”
Where did Glory tell the story of the USCT's valor?
Glory told the story of the USCT’s valor at Battery Wagner. What other USCT stories need to be told?
Storyline
Shaw was an officer in the Federal Army during the American Civil War who volunteered to lead the first company of black soldiers. Shaw was forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of his own fellow officers. — Murray Chapman <[email protected]>
Did you know
The Civil War reenactors who took part in the film did so voluntarily and without pay.
When was Glory released?
When Glory was first released in 1989, it challenged a deeply entrenched popular memory of the war that centered the conflict around brave white soldiers and left little room to grapple with the tough questions of slavery and emancipation.
What is the climax of Glory?
The movie's climax, invol ving the 54th’s failed attack at Battery Wagner on July 18, 1863, depicts a final victory over adversity and a collective sacrifice around the flag. Shaw is killed attempting to lead his men in a final assault as is Trip, who falls having finally embraced the regimental colors.
What movie reminds us that black Americans fought for their own emancipation?
Newly added to Netflix, the Civil War movie reminds the nation that black Americans fought for their own emancipation. Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his role as one of the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts. (United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo) By Kevin M. Levin. smithsonianmag.com.
Why was Washington's trip whipped?
In one of the most powerful scenes in the movie, Washington’s Trip is whipped by an Irish drill sergeant for leaving camp without permission in front of the entire regiment. The sight of a bare-backed former slave with old whipping marks still visible certainly works to stir the emotions of viewers, but had little basis in fact as the army had already banned the practice of flogging.
What is Glory's greatest achievement?
While Glory presents the regiment’s failed assault on Battery Wagner as its greatest achievement, their extended protest against unequal pay helps to align the service of Black soldiers within the broader history of civil rights, and perhaps is an even stronger connection to modern-day protests against racial injustice.
Who played the escaped slave Trip in the movie?
The supporting cast includes Morgan Freeman as Sergeant John Rawlins, Andre Braugher as the well-educated Thomas Searles, and Denzel Washington as the escaped slave Trip. (All the black characters are fictional, though some have suggested that Searles is based on one of Frederick Douglass’ sons, who served in the regiment.)
Is Glory still a reminder of the Civil War?
Glory still offers a powerful reminder of the stakes of the Civil War for communities across the country debating whether to remove their Confederate monuments. The decisions made will go far in determining whether ‘Black Lives Matter’ today and in history.

Overview
Release
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94%, based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's consensus states: "Bolstered by exceptional cinematography, powerful storytelling, and an Oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington, Glory remains one of the finest Civil War movies ever made."
Plot
After being wounded at Antietam, Captain Robert Gould Shaw is sent home to Boston on medical leave. His well-connected father obtains for him a promotion to colonel of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first all-black regiments in the Union Army. Shaw appoints his friend and fellow soldier Cabot Forbes as his second-in-command. Their first volunteer is Thomas Searles, a bookish, free African-American who works as the Shaw family's secretary. Other recruit…
Cast
• Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw
• Denzel Washington as Private Silas Trip
• Cary Elwes as Major Cabot Forbes
• Morgan Freeman as Sergeant Major John Rawlins
Production
The title of the film recalls the "glory" for which the July 28, 1863, edition of the weekly Columbus Enquirer reported that First-Sergeant Robert John Simmons, mortally wounded at Battery Wagner, came to fight (Simmons himself wrote, in an account of the Battle of Grimball's Landing that was published in the New York Tribune on December 23, 1863: "God has protected me through this, my first fie…
Marketing
A nonfiction study of the regiment first appeared in 1965 and was republished in paperback in January 1990 by St. Martin's Press under the title One Gallant Rush: Robert Gould Shaw and His Brave Black Regiment. The book, by Peter Burchard, expands on how the 54th Massachusetts developed as battle-ready soldiers. Summarizing the historical events, the book provides events surrounding the aftermath of the first Black Union regiment and how it influenced the outcome o…
See also
• Denzel Washington filmography
• List of films featuring slavery
• List of films and television shows about the American Civil War
• 1989 in film
External links
• Official website
• Glory at AllMovie
• Glory at IMDb
• Glory at the TCM Movie Database
• Glory at the American Film Institute Catalog