Lesson Plan: The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the Civil War

DESCRIPTION

This lesson has students explore the formation and legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first Black regiments during the Civil War. Students will view video clips of a tour of the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial at the National Gallery of Art to learn about why the unit was formed, its involvement in the Civil War and how it is remembered today. They will demonstrate understanding by completing one of the assignments included on a choice board. The entire lesson can be found here.

PROCEDURES

• SET-UP:

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or independently by students.

  Each activity, video and handout included in the lesson can be linked to an online discussion board or learning management system. You can also save and share the following Google handout for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (Google Doc)

  By making a copy of this Google Doc, you can adjust the instructions to meet the needs of your class and provide that copy to your students. Your students can also make a copy and complete the assignments digitally in the space provided.

• WARM-UP:

  Begin class by having students brainstorm what they know about African Americans during the Civil War and list what questions they might have about it. Review the students’ responses and address any misconceptions.

  • What do you already know about the roles that African Americans played in the Civil War?

  • What questions do you have about the roles that African Americans played during the Civil War?

• VOCABULARY INTRODUCTION:

  Before introducing the content on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, ensure the students have an understanding of the following vocabulary words that will be used in the lesson. This can be done by having students research these terms using a jigsaw activity or simply defining each term for the students.

  • Abolitionist

  • Emancipation Proclamation

  • Enlist

  • Freedman

  • Infantry

  • Regiment

  • Runaway Slave

• EXPLORATION:

  Students will explore the following video clips explaining the formation, actions, and legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. As students view these videos, they should answer the questions on the handout and listed below each video.

  Handout: The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (Google Doc)

  Review the answers to these questions with the class to address any confusion about the content.

• Video Clip 1: The Formation of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (5:15)

  • Why was Governor Andrews able to form the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in 1863? Why is the regiment significant?

  • How did Governor Andrews go about recruiting the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment?

  • In what ways was the makeup of the 54th Infantry unique during the Civil War?

  • How did leaders of the abolitionist movement assist with the formation of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry?

• Video Clip 2: Members of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (5:01)

  • Who was Colonel Robert Gould Shaw? Why was he chosen to lead the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment?

  • Why was Colonel Robert Gould Shaw reluctant to lead the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment?

  • Why do you think members of the 54th Infantry Regiment were so eager to get their photographs taken in their uniforms?

  • Describe the ways that African American soldiers were presented in the photographs.

  • How was photography important to spreading the idea of African American freedom?

• Video Clip 3: Racial Inequalities in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (3:19)

  • How was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment segregated by race?

  • Describe the difference in pay for Black soldiers.

  • What arguments were used to argue for equal pay for Black soldiers?

  • What actions did the 54th Infantry Regiment take in response to this difference in pay?

• Video Clip 4: The Second Battle of Fort Wagner (4:31)

  • Why did Colonel Shaw want the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment to lead the charge at the Battle of Fort Wagner?

  • What happened to Colonel Shaw during the battle?

  • Why was the flag important to the regiment during the battle?

  • What was Sergeant William Carney’s role in the battle?

  • How were the actions of William Carney and the 54th Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Fort Wagner used by the Union Army?

• Video Clip 5: The Legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (2:53)

  • Why was the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment important to the United States at the time? Why is it important now?

• APPLICATION:

  After reviewing the students’ responses as a class, have the students choose one of the following activities from the choice board. Using this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of the legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Teachers can also assign an activity instead of allowing students to choose.

• CHOICE BOARD ACTIVITIES:

• Design a Memorial-

  Design a memorial to the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Draw what your memorial will look like. Explain how your memorial represents the legacy of the regiment.

• Written Response-

  View the video clip from the lesson about the legacy of the 54th Massachusetts . Provide a written response to the prompt below:

  Video Clip 5: The Legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (2:53)

  • Why is the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment important to understanding the struggle for equality in the United States?

• Write a Letter Home-

  Write a letter home from the perspective of one of the soldiers discussed in the video clips. In your letter home describe the events discussed in the lesson and the significance of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

• Faces of the 54th Database-

  Visit the National Park Service’s Faces of the 54th Database. Explore the information about the members of the 54th on the website by searching and filtering the data. Using that data, answer the following questions.

  • What were common occupations for the enlisted men? What were common occupations for the commissioned officers? Why do you think that is?

  • Where were most enlisted men from? Where were most commissioned officers from? Why do you think that is?

  • Based on this information what trends do you see and what assumptions can you make about the 54th Massachusetts Regiment?

• Analyzing Recruiting Posters-

  View each of the recruitment posters for the 54th Regiment for the Massachusetts Historical Society. Analyze the language used and the benefits promised. Based on this poster and the video clips from the lesson, explain why African Americans in 1863 might choose to enlist in the 54th Regiment.

  • Poster: Now in Camp at Readville! 54th Regiment!

  • Poster: To Colored Men. 54th Regiment! Massachusetts Volunteers, Of African Descent

• 54th Massachusetts Regiment Biographies-

  Choose one of the following members of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment: Robert Gould Shaw, Lewis Henry Douglass, or William Harvey Carney.

  Research his life and legacy by searching for resources on the National Park Service and the Faces of the 54th Database. Write a short biography that addresses the following information:

  • Their Background and Life

  • Contributions during the Civil War

  • How he is remembered today

• WRAP-UP: As an exit slip, have the students answer the following questions:

  • What is the legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment?

  • What questions do you still have about the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment?