Glory Reflection

Watching the movie Glory was a great experience because it showed us how hard life was for black soldiers in the Civil War and for any soldier anywhere. I was surprised by the fact that the white soldiers hated the 54th Massachusetts even though they were on the same side and fighting for the same cause. This movie made me think about the inspiration the black soldiers had to fight for the Union. They were paid less, had worse supplies, but yet they fought on. Glory showed the experience of the 54th Massachusetts as not so bad, but that was only because their colonel, Shaw, was kind to them. Other regiments probably had colonels that didn't care for them, like Montgomery. I think most of the movie was true, but the part where Shaw goes to get shoes from the quartermaster might have been a little too dramatic.

Glory

The movie glory was surprisingly historically accurate. The 54th did refuse their reduced pay, and Robert Shaw refused his pay with his men. I had originally thought that was made-up to make the movie better, so discovering that it really happened surprised me. In addition, in real life, the men were forced to burn the town, and Shaw did try to resist Montgomery's orders to destroy it. Later, the men of the 54th Massachusetts were actually sent to fight in the smaller battle depicted in the movie. However, one very important person, William Carney, was not depicted in the movie. During the attack on fort Wagner, Carney saw the flag bearer get killed, and grabbed the flag before it fell. He then carried the 54th's flag and didn't let it touch the ground despite getting shot multiple times. He received the medal of honor for his actions in 1900, and was the first black soldier to receive it. I am surprised that there was so much of the movie that was historically accurate, and yet the movie makers excluded one of the most important people in the story of the 54th Massachusetts regiment. The movie made me wonder if Shaw was really friends with one of the soldiers, like he was friends with Thomas in the movie, and if Montgomery actually thought the blacks were so inferior after seeing Shaw's men disciplined and well trained.

G.L.O.R.Y.

I actually loved the movie "Glory."  Sorry.I just wanted to put that out there.  But the fact that sooo many African Americans volunteered for the 54th regiment surprised me!  So many people volunteered and they stayed!  Even when they heard about all of the consequences that could happen if they were captured by the Conferderate.  That part inspired me a little. :)  The experiences of the African Americans were harsh, however I think Colonel Shaw made it a little easier for them (I feel like they knew what he was doing for them and that led to them caring for Shaw more than any regiment will ever care for their leading general)  However, the fact that the colored soldiers would get less pay was a little unfair but also predictable, seeing that African Americans were not necessarily America's favorite race.  However! It was not right, seeing that the Union started fighting for the freedom of slaves and African American rights since the Emancipation Proclamation was, well, proclamed.  It was predictable for the colored regiment to receive uniforms and rifles a little later than the others and also the chance to fight in battle a bit delayed, but for the men of the colored regiment to be deprived of clean shoes and socks?!?!  That was news to me! And also something that I realized I would not be able to live without, strengthening my admiration for the African American soldiers.  They had a tough life, from the "bullying" from the other regiments, a tough drill sergant, high ranked generals who wouldn't put the men into battle, the runaway slaves not being properly disciplined and yet laughing at the 54th, and long cold sleepless nights, to internal issues about the fears and doubts of the war and the external issues about physical health or the health and well-being of their families back home.  I think this movie seemed very real, except the parts where Shaw ordered things for his men; that seemed a little bit more hollywood-ized.  Also in battle, where Shaw keeps running, ahead of everyone else and seemingly dodging all of the cannon bullets...and when there's a moment of silence when Shaw gets shot and Trip dramatically comes to him and carries the flag and gets shot also...those parts seemed a little hollywood-ized, but other than that, I really enjoyed this movie and I feel like I can understand what it was like for the soldiers during the Civil War.

Loooooordd Looord Loord Lorrdddddd mmhhmm

Glory greatly portrayed an African-american's life in the Union army.  I truly wonder if the promotion of Rawlings actually happened during the Civil War.  Also I wonder if people were a lot sympathetic to their soldiers like how Robert was to his regiment.  African-american soldiers were often looked down upon and deprived of needs like adequate clothing like shoes.  Robert Shaw had already befriended Thomas, which was how he quickly learned to love his regiment.  Knowing Thomas, he felt sympathy for the soldiers and cared for them.  Most white folks would not have displayed this much kindness towards African-americans.  I believe the movie is very realistic and portrays life in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment very well.  What made me really think was when one of the contraband soldiers assaulted the Southern women.  They were openly disgracing themselves and putting a bad reputation on the North

Glory Movie Was Great

The movie surprised me in that the white people were kinda mean even though the black people didn't have to be there. They wanted to be there for the country. They weren't even getting paid! Why were the white people so racist? (Look up People are People by Depeche Mode if you get the chance). Anyway, I learned that the whites were confused and messed up people who hated their own soldiers, yet wanted to keep a whole union together. There were very few people who actually accepted the African-Americans. This was not a hollywood thing, it was realistic. Other than that, I have nothing really of value to say about the movie other than the fighting scenes were mostly realistic. Now I just HAVE to say, the fighting was epic on the second day of watching where they were using bayonets like spears with awesome skill (that might have been hollywood to make it interesting) and also MORGAN FREEMAN IS AWESOME!!!

"Glory" Reflection

     I hope you enjoyed the movie "Glory" that we have watched in class. What I would like you to do for this blog post is reflect on the movie. What surprised you? What made you think? What did you learn about the experience of African-Americans during the Civil War? Do you think this movie was realistic or was it just a "Hollywood" interpretation of history (in other words, the movie made it more dramatic than it really was or it didn't stay true to history)

      I'm not interested in hearing a movie review from you. I don't need to know what you thought of the acting or dialogue, nor do I care if you would recomend the movie to friends. Use the questions you answered while you watched to help you with character names and scene descriptions. Feel free to use those answers as examples.

     Remeber to post your own entry and comment on at least one other post!

This Might Be Too Nosy...

So I really want to know how spcial was tonight and if all of you had a fun time...but this blog isn't supposed to be about this kind of stuff..soooo...let's relate it to the Civil War. What was it like between the North (girls) and South (boys) in the "battle" that took place on May 4, 2012? What were some of the issues during the conflict? Did people enjoy the soldiers' experience? I know this is lame of me, but I'd love to hear back from anyone and everyone. See you guys on Monday!

Military

Sorry, this is totally late, but I want to at least do it.
I think that men and women join the military nowadays because they want adventure in their lives or possibly, they really do love America so much that they're willing to die for it. To be honest, it's probably more of the adventure that motivates men and women to abandon their lifestyles which would probably involve working as a secretary. Something not as spontaneous and risk-taking. I'm not all too sure that money motivates people to join the army, but that might also be the case.
If I were a soldier, the hardest part of the experience would probably be having to wake up at like 4:45 in the morning. I'm not really a morning person, so that's tough.

Just Curious...

So....how did that history test go today?

Can't Back Down From War

A Civil War is raging on and they need people. Should you join the army? Your life away from the battlefield is as boring as life can be. Your family needs provisions and money. Everyone thinks our scum, you want to make a name of yourself. I would join. I think it is my civil duty as a citizen to join. If you don't like a war, maybe you should leave.