Shawn Quigley of the National Park Service will give a presentation on the Massachusetts's 54th Regiment.
Following the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, President Abraham Lincoln called for the raising of Black regiments. Massachusetts Governor John Andrew quickly answered Lincoln's call and began forming the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first Black regiments to serve in the U.S. Civil War. Black men from across the city, state, country, and even other nations, traveled to Boston to join this historic regiment. Through their heroic, yet tragic, assault on Battery Wagner, South Carolina in July 1863, the 54th helped inspire the enlistment of more than 180,000 Black soldiers…a boost in morale and manpower that Lincoln recognized as essential to the victory of the United States and the destruction of slavery throughout the country.
Accommodations
This event is accessible to people with disabilities. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact Amy Layton at alayton@bpl.org by as soon as possible. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.