1. The Civil War and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry
Glory
The Civil War and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry

2. Civil War

3. Causes of the Civil War
Sectionalism-since the colonial days, the North and South had developed very differently.
North-businesses and industry, protective tariffs to encourage young American industry and manufacturing
Lots of infrastructure, roads, canals and trade
Slavery ended in North by 1804.

4. Causes of the Civil War South- Almost exclusively agricultural
Dependent on slavery for labor
Protective tariffs are bad for their sales
Very little infrastructure, highways, canals or railroads.

6. The Civil War Basics…
The Civil War was fought from between the North and South over the South’s right to continue owning slaves as an intrinsic part of the economic system for the Southern states.
The tensions were brewing for a long time over sectional differences and the growth of slavery in the expanding US.
The Civil War began when Southern troops bombarded Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, in Charleston, SC.
When Abraham Lincoln ran for president in 1860 on the Republican ticket it pushed the South to secede.
The North had more people, supplies, transportation and money. Nevertheless, the South was able to defeat the North in a lot of early battles.

7. Civil War Basics 620,000 men lost their lives.
Millions more were wounded

8. Civil War
The 54th Massachusetts was organized to allow African Americans to fight for the North.
African Americans were not allowed to fight in the Northern Army until 1863, after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy issued a statement in December of 1862 stating that all “colored soldiers” and their white officers would be killed if captured.

9. Civil War
The 54th was led by Robert Gould Shaw and Norwood Penrose Hallowell, sons of powerful abolitionists.
When they were finally sent into battle they joined the 2nd South Carolina volunteers, made up of freedmen.
They fought in many battles and motivated Lincoln to muster more African American troops.

10. 54th Massachusetts in action
Raid at Combahee Ferry- June 2, 1863
Harriet Tubman led an assault with the 2nd SC volunteers under James Montgomery to help three Union gunboats sneak up the Combahee River undetected.
She got information from local enslaved people about the location of the torpedo guns and helped people escape their masters.
The men and troops destroyed the crops and surplus cotton and rice ready for sale, many plantations and their lands.
“On the plantation of Mr. NICHOLLS between 8000 and 10,000 bushels of rice were destroyed. Besides his residence and outbuildings, which were burned, he lost a choice library of rare books, valued at $10,000. Several overseers are missing, and it is supposed that they are in the hands of the enemy.”- Charleston Mercury, June 7, 1863

11. 54th Action James Island- July 16, 1863
Fort Wagner- July 18th, of the 600 men who charged Fort Wagner were "killed, wounded or captured” including Colonel Shaw.
Battle of Olustee-February 20, 1864
Battle of Honey Hill-November 30, 1864
Battle of Boykin’s Mill- April 1865
William Harvey Carney circa awarded the Medal of Honor for grabbing the flag and carrying it back to the Union line