What movie was based on the 54th Massachusetts Infantry? From the American Revolution to the Spanish-American War Read more from Chapter Military

The exploits of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry formed the basis of the motion picture Glory (1989). Starring Denzel Washington, the film portrays black soldiers who were trained to fight in the Civil War. Under the supervision of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, a white colonel from Boston, the men displayed courage and strength which enabled them to engage in a heroic battle that ended on July 18, 1863. The men attacked Battery Wagner, a key fortification in Charleston, South Carolina. Washington played the part of a former slave named Trip, whose slave experiences had embittered him and left him angry and tough. For his role in the film, Washington won his first Oscar and his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.