Robert Gould Shaw Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robert Gould Shaw Memorial |
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| Artist | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
| Year | 1884 |
| Type | Bronze |
| Dimensions | 3.4 m × 4.3 m (11 ft × 14 ft) |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| 42°21′27″N 71°3′48.6″W / 42.35750°N 71.063500°W | |
| Owner | National Park Service |
The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial is a large bronze sculpture in Boston, Massachusetts. It honors Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the brave soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. This regiment was one of the first all-Black military units in the American Civil War. The sculpture shows Colonel Shaw riding a horse, leading his troops as they marched through Boston in 1863. This monument was first shown to the public on May 31, 1897. It was the first public monument to celebrate the courage of African American soldiers.
History of the Monument
The monument remembers Colonel Shaw's death on July 18, 1863. He and his troops attacked Fort Wagner. This fort was important for protecting Charleston, South Carolina, a port city in the South.
A man named Joshua Bowen Smith helped start the idea for the monument. He was a state lawmaker in Massachusetts. Other important people also helped plan it. These included Governor John Albion Andrew, who asked Shaw to lead the 54th Regiment. The monument was built to thank Shaw and to celebrate Black men becoming citizens.
People started raising money for the monument right after the battle. Survivors of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and freed Black people from Beaufort, South Carolina, helped. But the first planned location was not good, and some local white people were not happy. So, the money was used for the Boston location instead.
The monument has been damaged several times over the years. This happened in 2012, 2015, and 2017. On May 31, 2020, during public demonstrations, parts of the monument were marked with words. The front of the monument was covered for repairs at the time. This cover also received marks.
Work to fix the monument began in May 2020. The plan was to finish by January 2021. The bronze sculpture was carefully moved to another place for cleaning and repair. This work was expected to take about five to six months. While the sculpture was being fixed, a new concrete base was built. The whole project cost $2.8 million. It also included a special augmented reality mobile app. This app helps visitors learn more about the monument. There will also be new signs. These signs will explain the history of the American Civil War, the 54th Regiment, and the monument itself. They will have QR codes that link to the AR app.
In July 2020, the monument was part of many discussions. People were talking about public statues and their meaning during the demonstrations.
Messages and Meanings on the Monument
The artist, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, made each African-American soldier look unique. He wanted to show them as individuals, not just a group. The monument was officially opened with a speech by William James. He was a famous thinker from Harvard University. He said:
There they march, warm-blooded champions of a better day for man. There on horseback among them, in his very habit as he lived, sits the blue-eyed child of fortune, upon whose happy youth every divinity had smiled.
—Oration by William James at the exercises in the Boston Music Hall, May 31, 1897, upon the unveiling of the Shaw Monument.
There is a Latin message on the sculpture. It says OMNIA RELINQVIT / SERVARE REMPVBLICAM . This means "He left behind everything to save the Republic."
Below the sculpture, there are lines from a poem. The poem is called "Memoriae Positum" by James Russell Lowell. It reads:
Right in the van of the red rampart's slippery
swell with heart that beat a charge he fell
foeward as fits a man: but the high soul burns
on to light men's feet where death for noble
ends makes dying sweet.
On the back of the monument, there are words by Charles W. Eliot. He was the president of Harvard University. His words explain the bravery of the soldiers:
The White Officers taking life and honor in their hands cast in their lot with men of a despised race unproven in war and risked death as inciters of servile insurrection if taken prisoners besides encountering all the common perils of camp march and battle. The Black rank and file volunteered when disaster clouded the Union Cause. Served without pay for eighteen months till given that of white troops. Faced threatened enslavement if captured. Were brave in action. Patient under heavy and dangerous labors. And cheerful amid hardships and privations. Together they gave to the Nation and the World undying proof that Americans of African descent possess the pride, courage and devotion of the patriot soldier. One hundred and eighty thousand such Americans enlisted under the Union Flag in MDCCCLXIII–MDCCCLXV. [1863-1865]
This message tells us that white officers risked their lives to fight alongside Black soldiers. Black soldiers volunteered when the Union was struggling. They fought without pay for a long time. They risked being enslaved if captured. They were brave in battle and worked hard. Together, they showed everyone that Black Americans are proud, brave, and loyal soldiers. About 180,000 Black Americans joined the Union army between 1863 and 1865.
There is a plaster copy of the monument. It was shown at a big exhibition in 1901 called the Pan-American Exposition. This copy is now at the National Gallery of Art. It is on loan from the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. A small mistake is on this plaster copy. It says the attack on Fort Wagner and Shaw's death happened on "JULY TWENTY THIRD," which is five days later than the actual date in history.
