Military service & courage
Robert Gould Shaw
1837–1863
Massachusetts connection
Boston; 54th Massachusetts
Shaw was the white colonel who commanded the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. He died in the attack on Fort Wagner in 1863. Study him alongside the Black soldiers he commanded. Remembering only a commander leaves out the many people whose actions made a regiment’s history.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- What challenge did this person or group face? What does the evidence show?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Robert Gould Shaw mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: National Park Service ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?