Glory Case - During Civil War

During the Civil War black troops had to fight against all odds to work along side the Union Army. White Officers believed that they didn't have the mental capability and discipline to fight in the war. White officers had difficulty relating to Blacks because of cultural and social differences, difficulties with communication, as well as discipline. An example of this is when Trip went to look for a pair of shoes. Without being allowed to explain, they resorted into whipping him to show they had power, which symbolized slavery, the very thing they were all there fighting against.

Northern whites had extreme prejudice and racism against both free and enslaved blacks. Many northern whites believed that black men in slavery were incompetent, making them unable to fight in a war.

Even the government, was against the Black Union soldiers. President Lincoln advised that the Federal Congress issue a conformation. That any negro taken in arm will be put to death if they fought for the Union Army and if they got caught by they Southerners that they would be placed back into slavery.

They even had to prove among themselves they were "black" enough to fight and among the other union soldiers, who claimed that they were just "stripes on nigger, is like tits on a bull;" however despite this, they continued to fight for there freedom and rights of others.

The intra-racial relationships between Black soldiers were that they weren't united. Thomas Searles was often picked on by Trip because he worked with Robert Shaw's father helping him with resettlement for the Freed Man Relief Association and that him and his father were free. For example, there was an argument with Trip and Thomas about their sleeping arrangements. Trip told Thomas "Thats my space nigga!" because he liked to sleep next to the door, and then later goes on to add "Oh i like it when niggas talk good as white folks." Throughout the movie Trip called Thomas a "snow flake" and a "house nigga". The Blacks were divided and classified as field hands, runaway slaves, or freed men. They often picked on each other for illiteracy such as blacks like Jupiter Shaw, or a runaway slave from Tennessee claiming to run for president. Despite their obvious differences, they had one common goal to fight for their freedom.

"When are we going to get the blue suit?" said Jupiter. "No blue suits for the black soldiers,"claims Trip.

Despite Blacks proving themselves, they still were faced with inequality. During the war Blacks were placed in the camps and troops were given manual labor jobs. They were given secondhand equipment, disgusting food and insufficient medical care. Black troops were paid less than white soldiers. Black men had a pay rate of $10 a month while white soldiers received $13,and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, refused to receive pay if it remained unequal to there counterparts. They also weren't able to fight alongside there white-counterparts.

This treatment was unlike the white Union soldiers, whose lifestyles wasn't ideal either, but they had better infantry, artillery, and regiments.

" I'd rather have a hog then a nigger at least you can eat the hog." -Union soldier

White reaction to black soldiers over the were pretty much up and down.Southerners hated the idea from the beginning. The people they tried to keep in bondage were able to use firearms to kill them.

"Handing out guns to a 1000 coloreds how popular that would" stated Cabot Forbes to his Robert Shaw.

The Northern whites were wishy washy. At first they didn't want the Blacks to fight so that they could remain a union but when the war started going south, Lincoln realized that fighting was the only way to end the war. January 1, 1863 Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, allowing Blacks to receive fire arms and fight among the Union Army. Then soon after the troops formed the President Lincoln advised that the federal congress issued a conformation. That any negro taken in arm