The filmmakers provided a short but thorough illustration about the legacy that was left behind by the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. This film also highlights the heroic efforts that were made by the 54th. On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and this was a huge turning point for black people. The Proclamation authorized the enlistment of black troops in the Union’s Army, however, this did not go over smoothly for white northerners. The decision to free slaves along with the ideology that the Civil War was the white man’s war made it nearly impossible for blacks to enlist and serve in the Army. However, the preservation of the Union hinged on the notion that the nation needed black men to serve in order to