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Celebrating Black History
William H. Carney's Heroic Stand
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Today we highlight the inspiring story of the first Black American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor: Sergeant William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer infantry regiment.
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Born enslaved in Virginia, Carney’s father escaped slavery, resettled in New England, and earned enough money to emancipate his family, including young William. Having learned to read and write while still enslaved, William hoped to become a minister until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
At that point William believed that he could “serve my God by serving my country and my oppressed brothers,” and enlisted in the 54th regiment, comprised of Black soldiers, many of them former slaves, led by white officers.
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Black Americans like Carney served with distinction throughout the Civil War, strengthening Union forces and proving to their white counterparts that they, too, could and would fight for the freedoms they held most dear. Using the language of the Constitution, Frederick Douglass encouraged his fellow Black Americans to “win for ourselves the gratitude of our country, and the best blessings of our posterity through all time."
When the war ended in 1865, over 200,000 Black soldiers and sailors had heeded Douglass’ call.
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By 1863 Union forces had reached Charleston, South Carolina, a city that many Northerners blamed for starting the Civil War. With Fort Sumter lurking nearby, capturing Charleston required the Union army to launch an attack on its sister, Fort Wagner, first.
At dusk on July 18, 1863, the 54th led the assault on Fort Wagner. However, the Confederate forces stationed there were prepared for the onslaught, and inflicted heavy losses on the Black regiment, including killing the regiment’s flagbearer.
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Watching the flag slowly plummet to the ground, William Carney sprang into action, retrieved the flag, and held it aloft for nearly 30 minutes atop Fort Wagner’s parapet despite being wounded multiple times. After a hard-fought battle, Union commanders realized that the fort could not be taken and ordered the 54th to retreat.
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As the survivors staggered back to camp, William H. Carney appeared holding tightly to the stars and stripes. He refused to let anyone take the flag from him, and before he fainted from blood loss, told the men around him, “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!”
Witnesses to the fighting ability and dedication of the 54th regiment praised them for their bravery and patriotism. The actions of men like Carney inspired many white Americans to abandon their prejudices and helped the nation realize the truth of the Declaration of Independence, that all “are created equal.”
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What This History Can Teach Us
In spite of experiencing the horrors of slavery, some 200,000 Black Americans fought and sacrificed to uphold the truth in our Declaration of Independence that all are created equal. Sergeant Carney's heroic act of protecting the American flag did not simply show one man's dedication to duty. Rather it showed that America's revolutionary principles of freedom and equality were worth profound sacrifice so that we can finally realize those ideals enshrined in our central founding document.
We have come a long way in our effort to ensure every American has the same rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and our founding principles remain the basis for resolving persistent racism and ensuring equal opportunity for all our people.
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If you would like to read more about William H. Carney, check out “The Hero of Fort Wagner,” on our American Arc blog. Click here to browse a collection of works by Jack Miller Center faculty partners and others on the contributions of Black Americans to America’s story of freedom.
Elliott Drago is a United States historian and editorial officer at the Jack Miller Center. He is author of Street Diplomacy: The Politics of Slavery and Freedom in Philadelphia, 1820-1850 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022).
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Carney contributed to the story of freedom that is America.
Americans of all backgrounds, races, and creeds share this sacred duty to our flag and the principles of freedom for which it stands.
In a time when our founding principles seem to be under attack, Carney and the Black Americans who fought with him then and since, remind us of the vital need for all Americans to stand up for the pursuit of life, liberty, and equality. It is our duty.
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We must work today to protect our freedoms by introducing and strengthening the teaching of our founding principles and history in our schools, all the way from K-12 through college. These principles are what can unite us as a people.
Our young people are failing to know, understand, and at times, even appreciate our nation's founding principles and history. At the Jack Miller Center we believe that "the battle for the soul of our nation will be won or lost in our classrooms."
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Do you know others who may be interested? Please forward this email to your friends and contacts or share on your social media.
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About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a nationwide network of scholars and teachers who are dedicated to advancing the core texts and ideas of the American political tradition.
We have three strategies to pursue this mission:
- build and sustain a community of scholars in the fields of American political thought and history;
- restore the teaching of American citizenship in K-12 schools that centers on the country’s history, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and other foundational texts in the American tradition; and
- partner with organizations and philanthropists to advance civic education that is grounded in America’s founding principles and history.
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