Boston’s most iconic public monument, the Shaw Memorial, was officially unveiled on May 31, 1897. The homage to the 54th Black Infantry Regiment of Boston is considered one of America’s most significant Civil War memorials. It was the first public monument to accurately depict black soldiers in military uniform. The memorial was created by immigrant Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), considered by many to be America’s greatest sculptor of the 19 th century. The memorial was unveiled on Memorial Day, located near the site where Civil War regiments mustered on Boston Common before going off to war. Notable guests at the ceremony included acclaimed Black inventor and leader Booker T. Washington, philosopher and writer William James, along with veterans of the 54 th Regiment and the families of the soldiers. It took Saint-Gaudens fourteen years to complete the memorial, partly because there was an early disagreement within the memor...
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