Charge of the First Massachusetts Regiment on a Rebel Rifle Pit near Yorktown 1862

Winslow Homer made this print, "Charge of the First Massachusetts Regiment on a Rebel Rifle Pit near Yorktown," during the American Civil War. It depicts a moment of intense conflict, highlighting the First Massachusetts Regiment's assault. But consider the context: this regiment was composed of African American soldiers. Homer's image presents the war, and race, through a specific lens. Made for mass circulation in "Harper's Weekly," it reflects and shapes public opinion during a deeply divisive period. How does the imagery portray the African American soldiers? Are they valorized, or are stereotypes at play? What does it tell us about the racial politics of the time, and the complex role of the illustrated press? The image's meaning isn't fixed. By examining period documents, military records, and the history of the press, we can better understand its complex commentary on the social structures of its time.