Contact: Colleen Roche/Jennifer Chait (212) 788-2958
Robert Gould Shaw was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 10, 1837, came with his family to Staten Island in approximately 1846, and settled in the community now known as Livingston. At that time, most of the people in this North Shore community, including the Shaw family, were abolitionists.
When the Civil War came, Robert entered the Army, and in 1863 he was made Colonel of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers, the first black regiment of the North. Under his leadership, the Regiment fought a battle on James Island near Charleston, South Carolina and participated with distinction in the desperate attack on Fort Wagner. Unfortunately, while leading his troops in this encounter, Robert Gould Shaw was mortally wounded.
In recognition of Robert Gould Shaw's dedication to human rights, it is fitting that Davis Avenue, between Richmond Terrace and Henderson Avenue, in the vicinity of the Shaw family residence, be named "Colonel Robert Gould Shaw's Glory Way."
For the reasons previously stated, I will now sign the bill.