Robert Gould Shaw

Biography

Robert Gould Shaw (1776–1853) lived through the early decades of the American republic, witnessing the nation's founding and early development. His life of seventy-seven years placed him among the generation that helped establish American institutions and society in the post-revolutionary era.

Shaw's longevity and his burial in Mount Auburn Cemetery reflect his family's prominence in Boston's social and civic life. Though specific details of his professional accomplishments remain limited in historical documentation, his life represents an important connection to Boston's early nineteenth-century community and heritage.