The vast majority of these Confederate monuments were built during the era of Jim Crow laws, from 1877 to 1964. Critics of the monuments point out that they were not built as memorials, but as a means of intimidating African Americans and reaffirming white supremacy after the Civil War.
What is the history of the Confederate statues?
Confederate monuments. While many Confederate memorials of the 1860s through 1880s were erected to mourn and honor Confederate dead, most Confederate monuments were created during the Jim Crow era beginning in the 1890s.
What do Confederate monuments stand for?
These monuments often feature celebratory images meant to justify the Confederate cause as a moral victory. Put simply: an equestrian statue of a Confederate general in front of a courthouse or capitol building is not about mourning or loss. It is about power and who was in charge.
What do the Confederate monuments honor?
Confederate Monuments Statement
There are 1,328 monuments, memorials, markers, and plaques on the battlefield that commemorate and memorialize the men who fought and died during the Battle of Gettysburg and continue to reflect how that battle has been remembered by different generations of Americans.
What happened to all the Confederate monuments?
Cities, largely in the south, tore down their monuments while others were toppled by protesters—a handful of who were arrested and charged.
Why are they tearing down Confederate statues?
The fight to get Confederate monuments removed had been gaining steam before 2020, but the racial and political reckoning accelerated calls for the removals. Many civil rights activists argued that structures were racist and offensive because they honored leaders who promoted the enslavement of Black Americans.
What is the problem with Confederate statues?
As people across the United States confront the nation’s legacy of slavery and systemic racism, monuments and memorials honoring the Confederacy have become political flashpoints, with some demanding their removal as symbols of racial oppression and others warning of an attempt to “erase” history and heritage.
Why are Confederates buried in a circle?
The Confederate dead were reburied on 3.5 acres (14,000 m2) of ground on the west side of Arlington National Cemetery. The graves were laid out in a pattern of concentric circles, rather than straight rows as elsewhere at Arlington, to emphasize the South’s attempt to find its place in the new united country.
What did the Confederates fight for?
The Confederacy went to war against the United States to protect slavery and instead brought about its total and immediate abolition. By April 1865, the C.S.A. was in ruins, its armies destroyed. The cost in human life was devastating: at least 620,000 dead—360,000 from the U.S. and 258,000 from the C.S.A.
Does removing Confederate statues erase history?
The statues rewrote history, reflecting the values of those who erected them. Removing them won’t erase history.
Are there any Confederate statues still standing?
Of the more than 1503 public monuments and memorials to the Confederacy, more than 718 are monuments and statues. Nearly 300 monuments and statues are in Georgia, Virginia, or North Carolina.
What happens to Confederate statues after removal?
Most of those monuments were delivered to Confederate cemeteries or accepted by museums, although a handful were headed for private properties or to local historical societies and organizations with ties to the statues.
Why should we keep Confederate monuments?
Confederate symbols and Civil War history
Residents were much more likely to say that Confederate monuments help people understand an important chapter in American history, and that they honor Confederate soldiers who passed away in the war.
What was found under Confederate statues?
According to an 1887 newspaper article, a time capsule hidden in the base of the statue of General Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War, contained relics such as buttons and bullets, Confederate currency, maps, a rare picture of assassinated president Abraham Lincoln in his
What is the oldest Confederate monument?
It was the first monument to the Confederate States of America dedicated in the State of Kentucky, and long believed to be the first Confederate memorial anywhere.
| Confederate Monument in Cynthiana | |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Cynthiana, Kentucky |
| Coordinates | 38°23′09.80″N 84°16′50.00″W |
| Built | 1869 |
| MPS | Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS |
What is the most controversial statue?
Seven of the world’s most controversial statues
- Nelson’s Column.
- Francisco Franco.
- Captain James Cook.
- Sam Nujoma.
- Cecil Rhodes.
- Monument of the African Renaissance.
- Joseph Stalin.
Will Gettysburg remove Confederate statues?
National Park Service: Confederate monuments at Gettysburg an ‘important part of the cultural landscape,’ will not be removed.
Are Confederate statues protected by federal law?
Under the National Historic Preservation Act, the most likely provision to inhibit removal of a Confederate monument is Section 106, which outlines the requirement for federal agencies to consider the potential adverse effects of their “undertakings” on historic structures before any action is taken.
Are Confederate statues still at Gettysburg?
Twelve state monuments at Gettysburg honor Confederate soldiers, including Maryland, which honors men of the state from both sides. All of the Confederate state monuments except Maryland can be found along West and South Confederate Avenues.
Why did some Confederates wear blue?
Confederate Army officers indicated their military affiliation with different colored facing on their coats or jackets. The colors were red for artillery, yellow for cavalry, light blue for infantry, and black for medical.
Why are Confederate headstones pointed?
The design varied in that the top was pointed instead of rounded and the shield was omitted. Apocryphally, it has been said that the pointed top was adopted to prevent “Yankees” from sitting on Confederate headstones.