Charlottesville: Monumental Changes

Charlottesville: Monumental Changes

Charlottesville is an important location when considering the controversial topic of removing Confederate monuments. In 2017 it was the site of the Unite the Right rally, which was a rally conducted by white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and Klansmen among other white nationalist groups. These groups were protesting the removal of Confederate statues following the racially motivated 2015 Charleston church shooting. Among the monuments proposed for removal were statues of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the statue popularly known as Johnny Reb in Charlottesville. Many other monuments across the United States came under increased criticism as well. The rally turned violent as protestors and counter-protestors clashed, leading to more than thirty injuries and one death at the hands of a self-proclaimed white supremacist. This had the opposite intended effect and led to many statues being removed from fear of continued violence in cities across the United States. Some statues, like the statue of Johnny Reb in Charlottesville, have been removed and relocated to places where they can be presented in a way that better explains their context in American history. Others, such as the Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson monuments in Charlottesville, are still being contested under Virginia state law prohibiting the removal of war memorials. This law went into effect after the statues were erected however, leading to court proceedings holding up their removal. Other monuments, like the Confederate Dead Memorial in the University of Virginia cemetery, have had no action taken against them, though it has been noted that its presence near an unmarked slave cemetery is problematic. This city alone demonstrates the different voices on both sides of the debate. Outcomes have included removal and relocation, contestation by state government, and in some instances, little action taken. The city of Charlottesville stands as a significant modern battleground over the controversial debate on the removal of Confederate monuments.

Matthew Mulcaire, Sally Hy, Jacob Sandusky, Joey Baum, Julia Vargas, Sergio Sifuentes, Michael Westfall

HIST 402A Fall 2020-2023

Charlottesville, Virginia