Civil war memorials can be found both north and south, often the same monument is used just with a different memorial plaque. They were often initiated by women, especially in the south, years after the war to create the community’s own history in a good light. Monuments in the south are targeted for removal, either a better explanation of their history is needed or a respectable but out of the way location should be chosen.
- It was common for a group in Vermont, say, to order the same statue as a group in Mississippi. They were mass produced, ordered from a catalog.
- It became a big business, and there were specific places that would sell these monuments of various styles.
- These are political and historical messaging machines, but they’re also works of public art.
“Their past is marked by female empowerment, massive denial, and a surprising twist linked to – of all things – the efficiency of American statue manufacturers”