A white nationalist rally that turned violent in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12 brought renewed attention to dozens of Confederate monuments around the country. Many government officials, including Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, have called to remove statues, markers and other monuments that celebrate controversial Civil War era figures from public grounds. There are likely hundreds of such monuments in the United States.
Annapolis, Md.
Roger B. Taney statue removed
A statue of Roger Taney was taken down from its post in front of the State House at about 2 a.m. on Aug. 18. Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, called for its removal earlier this week, reversing a previously stated position that removing symbols like the statue would be tantamout to political correctness. Though not a Confederate official, Justice Taney was the chief author of the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which ruled that African-Americans, both enslaved and free, could not be American citizens.
Austin, Tex.
University removes Confederate statues
Statues of two Confederate generals, Robert E. Lee and Albert Sidney Johnston, and the Confederate cabinet member John Reagan, were removed on Aug. 21. They followed the removal of a statue of Jefferson Davis in 2015.
Baltimore
Four monuments removed
The mayor of Baltimore, Catherine Pugh, ordered the removal of four monuments to the era of the Confederacy, saying it was in the interest of public safety after the violence in Charlottesville. The statues were taken down before dawn on Aug. 16.
Brooklyn
Two plaques honoring Robert E. Lee removed
A plaque honoring a tree planted in Brooklyn in the 1840s by Robert E. Lee was removed on Aug. 16. The tree is next to a closed Episcopal church, and diocesan officials said they received multiple threats after the plaque was taken down. Another plaque was also removed.
Durham, N.C.
Confederate soldier monument toppled by protesters
Protesters pulled down a statue of a Confederate soldier in front of the Durham County Courthouse in Durham, N.C., on Aug. 14. The statue, which had stood since 1924, was protected by a special law. On Aug. 19, Duke University removed a Robert E. Lee statue from Duke Chapel.
Gainesville, Fla.
Monument to Confederate soldiers removed
A local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy paid for the Aug. 14 removal of a monument to Confederate soldiers that stood in front of Alachua County Administration Building in downtown Gainesville for 113 years. The monument, known locally as “Old Joe,” was moved to a private cemetery outside the city, according to The Gainesville Sun.
New Orleans
Four monuments removed
New Orleans removed four monuments dedicated to the Confederacy and opponents of Reconstruction in April. City workers who took them down wore flak jackets, helmets and masks and were guarded by police because of concerns about their safety.
Boston
Confederate monument covered as state weighs options
A Confederate monument on Georges Island in Boston Harbor has been covered up as the state decides what to do about it. Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, said in June that “we should refrain from the display of symbols, especially in our public parks, that do not support liberty and equality.”
Charlottesville, Va.
Proposal to remove monument to Gen. Robert E. Lee
Violence erupted on Aug. 12 at a far-right protest against the proposed removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general, from Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Va. Thirty-four people were injured in clashes and one person was killed when a Nazi sympathizer plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, the authorities said. The statue has not been removed.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Proposal to remove multiple Confederate monuments
The president of Jacksonville City Council, Anna Lopez Brosche, called for all Confederate monuments to be moved from city property to a museum. The most prominent Confederate memorial in Jacksonville is a statue of a Confederate soldier that sits atop a towering pillar in Hemming Park.
Lexington, Ky.
Two Confederate monuments slated for relocation
On Aug. 17, the City Council in Lexington, Ky., approved a proposal to remove two Confederate statues from the city’s historic courthouse. The mayor, Jim Gray, has 30 days to propose a new location for the statues, whose removal must be approved by the Kentucky Military Heritage Commission.
Memphis
Statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest considered for removal
The City of Memphis is seeking to remove a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general, from a city park, but needs approval from a state agency.
Nashville
Protests over Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the state Capitol
Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, said Aug. 14 that Forrest, who has a bust in the state capitol, “should not be one of the individuals we honor at the capitol,” but a 2016 law made it difficult to remove state monuments. Mr. Haslam urged action from the commissions charged with considering such removals.
Richmond, Va.
Mayor directed a commission to consider removing Confederate statues from Monument Avenue
Mayor Levar M. Stoney says he believes the towering Confederate statues on Monument Avenue, considered by some to be the historic backbone of Richmond, the former capitol of the Confederacy, should be removed. Mayor Stoney had said as recently as Aug. 14 that he believed the statues should stay up with added context, but changed course two days later and directed a previously formed commission to consider removing all or some of them.
San Antonio
Proposal to relocate monument to Confederate soldiers
Before the violence in Charlottesville, some city councilors had already been pushing for the removal of a statue of a Confederate solider in Travis Park. Demonstrators on both sides of the issue clashed on Aug. 12.
Stone Mountain, Ga.
Calls to remove faces of three Confederate generals in stone carving
Stacey Abrams, a Democratic candidate for governor, called for the removal of the reliefs of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson carved 400 feet above the ground on the side of Stone Mountain. The carving is protected by law.
Tampa, Fla.
Confederate statue considered for removal
A Confederate monument in Tampa will only be removed if enough private money is raised, Hillsborough County Commissioners decided on Aug. 16. On Thursday, Tampa’s three major sports teams said they would help pay for the monument’s removal.
The Bronx
Plans to remove busts of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson
The president of Bronx Community College, Thomas A. Isekenegbe, said the school would remove the busts of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee from its Hall of Fame for Great Americans.
Washington, D.C.
Proposal to remove Confederate statues from U.S. Capitol building, park
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey tweeted late Aug. 16 that he plans on introducing a bill to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol building. On Aug. 17, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, called for the removal of the statues, describing them as “reprehensible.” There are at least 12 Confederate statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection of the Capitol building. D.C. officials have called on the National Park Service to remove a statute of Albert Pike, a Confederate general, from a park.
More removed monuments
| Ellicott City, Md. » | Confederate memorial removed
Late Monday night, Howard County officials removed a Confederate memorial that had stood outside of a courthouse in Ellicott City, Md. “The more appropriate place for the memorial is in a museum,” said Alan H. Kittleman, the county executive, in a post on Facebook. |
| Franklin, Ohio » | Robert E. Lee monument removed
City officials in Franklin, Ohio, said Aug. 17 that they had removed a marker for Robert E. Lee overnight. Anti-racism activists had announced plans for a demonstration at the monument later this week. |
| Kansas City » | Confederate monument removed
The memorial to Confederate women, a 1934 gift by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, was defaced by graffiti on Aug. 18 and boxed up two days later in preparation for its removal. The monument was removed on Aug. 25. |
| Los Angeles » | Marker for Confederate veterans removed
A once-obscure Confederate monument in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery was taken down Aug. 15 after the cemetery’s owners heard numerous requests for its removal. |
| Louisville, Ky. » | Statue of Confederate soldier moved in Nov. 2016
A Confederate statue was removed from Louisville, Ky., last November, and relocated to Brandenburg, Ky. A dedication ceremony in Brandenburg was attended by hundreds of people. |
| Orlando » | Statue of Confederate soldier moved from a public park to a cemetery in June
Officials removed a Confederate statue known as “Johnny Reb” from Lake Eola Park in June, with the intention of moving it to a cemetery. While moving it, they found a time capsule with contents including Confederate money. |
| San Diego » | Plaque honoring Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, removed
The plaque at Horton Plaza Park was removed on Aug. 16. “Monuments to bigotry have no place in San Diego or anywhere!” City Councilor Christopher Ward wrote on Twitter. |
| St. Louis » | Confederate Memorial removed from public park in June
A little-known Confederate monument was removed from Forest Park earlier this summer after a campaign by vocal activists. |
| St. Petersburg, Fla. » | Plaque honoring Stonewall Jackson removed
A marker honoring the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Highway was taken away on Aug. 15 by city officials who said they did not want it to become a “flashpoint in this national debate.” |
| Bradenton, Fla. » | Confederate memorial’s spire broken during removal |
| Daytona Beach, Fla. » | Mayor removed three Confederate plaques from park |
| Frederick, Md. » | Roger B. Taney statue removed from City Hall |
| Helena, Mont. » | Confederate memorial removed from a city park |
| Madison, Wis. » | Confederate plaque removed from cemetery |
| Montreal (Canada) » | Plaque honoring Jefferson Davis removed |
| Rockville, Md. » | Confederate statue moved from courthouse |
| Worthington, Ohio » | Marker of Confederate general’s birthplace removed |
More proposed removals
| Chapel Hill, N.C. » | Mayor called for removal of ‘Silent Sam’ statue from campus
Governor Roy Cooper gave the University of North Carolina permission to remove the statue if “University leaders believe there is real risk to public safety.” |
| Portsmouth, Va. » | Mayor called for city’s Confederate monument to be moved
Mayor John Rowe said the Confederate monument in Portsmouth, which includes statues and an obelisk, should be moved to a cemetery from its spot on High Street. A protest of the monument was planned there on Aug. 17. |
| Alexandria, Va. » | City council voted in 2016 to move Confederate statue |
| Birmingham, Ala. » | City covered part of monument while looking at options for removal |
| Dallas » | Multiple monuments under consideration for removal |
| Frankfort, Ky. » | Some Republicans called for statue of Jefferson Davis to be removed |
| Indianapolis » | Official called for removal of Confederate monument from park |
| Norfolk, Va. » | Mayor asked city council to discuss removing Confederate monument |
| Pensacola, Fla. » | Calls to remove Confederate statue from a city square |
| Seattle » | Mayor called for removal of Confederate monument and Lenin statue |
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