- Joined
- Jan 12, 2016
- Location
- South Carolina
From the final report of the Chicago Monuments Project, a few Civil War figures made the report. None of them Confederate, I might add.
One of the five most problematic was a monument to Philip Sheridan.
Comments on Abraham Lincoln:
Among the monuments needing revised descriptive text are several to Lincoln, one to John Logan and one to Ulysses Grant.
One of the five most problematic was a monument to Philip Sheridan.
""General Philip Henry Sheridan": As the top U.S. military official in charge of the Great Plains after the Civil War, Sheridan led campaigns to subdue American Indians on the Plains and permitted the hunting of bison almost to extinction. Survey respondents viewed the memorialization of Sheridan as "highly problematic/offensive" (66 percent) and believed the statue should be taken down (55 percent)."
"General Philip Henry Sheridan" Why? » In his role as Head of the Department of the Missouri in 1867, Philip Henry Sheridan employed the same scorched-earth tactics against the American Indians that he was notorious for using against the South during the Civil War — including allowing poaching bison on tribal lands that nearly exterminated the species » The sculpture has also been the source of adverse public reaction and repeatedly vandalized Recommended Next Steps » The artwork should be placed in storage » Agencies should consider the long-term loan or donation of the artwork to a private organization. The Park District should also consider the development of a new artwork at this site
Comments on Abraham Lincoln:
"Considering Abraham Lincoln: Expanded Narratives and Future Monuments Host: Chicago History Museum This session included four scholars: two of American Indian history, one art historian and one specialist on the American Civil War and Reconstruction. Their discussion focused on the urgent need to enrich and expand interpretation of Lincoln's reputation, as well as to question the motivations of monument makers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One panelist noted that memorializing a single individual expresses imperialist and Euro-North American values and that the permanence of these monuments tends to freeze or foreclose on interpretive complexity or reflection on history: "Exhibits at museums constantly change. Monuments don't have to be forever. There's not a lot of opportunity for engagement with monuments; there's not a lot of space for questions." Speakers and participants discussed their openness to change and reevaluation of what have been essentially permanent monuments. They expressed interest in keeping some existing monuments in order to learn about their subjects, but also the values and agendas of past eras that drove their creation and form. Keeping in mind the fact that values and motivations change over time, the panelists also counseled humility and the creation of opportunities to foster discussion and reconciliation when erecting new monuments."
Among the monuments needing revised descriptive text are several to Lincoln, one to John Logan and one to Ulysses Grant.
"The City will continue to engage community members, including American Indian constituents, regarding long-term treatment options for the monuments identified below. Concurrently, the City will revise the monuments' accompanying text. Though not prioritized for immediate artistic interventions, such measures may be employed in the future through ongoing program investments. These monuments include:
The City's collection of Lincoln statues including "Standing Lincoln," "Seated Lincoln," "Lincoln Rail Splitter" and "Young Lincoln"
» Monuments to significant people including "General John Logan Monument," "Ulysses S. Grant Monument," "Benjamin Franklin," "Robert Morris-George Washington-Haym Salomon Monument" (Heald Square Monument), "Leif Ericson" and "Robert Cavelier De La Salle
Bringing the