The Civil War in Statuary Hall - Gene Schmiel - Bog

There is a "new Civil War" debate over who should be honored in Congress's Statuary Hall, and this is the first book ever to look at the issues revolving around the Civil War and relevant honorees in the U.S. Capitol building. At a time when monuments are coming down in Statuary Hall and elsewhere, and when the names of military bases honoring Confederate Generals are going to be changed, it is particularly apt. In 1864, during the Civil War, Congress passed legislation giving each state and the District of Columbia carte blanche to place statues of two of its honored citizens in the Capitol Building. Including the "Statue of Freedom," which was placed atop the Capitol Dome in 1863, this book describes the background of 50 men and women (and one allegorical figure) from the Civil War era who have been so honored. Each short biography includes a picture of the person's statue and a relevant bit of information, e/g/ a map where the person fought a battle to a political cartoon about their career. At a time when Confederate statues like that of Robert E. Lee in Statuary Hall and elsewhere are being removed throughout the nation, this book will help the reader understand both who has been honored and why, as well as why some of the statues are being replaced. Some states have already replaced men who were honored in years past. Lee is only the latest. Jabez Curry, an Alabama Confederate, was replaced in 2009 by Helen Keller. George Washington Glick of Kansas was replaced in 2003 by President Dwight Eisenhower. In other cases, state legislatures have voted to replace statues, but a lack of funding has stalled the replacement process. This book provides an update. Over the next few years it is certain that there will active public debate about replacing more of the current honorees from the Civil War era. The author is pleased to contribute to the process of gathering information for that debate via this book, the sixth in his series, "Civil War Personalities, 50 At a Time." For those interested in more details about the capitol, its history, and other books, see the web-site of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, https: //uschs.org/