On Monument Avenue

"Some say Richmond’s efforts are not enough. City officials, they think, were too cowardly to fight to tear the statues down. Others say the city is going too far — that the statues are works of art that should not be tampered with, or that the past is past and resurfacing it only opens old wounds. But those wounds never really healed. Recognizing that, as Richmond has finally promised to do, is one way to start."

- Washington Post Editorial Board, June 24, 2017

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HOW SHALL WE REMEMBER?

At the American Civil War Museum, we see the complex, messy, and multifaceted history these monuments represent. Ultimately, history is never static, but always present. Each generation asks different questions of the past, and each generation finds different answers to make sense of the world it occupies. Our generation is no different. We believe that conversation rooted in evidence-based history is the best guide to discerning our place, and our future, in an alive and evolving narrative.

To help explore the complex history of Monument Avenue, the Museum offers a document reader, an online exhibit, a select reading list, and a blog series.

 

Scroll down for more.

Said and Unsaid on Monument Avenue:
A Blog Series 

This series will explore the ways the statues on Monument Avenue contributed to larger discussions about defeat, politics, race, and tourism.

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Online exhibits

 

Explore two exhibits, The Birth of Monument Avenue and The Life of Monument Avenue, a collaboration between the Library of Virginia, the Virginia Historical Society, The Valentine, and the American Civil War Museum.

On Monument Avenue: 
A Select Reading List

A curated reading list of essential historical writing, viewing, and listening on Monument Avenue history, the Civil War and its legacies, and Virginia and Richmond history, with links to downloadable selections of books.