The New York State Department of Labor (DOL) marked Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28th by unveiling plans for a new, permanent memorial that will pay tribute to the State employees who passed away, including line of duty deaths, while serving New York State. The memorial site, which will feature a plaque, will be located near the reflecting pool in front of the Department’s office on the Harriman State Office Campus in Albany. [Read more…] about Memorial Planned For Workers Who Died While Serving NYS
Monuments
Arlington National Cemetery Removing Confederate Memorial
Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington) is removing its Confederate Memorial, as mandated by the Congress’s authorizing the Naming Commission to rename and/or remove Department of Defense assets that commemorate the Confederate States of America (CSA) or any person who voluntarily served with the CSA against the United States. [Read more…] about Arlington National Cemetery Removing Confederate Memorial
Project Seeks to Document Confederacy & Civil War Memorials on College Campuses
The basic objective of the new Locating Slavery’s Legacies database (LSLdb) is to collect information about monuments and memorials identified with the Civil War and Confederacy on the campuses of American colleges. This information will in analysis and understanding of the impact of pseudohistorical Lost Cause movements on higher education in the United States in the 160 years since emancipation and the end of the war. [Read more…] about Project Seeks to Document Confederacy & Civil War Memorials on College Campuses
State Museum Acquires Women’s Rights Pioneers Central Park Monument Model
The New York State Museum in Albany has acquired the Women’s Rights Pioneers Central Park Monument model. The statue features three nationally recognized leaders of the women’s rights movement, all hailing from New York State: Sojourner Truth (Ulster County), Susan B. Anthony (Rochester), and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Johnstown, Seneca Falls, and NYC). It will be included as part of the Museum’s new exhibition, “Women Who Lead.” [Read more…] about State Museum Acquires Women’s Rights Pioneers Central Park Monument Model
Spotlight: Oakwood Cemetery in Rensselaer County
Oakwood Cemetery in eastern Lansingburgh, within the northeast section of the City of Troy, is a place to honor loved ones, contemplate nature, explore art and architecture, and discover the rich history of Upstate New York.
Founded in 1848, Oakwood is one of America’s largest rural cemeteries, commanding a spectacular panoramic view of the Hudson Valley with trails, ponds, and waterfalls. Oakwood’s picturesque 300 acre landscape and stately monuments make it a popular spot for runners, dog- walkers, families, nature lovers, and history buffs. [Read more…] about Spotlight: Oakwood Cemetery in Rensselaer County
Italian Heroes In New York: What Purpose Did Statues Serve?
Nationalism of the nineteenth century represents very different values to those of our era. With the present rise of frenzied flag-waving and militant xenophobia, it is hard to understand the cult status achieved by foreign revolutionary figures such as Lafayette, who was honored as the “French Hero of the American Revolution.”
In 1878 a bust of Giuseppe Mazzini was unveiled in New York City‘s Central Park. A decade later, on the sixth anniversary of his death, Giuseppe Garibaldi was memorialized with a bronze statue in Washington Square Park. Why were these relatively unknown Italian insurgents given such a prestigious presence in New York? [Read more…] about Italian Heroes In New York: What Purpose Did Statues Serve?
Landmarks of the American Revolution
The book In the Founders’ Footsteps: Landmarks of the American Revolution (David R. Godine, 2022) by Adam Van Doren takes a look at the original thirteen colonies in search of historical sites and their stories in America’s founding. [Read more…] about Landmarks of the American Revolution
Albany’s Philip Schuyler Statue, Slavery and History Reconsidered
A statue of Albany’s Philip Schuyler (1733-1804) has stood in front of City Hall since its dedication by Mayor William S. Hackett on June 25, 1925. The statue was a gift to the city from George C. Hawley, a beer baron whose family owned the Dobler Brewery in Albany, in memory of his wife Theodora M. Hawley.
In 2020, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan ordered it removed because Schuyler was a slaveholder. As Mayor Sheehan noted, removing the statue is one way of acknowledging the enduring legacy of slavery. [Read more…] about Albany’s Philip Schuyler Statue, Slavery and History Reconsidered
List of America’s Public Monuments Reveals One-Sided History Obsessions
Who are the 50 individuals most frequently represented by a public monument in the US? What percentage of those 50 are white and male? How many are women? And what are the dynamics that helped shape who is — and who is not — on that list?
Answers to those questions are among the findings of the National Monument Audit, a first-of-its-kind report issued by Monument Lab, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit art and history studio. [Read more…] about List of America’s Public Monuments Reveals One-Sided History Obsessions
Crispus Attucks: The First Martyr of Liberty
Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, Patrick Carr, and Crispus Attucks. These are the five men who died as a result of the shootings on Boston’s King Street on the night of March 5, 1770.
Of these five victims, evidence points to Crispus Attucks falling first, and of all the victims, Crispus Attucks is the name we can recall. Why is that? [Read more…] about Crispus Attucks: The First Martyr of Liberty