Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Birmingham, Alabama)
{{use mdy dates |date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox military memorial
| name = Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| body = United States
| image =
| caption =
| commemorates = Confederate Soldiers and Sailors
| use_dates =
| established = {{start date|1905}}
| removed = {{end date|2020|06|02}}
| unveiled =
| coordinates = {{coord|33.52007|N|86.80948|W|region:US-AL_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| location = Linn Park, Birmingham, Alabama
| nearest_town =
| designer =
| total_burials =
| unknowns =
| commemorated =
| by_country =
| by_war =
| inscription =
| embedded =
| source =
}}
{{short description|Monument to the Confederacy in Birmingham, Alabama}}
The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was a commemorative obelisk that was erected in Linn Park, Birmingham, Alabama in 1905. The monument was dismantled and removed in 2020.{{Cite web|last=Dwyer|first=Colin|date=June 2, 2020|title=Confederate Monument Being Removed After Birmingham Mayor Vows To 'Finish The Job'|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867659459/confederate-monument-removed-after-birmingham-mayors-vow-to-finish-the-job|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602184354/https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867659459/confederate-monument-removed-after-birmingham-mayors-vow-to-finish-the-job |archive-date=June 2, 2020 |access-date=2020-06-03|website=NPR.org|language=en}}
History
The cornerstone of the Monument plinth was laid during the 1894 Reunion of United Confederate Veterans on Confederate Decoration Day, April 26.{{cite web |title=UNITED CONFEDERATE VETERANS.; Fourth Annual Reunion, at Birmingham, Ala. -- Large Attendance. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1894/04/26/106829280.html?pageNumber=2 |website=New York Times |accessdate=3 June 2020 |language=en |date=25 April 1894 |quote=More than 20,000 visitors were in Birmingham in attendance upon the fourth annual re-union of the United Confederate Veterans, which convened here to-day. To-morrow, Decoration Day, will be observed in an appropriate manner. The cornerstone of a Confederate monument to be erected by Camp Clayton Sons of Veterans will be laid. |archive-date=June 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615034837/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1894/04/26/106829280.html?pageNumber=2 |url-status=live }} and contained a Bible and Confederate flag.{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Nathan |title=A history of the Confederate monument in Birmingham's Linn Park |url=https://bhamnow.com/2020/06/02/a-history-of-the-confederate-monument-in-birminghams-linn-park/ |website=Bham Now |accessdate=3 June 2020 |date=2 June 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603184936/https://bhamnow.com/2020/06/02/a-history-of-the-confederate-monument-in-birminghams-linn-park/ |url-status=live }} The slab of rock was unused for several years, though a surplus artillery piece from the Spanish–American War of 1898 once rested on it. On May 29, 1896, The United Daughters of the Confederacy held a meeting to decide what to do with the plinth and, in 1900, raised money for construction of the obelisk. The {{convert|52|ft|m|adj=mid|tall}} monument was completed on April 27, 1905.{{cite web |title=The History of Birmingham's Confederate Monument and How the State of Alabama is Fighting to Keep It |url=https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/18/1691468/-The-History-of-Birmingham-s-Confederate-Monument-and-How-the-State-of-Alabama-is-Fighting-to-Keep-It |website=Daily Kos |accessdate=3 June 2020 |date=August 18, 2017 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603184911/https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/18/1691468/-The-History-of-Birmingham-s-Confederate-Monument-and-How-the-State-of-Alabama-is-Fighting-to-Keep-It |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|last=Mock|first=Brentin|date=January 16, 2019|title=Alabama Can't Make Birmingham Display Confederate Monument|url=https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/01/alabama-birmingham-confederate-monument-judge/580612/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203024453/https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/01/alabama-birmingham-confederate-monument-judge/580612/ |archive-date=February 3, 2019 |access-date=2020-06-03|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Burch|first=Audra D. S.|date=2020-06-02|title=Birmingham Mayor Orders Removal of Confederate Monument in Public Park|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/george-floyd-birmingham-confederate-statue.html|access-date=2020-06-03|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603172523/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/george-floyd-birmingham-confederate-statue.html|url-status=live}}
In 2017, following widespread concern about the monument being a symbol of historic racism, the Birmingham city council erected a barrier surrounding the memorial, resulting in a lawsuit being brought against it by the state.{{Cite web|last=Edgemon|first=Erin|date=2017-08-15|title=Birmingham covers Confederate monument with plywood|url=https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2017/08/defy_state_law_and_remove_conf.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011130803/https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2017/08/defy_state_law_and_remove_conf.html |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |access-date=2020-06-02|website=al.com|language=en}} In January 2019, an Alabama court declared unconstitutional the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act that prohibited "alteration" of the monument.{{Cite web|date=2019-01-15|title=Judge rules Confederate monument law is void|url=https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2019/01/judge-rules-alabama-confederate-monument-law-is-void-city-of-birmingham-didnt-break-the-law.html|access-date=2020-06-03|website=al.com|language=en|first=Ivana|last=Hrynkiw|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603070145/https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2019/01/judge-rules-alabama-confederate-monument-law-is-void-city-of-birmingham-didnt-break-the-law.html|url-status=live}} The lower court's decision was reversed in November 2019 by the state Supreme Court, which upheld a fine of $25,000 against the city council.{{Cite web|date=2019-11-27|title=Alabama Supreme Court upholds Confederate monument law|url=https://www.al.com/news/2019/11/alabama-supreme-court-says-birmingham-violated-historic-monuments-law.html|access-date=2020-06-03|website=al.com|first=Mike|last=Cason|language=en|archive-date=May 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530135206/https://www.al.com/news/2019/11/alabama-supreme-court-says-birmingham-violated-historic-monuments-law.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2019-11-27|title=Confederate Memorial Barrier Illegal, Alabama Supreme Court Says|url=https://patch.com/alabama/birmingham-al/confederate-memorial-barrier-illegal-alabama-supreme-court-says|access-date=2020-06-03|website=Birmingham, AL Patch|language=en|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603072724/https://patch.com/alabama/birmingham-al/confederate-memorial-barrier-illegal-alabama-supreme-court-says|url-status=live}}
Following protests in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, during which protestors damaged and tried to remove the monument, the city council removed the obelisk, leaving only the plinth.{{Cite web|first=Harmeet|last=Kaur|title=Protesters tried to remove a Confederate monument in Birmingham. The mayor told them he would finish the job|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/us/birmingham-protests-confederate-monument-trnd/index.html|date=June 2, 2020|access-date=2020-06-02|website=CNN|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603141510/https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/us/birmingham-protests-confederate-monument-trnd/index.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2020-06-02|title=Linn Park Confederate Monument Removed By City|url=https://patch.com/alabama/birmingham-al/linn-park-confederate-monument-removed-city|access-date=2020-06-03|website=Birmingham, AL Patch|language=en|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603072702/https://patch.com/alabama/birmingham-al/linn-park-confederate-monument-removed-city|url-status=live}} The state Attorney General responded by filing a new lawsuit against the city council saying{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Attorney General Steve Marshall files new lawsuit against Birmingham over removal of Confederate monument|url=https://www.wbrc.com/2020/06/02/attorney-general-steve-marshall-files-new-lawsuit-against-birmingham-over-removal-confederate-monument/|access-date=2020-06-03|website=www.wbrc.com|date=June 3, 2020|language=en-US|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603071511/https://www.wbrc.com/2020/06/02/attorney-general-steve-marshall-files-new-lawsuit-against-birmingham-over-removal-confederate-monument/|url-status=live}} the removal was in violation of the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017, a law passed specifically to prevent the removal of this monument. It was the most prominent Confederate monument in the state. The Alabama Attorney General filed suit against the city of Birmingham for violating the statute. Mayor Randall Woodfin said the expected $25,000 fine for removing the statue would be much more affordable than the cost of continued unrest in the city.{{cite news|title=Obituary for a racist symbol: Birmingham takes down Confederate monument after 115 years|date=June 2, 2020|newspaper=al.com|first=Connor|last=Sheets|url=https://www.al.com/news/2020/06/obituary-for-a-racist-symbol-birmingham-takes-down-confederate-monument-after-115-years.html|access-date=June 11, 2020|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211010704/https://www.al.com/news/2020/06/obituary-for-a-racist-symbol-birmingham-takes-down-confederate-monument-after-115-years.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Alabama attorney general sues Birmingham for removing Confederate monument|date=June 2, 2020|url=https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2020/06/alabama-attorney-general-sues-birmingham-for-removing-confederate-monument.html|newspaper=al.com|access-date=June 11, 2020|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603120959/https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2020/06/alabama-attorney-general-sues-birmingham-for-removing-confederate-monument.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Confederate monuments targeted by protests come down in Alabama, Virginia, Florida|agency=Associated Press|first1=Jay|last1=Reeves|date=June 2, 2020|newspaper=WPBI-LD (mynbc15.com)|url=https://mynbc15.com/news/nation-world/confederate-monuments-targeted-by-protests-come-down-in-alabama-virginia-florida|access-date=June 11, 2020|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603223306/https://mynbc15.com/news/nation-world/confederate-monuments-targeted-by-protests-come-down-in-alabama-virginia-florida|url-status=live}}
See also
{{Portal|Visual arts}}
- List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
- Statue of Charles Linn, removed around the same time
- Statue of Frank Rizzo, removed around the same time
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests}}
{{George Floyd protests}}
Category:1905 establishments in Alabama
Category:2020 disestablishments in Alabama
Category:Monuments and memorials in the United States removed during the George Floyd protests
Category:Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Alabama
Category:Removed Confederate States of America monuments and memorials
Category:Obelisks in the United States
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Alabama
Category:Vandalized works of art in Alabama
{{Alabama-stub}}
{{US-sculpture-stub}}