Why do we have monuments

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Unhealthy mourning can result in get strain on the human body, much less emotional and psychological health. In the United States, monument-making didn't become a widespread activity until after the Civil War, when cities established the first committees to beautify public spaces and commission works of art that would venerate historical figures and convey universal values [source: Farber ].

However, many of the country's public monuments were dreamed up and funded by private citizens. Wealthy individuals have typically enjoyed close relationships with local politicians, making it far easier to exert their influence on matters like public works of art. In Charlottesville, Va. Robert E. Lee at the center of that city's monument controversy was commissioned by wealthy philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntire in He also bought the surrounding land and donated it to the city as a whites-only park [source: Schragger ].

Because individuals have traditionally exerted so much control over the commissioning of monuments — whether those individuals are powerful political leaders or wealthy private citizens — it's important to recognize that the monuments they create represent a very narrow historical record. Even in cases where monuments are approved by city commissions, that doesn't mean that they reflect the history and values of the entire community.

They simply reflect the history and values of the people who were in charge at the time. History, as the old adage goes, is written by the winners. Marc Hertzman Photo by L. Brian Stauffer. News Source Kimberly Wilson.

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