 Peace Monument (2020) | |
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| Location | Piedmont Park,Atlanta,Georgia,United States |
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| Coordinates | 33°47′11″N84°22′39″W / 33.78649°N 84.37746°W /33.78649; -84.37746 |
| Designer | Allen George Newman |
| Dedicated date | October 11, 1911 |
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ThePeace Monument (also known asThe Triumph of Peace) is a publicmonument inAtlanta,Georgia,United States. Designed byAllen George Newman, the monument is located inPiedmont Park and was erected in 1911 by members of the Old Guard of the Gate City Guard, aConfederate-eramilitia, as a show of national unity in the years following theAmerican Civil War. The monument has been the subject of controversy recently, with some calling for its removal as a symbol of theLost Cause of the Confederacy.
In 1857, the Gate City Guard, anAtlanta-basedmilitia, was officially chartered. The group had first been formed in 1854 for the purpose of maintaininglaw and order in Atlanta, which was nicknamed the "Gate City." During theAmerican Civil War, the militia provided troops for theConfederate States Army, but was disbanded following the end of the war. However, the militia was reconstituted during the Reconstruction era as part of what would later become theGeorgia National Guard. Around the same time, the Old Guard Battalion of the Gate City Guard was formed, consisting of former Gate City Guard members who were too old to serve onactive duty.[1] This group traveled extensively throughout the United States as part of a mission to improve reconciliation betweennorthern states andsouthern states following the war.[2]
In 1910, as part of their ongoing efforts to promote reconciliation, the Old Guard decided to erect a monument inPiedmont Park.[1] The following year,[1] the Old Guard commissionedNew York City-based sculptorAllen George Newman.[2] The dedication was held on October 11, 1911, attracting over 50,000 visitors.[2] Notable attendees and groups in attendance included theOld Guard State Fencibles, theAncient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, andMayor of BaltimoreJames H. Preston.[1] A parade was held downPeachtree Street that ended at the park.[1]
On August 13, 2017, following theUnite the Right rally inCharlottesville, Virginia, the monument wasdefaced.[2][3] Demonstrators in Atlanta, protesting thewhite supremacist rally, had organized a march fromWoodruff Park to Piedmont Park.[3] Once there some protesters attempted to tear down the monument with a chain, with one protester being hurt by metal falling off the monument.[3] The monument was alsograffitied withspray paint by protesters.[2] Following these events, the city of Atlanta created anadvisory committee that worked with theAtlanta History Center to discuss possible changes toConfederate monuments and memorials in the city.[4][5][6]
In 2019, theGovernment of Georgia passed a law forbidding theremoval of Confederate monuments and memorials in Georgia.[4] In August of that same year, the commission authorized the installation of signs near several Confederate monuments and memorials in the city (including the Peace Monument) that would give more historical context regarding the structures.[4][5][6][7][8] At the Peace Monument, two signs were placed near the monument, which, according to theCEO of the Atlanta History Center, turn the monument from "an object of veneration into an artifact."[5] The marker mentions theLost Cause of the Confederacy and its relation to the monument and highlights that the monument neglects the perspective of manyAfrican Americans during that time.[6] Additional markers were placed near monuments and memorials inOakland Cemetery (including theConfederate Obelisk) andBuckhead.[8] Following the placement of these markers, the Atlanta chapter of theNAACP criticized them for not going far enough, with the branch president criticizing the committee for "compromising on racism."[8] An official from theSouthern Poverty Law Center similarly criticized the signs, saying, "A plaque standing next to something that massive and already offensive can't really undo the harm to citizens who are being exposed to it."[9] As of 2019, the Gate City Guard continues to hold rededication ceremonies every October.[6]
This monument should no longer stand as a memorial to white brotherhood; rather, it should be seen as an artifact representing a shared history in which millions of Americans were denied civil and human rights.
The monument features the "angel of peace" (modeled by Audrey Munson), holding an olive branch, standing over a Confederate soldier who has a gun in his hands, telling the soldier that peace has been proclaimed.[11]
Media related toPeace Monument (Atlanta) at Wikimedia Commons