Michael Shum

Dr. Matt Noonan

ENGW 1111

23 January 2019

On my move-in day last fall, my parents and I took a walk around Boston Commons after

settling down in my dorm. There I came across a large monument with a column or pillar as its

central feature. Looking further into this, I found out that what I came across that day is the

Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated to the soldiers from Boston that fought in the

American Civil War. Dedicated in 1877, its inscription implores future generations to follow the

example that the fallen have set before them; that they remember their sacrifice and the

principles they fought for. At the top of the 126 ft monument is a large statue of a woman, titled

America, with 13 stars on her crown and a U.S. flag in her hand. Other prominent features

include the four bronze statues on each of the corners of the bases; one with an olive branch to

represent peace, one with a book presenting history, one with a navy uniform to present the navy,

and one with an army uniform to represent the army, as well as four statues at the base of the

column facing in all directions to represent the eastern, western, northern, and southern

directions of the newly reunited nation. This monument stands prominently in Boston

Commons, and was erected in a ceremony with an estimated 25,000 people in attendance,

including notable figures in the Union Army.

Curious as to why and when society builds monuments, I researched further for insight.

My curiosity led me to an article by Leah Donnella titled “What Our Monuments (Don't) Teach

Us About Remembering the Past”. In her article, Donnella interviews Jennifer Allen, an
assistant professor of German history at Yale University, on the controversy surrounding

monuments commemorating Confederate generals. It is Allen’s position that monuments are

built by society in order to honor people and important events. However, the values that society

appreciate, and the values that these honored people/events represent, are subject to change over

time. Allen explains that monuments only have meaning because those who erect them and

appreciate them give them meaning. As history is constantly evolving and society constantly

changing, Allen argues, sometimes these monuments’ significance is altered, an example of

which can be seen in protests in Charlottesville, North Carolina, that have sparked over the

removal of a statue of Confederate States Army commander Robert E. Lee. Though the Soldiers

and Sailors Monument and monuments such as the statue of Robert E. Lee have many stark

differences ranging far and wide, one thing both landmarks do have in common is that they were

commissioned and erected by people that saw value in their legacies. However, as time

progressed, the values that society hold significant have common into question, and the resultant

are the violent protests seen in North Carolina. Due to these constant shifts, monuments require

society to be in a continuous state of self-reflection. The values that one generation may

consider important, are not, unlike the monuments that celebrate them, set in stone.
 Works Cited

Browne, Patrick. “Boston Soldiers and Sailors Monument.” Historical Digression, 5 Dec. 2011,

historicaldigression.com/tag/boston-soldiers-and-sailors-monument/.

Donnella, Leah, et al. “What Our Monuments (Don't) Teach Us About Remembering The Past.”

NPR, NPR, 23 Aug. 2017