During the late 19th century, the United States was divided by a secessionist country known as the Confederate States of America which consisted of seven secessionist slave holding states. Slavery played a prominent role in the Confederacy due to a heavy reliance on labor in the southern plantations as well as an emphasis on racism and white supremacy. Eventually, disputes between the Union and the Confederacy over the morality of slavery led to the Civil War. After a few years of ferocious combat between the two sides, the Confederacy lost the war, which was followed by the construction of statues and monuments honoring those associated with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Recently, these monuments have served as a point of contention…show more content… Confederate monuments embody a myriad of purposes, but they could primarily serve in creating a connection like in other sites of remembrance including Auschwitz and other concentration camps that “stand as testimonials to a past that would never want to forget or repeat” (Source F). Thus, it is crucial for Confederate monuments not to be removed. Additionally, removing the Confederate monuments “eliminates opportunities for productively using our past” (Source B). Similarly, renowned author and philosopher, George Santayana states “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. By keeping the monuments intact, it would help people realize that they could learn from the dangerous hostilities from the past and not allow the same racial conflicts from occurring. Recognition of what each Confederate monument commemorates could potentially help people internalize the severity of racial discrimination and its unintended consequences which would resolve future political disputes about this predicament. Overall, keeping Confederate monuments in their current locations would continue to improve the United States’ strive to move past these racist ideologies and instead, focus on methods to preserve the nation’s past
