"Memorializing Men of the Lost Cause: Public Opinion of Confederate Monuments in Virginia 1900-Present"

Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia began having statues placed along in in 1890 and with the Jefferson Davis one being unveiled on June 3, 1907. The point of the statues along the avenue was to tell a "story of pure patriotism and heroism" where it would "stand out as priceless heritages to all generations. The point of the monuments was to "teach a silent lesson of the great struggle between the states, when Southern patriotism and glaiantry [sic] were so fittingly demonstrated."

​

The Lost Cause was an important part of the rhetoric of the monuments throughout Virginia and the South. The point of the monuments was to continue to tell the Southern version of the story of the Civil War long after Confederate Veterans and their families were gone. 

​

Below is a sample of newspaper articles from around Virginia that discuss the Jefferson Davis Monument and it's unveiling as well as discussing the Lost Cause myth that surrounds the Civil War. Please use the zoom tool on each image to read the articles.