The Peace Monument (also known as ''The Triumph of Peace'') is a public

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Designed by

Allen George Newman Allen George Newman III (August 28, 1875 – February 2, 1940) was an American sculptor, best known for his statue '' "The Hiker"''. Early life He was born in New York City, the son of hardware manufacturer Allen G. Newman, Jr. and his wife Ada ...

, the monument is located in

Piedmont Park Piedmont Park is an urban forest and park in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as ...

and was erected in 1911 by members of the Old Guard of the Gate City Guard, a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

-era

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

, as a show of national unity in the years following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The monument has been the subject of controversy recently, with some calling for its removal as a symbol of the

Lost Cause of the Confederacy The Lost Cause of the Confederacy, known simply as the Lost Cause, is an American pseudohistory, pseudohistorical and historical negationist myth that argues the cause of the Confederate States of America, Confederate States during the America ...

History

Old Guard and the peace monument

In 1857, the Gate City Guard, an

-based

, was officially chartered. The group had first been formed in 1854 for the purpose of maintaining law and order in Atlanta, which was nicknamed the "Gate City." During the

, the militia provided troops for the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

, 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 the

Georgia National Guard The Georgia National Guard is the National Guard of the United States, National Guard of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, and consists of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Georgia Air National Guard. (The Georgia State Defe ...

. 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 on

active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. Indian The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standin ...

. This group traveled extensively throughout the United States as part of a mission to improve reconciliation between northern states and southern states following the war. In 1910, as part of their ongoing efforts to promote reconciliation, the Old Guard decided to erect a

. The following year, the Old Guard commissioned

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based sculptor

. The dedication was held on October 11, 1911, attracting over 50,000 visitors. Notable attendees and groups in attendance included the Old Guard State Fencibles, the

Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is the oldest chartered military organization in North America and the third oldest chartered military organization in the world. A volunteer militia of the Commonwealth of Massachusett ...

, and

Mayor of Baltimore The mayor of Baltimore is the head of the executive branch of the government of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills, ordinances, or resolutions passed by th ...

James H. Preston James Harry Preston (March 23, 1860 – July 14, 1938) was the Mayor of Baltimore from 1911 to 1919. He also served in the Maryland House of Delegates. From 1920 to 1921, he served as president general of the National Society of the Sons of the ...

. A parade was held down

Peachtree Street Peachtree Street is one of several major streets running through the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Beginning at Five Points (Atlanta), Five Points in downtown Atlanta, it runs North through Midtown Atlanta, Midtown; a few blocks afte ...

that ended at the park.

Recent controversy

On August 13, 2017, following the

Unite the Right rally The Unite the Right rally was a White supremacy#United States, white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, from August 11 to 12, 2017. Marchers included members of the alt-right, neo-Confederates, neo-fascists, whi ...

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...

, the monument was defaced. Demonstrators in Atlanta, protesting the

white supremacist White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

rally, had organized a march from

Woodruff Park Woodruff Park, named for Robert W. Woodruff, is located in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The park's are north of Edgewood Ave, between Peachtree Street NE and Park Place NE. The park includes a fountain, a performance pavilion, ...

to Piedmont Park. Once there some protesters attempted to tear down the monument with a chain, with one protester getting hurt by metal falling off the monument. The monument was also

graffitied Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in Graffito (archaeology), graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple writte ...

with

spray paint Spray paint (formally aerosol paint) is paint that comes in a sealed, pressurized can and is released in an aerosol spray when a valve button is depressed. The propellant is what the container of pressurized gas is called. When the pressure hol ...

by protesters. Following these events, the city of Atlanta created an

advisory committee ''Advisory Committee'' is Mirah's second full-length album. It was released on K Records on March 19, 2002, and produced by both Mirah and Phil Elvrum. Production ''Advisory Committee'' was recorded over a one-year period, starting on Septembe ...

that worked with the

Atlanta History Center The Atlanta History Center is a history museum and research center located in the Buckhead (Atlanta), Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The Museum was founded in 1926, and has a large campus featuring historic gardens a ...

to discuss possible changes to

Confederate monuments and memorials Confederate monuments and memorials in the United States include public displays and symbols of the Confederate States of America (CSA), Confederate leaders, or Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War. Many monuments and memorials Removal ...

in the city. In 2019, the Government of Georgia passed a law forbidding the

removal of Confederate monuments and memorials There are more than 160 Confederate monuments and memorials to the Confederate States of America (CSA; the Confederacy) and associated figures that have been removed from public spaces in the United States, all but five of which have been sin ...

in Georgia. 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. At the Peace Monument, two signs were placed near the monument, which, according to the

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the Atlanta History Center, turn the monument from "an object of veneration into an artifact." The marker mentions the

and its relation to the monument and highlights that the monument neglects the perspective of many

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

during that time. Additional markers were placed near monuments and memorials in Oakland Cemetery (including the Confederate Obelisk) and

Buckhead Buckhead is the wikt:uptown, uptown commercial and residential district of the city of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, comprising approximately the northernmost fifth of the city. Buckhead is the third largest business district within ...

. Following the placement of these markers, the Atlanta chapter of the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

criticized them for not going far enough, with the branch president criticizing the committee for "compromising on racism." An official from the

Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...

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." As of 2019, the Gate City Guard continues to hold rededication ceremonies every October.

Design

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.

References

External links

* * * {{Atlanta landmarks 1911 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) 1911 sculptures Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Georgia Outdoor sculptures in Georgia (U.S. state) Statues in Atlanta Vandalized works of art in Georgia (U.S. state) Peace monuments and memorials