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In 1907, the Robert E. Lee Monument was joined by monuments for J.E.B. Stuart and Jefferson Davis. J.E.B. Stuart was a Major General for the Confederate army and Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederacy. -
In October 1870, Robert E. Lee, general of the Confederate army, passed away and plans to erect a monument to him in Richmond, Virginia began. -
The monument was unveiled to a crowd of 150,000 people. -
By 1929, Monument Avenue was completed with monuments to Stonewall Jackson and Matthew Fontaine both served in the Confederate Army. -
In the summer of 2020, there were many Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd's death. The Robert E. Lee statue was covered in graffiti in protest of what it represents. A reminder of the Confederacy who fought to preserve slavery. Looking at the front of the monument there are signs saying "Tear it Down," spray-painted words like "BLM," and "Revolution." This calls to the BLM movement and the constant debate as to if we should keep monuments to the Confederacy up. -
Virginia's governor said that the monument would be removed. In June 2021, however, some residents brought it to court saying that they can't revoke the agreement to erect the statue that was made in 1899. The court is still deciding on the issue, so removal has been paused.