Cultural History Artifact Management and Patriotism Act of 2015 facts for kids
The Cultural History Artifact Management and Patriotism Act of 2015 is a law passed in 2015 by the North Carolina General Assembly, which is like the state's main law-making group. This law, also known as SL 2015–170, helps manage important historical items and symbols in North Carolina.
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What is the Cultural History Act?
This law has several important goals. It aims to make sure that the American flag and the North Carolina flag are treated with respect by state groups. It also set up a special office, the Division of Veterans Affairs, to handle old or damaged flags properly.
The law also works to protect monuments and memorials that honor important events, people, and military service in North Carolina's history. Another part of the law moved some old, important documents from the Secretary of State's office to the Department of Cultural Resources. This was done to make it easier for people to see these historical papers.
Why Was This Law Important?
Many people believed that a main reason for this law was to protect certain historical monuments, especially those from the Confederate era. This idea caused a lot of discussion and debate. In fact, some people saw the law as a way to completely stop these monuments from being moved.
How the Law Affected Monuments
The Cultural History Act became a big topic in the news in 2018. This happened when Governor Roy Cooper suggested moving three Confederate monuments located on the grounds of the state capitol building.
The law states that a monument owned by the state cannot be moved or changed without permission from the North Carolina Historical Commission. So, in 2017, Governor Cooper's office asked the Commission to approve the removal of these monuments.
However, in August 2018, the Commission said they could not approve the Governor's request. They explained that another part of the law prevents any "object of remembrance" on public property from being permanently removed. Because of this, Governor Cooper later asked for the law to be canceled.
The Silent Sam Monument
The Silent Sam monument was another example of how this law had an impact. This Confederate monument was located at the entrance of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Officials at the university had often said they wanted to remove it. However, they felt they could not because of the Cultural History Act. On August 20, 2018, the monument was toppled by protestors.
