Denmark Vesey Monument facts for kids
Denmark Vesey Monument (2018)
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Coordinates | 32°48′01″N 79°57′18″W / 32.80028°N 79.95500°W |
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| Location | Hampton Park, Charleston, South Carolina, United States |
| Designer | Ed Dwight |
| Material | Bronze Granite |
| Height | 7 feet (2.1 m) (statue) |
| Dedicated to | Denmark Vesey |
The Denmark Vesey Monument is a large statue in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. It was put up in 2014 in Hampton Park. This monument honors Denmark Vesey. He was a freedman (a person who was once enslaved but became free) who lived in Charleston. Vesey was executed in 1822 for planning a way for enslaved people to gain their freedom. The monument was designed by American sculptor Ed Dwight.
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History of the Monument
Who Was Denmark Vesey?
Denmark Vesey was a freedman who lived in Charleston, South Carolina. This was in the early 1800s. He had been an enslaved person. In 1799, Vesey bought his own freedom. He then became a carpenter.
Vesey could read and write. He was also an active member of a local church. This church was called Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Emanuel AME). In the late 1810s, Vesey studied the Bible. He was especially inspired by the Book of Exodus. This part of the Bible tells the story of people gaining their freedom.
Vesey then planned a way for enslaved people in Charleston to become free. He worked with another carpenter. Members of his church also supported him. Vesey planned to lead about 9,000 enslaved people. They hoped to gain their freedom and sail to Haiti. Vesey had even talked to officials in Haiti for their help.
However, the plan was discovered. An enslaved person told their owner about it. Vesey and others involved were arrested in the summer of 1822. Five days later, he was found guilty. He was sentenced to death. Vesey was executed on July 2, 1822. This was just days before his plan was supposed to happen.
Building and Dedicating the Monument
Work on the monument began in February 2010. Ed Dwight, a sculptor from Colorado, was chosen to design it. The monument features a statue of Vesey. It stands on a large base called a pedestal.
The monument was officially dedicated on February 15, 2014. Several hundred people attended the ceremony. Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. spoke at the event. He said that Denmark Vesey was a free Black man. He risked and gave his life to help enslaved people become free.
The reverend from Emanuel AME Church also spoke. He hoped the monument would help tell the full story of their southern heritage. In 2017, the monument was damaged. This might have been an act of vandalism.
What the Monument Looks Like
The monument has a bronze statue of Vesey. It is about 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall. The statue stands on a large granite pedestal. Vesey is shown holding a bag of carpentry tools in one hand. In his other hand, he holds a Bible. The statue of Vesey faces towards a gazebo in the park.
