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 monumental statue in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. The monument was erected in 2014 in Hampton Park and honors Denmark Vesey, a freedman who lived in Charleston and was executed in 1822 for plotting a slave revolt. It was designed by American sculptor Ed Dwight.
Contents
History
Background
Denmark Vesey was a freedman who lived in Charleston, South Carolina during the early 1800s. A former slave, Vesey had bought his freedom in 1799 and became a carpenter. He was literate and an active member in a local church congregation, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Emanuel AME). In the late 1810s, having studied the Bible and in particular the Book of Exodus, Vesey became inspired to organize a slave revolt in Charleston. Working with another carpenter, and with the support of church members, Vesey planned to lead approximately 9,000 slaves in the area in an uprising against the white Americans in the city that would have seen many of them killed and the city durned down. Vesey then planned to sail with these freed slaves to Haiti, with Vesey having reached out to officials in that country to gain their support. However, the plan fell apart when a slave reported the plot to his owner. Vesey and several co-conspirators were arrested in summer 1822, and five days later, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Vesey was executed on July 2, days before the planned day of the uprising on July 14.
Erection and dedication
The groundbreaking for the monument was held in February 2010. Colorado-based sculptor Ed Dwight was selected to design the monument, which consisted of a statue of Vesey atop a large pedestal. The monument was dedicated on February 15, 2014 in a ceremony that was attended by several hundred people. At the ceremony, Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said “The undeniable fact is this: Denmark Vesey was free. He was a free black man, no one owned him … He risked his life and gave his life to make enslaved people free.” The reverend of Emanuel AME, who spoke at the event, said, "My hope is that this monument will add to the full story of our southern heritage.”
In 2017, the monument was damaged in what may have been an act of vandalism.
Design
The monument consists of a 7-foot (2.1 m) bronze statue of Vesey atop a large granite pedestal. Vesey is holding a bag of carpentry tools in one hand and a Bible in the other. Vesey is facing towards a gazebo in the park.
