Lee Circle facts for kids
Lee Circle is a large, round intersection in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's often called a "traffic circle" or "roundabout." For many years, from 1884 to 2017, a tall statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stood in the middle of it.
The statue was made of bronze by a famous American artist named Alexander Doyle. He was known for creating statues of important people from the American Civil War. Lee Circle is located where St. Charles and Howard Avenues meet. Before the statue was built, this spot was known as Tivoli Circle or Place du Tivoli. It was a very important meeting place in the city, connecting different areas. Today, it's still a popular spot for people to gather and watch Mardi Gras parades.
Removing the Lee Statue
On May 18, 2017, the city of New Orleans announced that the statue of Robert E. Lee would be taken down. This was the last of four monuments honoring Confederate figures that the city decided to remove. The city also shared plans to replace the statue with a water fountain.
The removal of the Lee statue happened on the evening of May 19, 2017, around 6 p.m. This was different from the other statue removals, which usually took place very early in the morning.
In February 2019, a person was banned from a Mardi Gras parade for life. They had thrown special beads that looked like the Lee statue. These beads were sold online as part of a business. Throwing them went against a city rule that stops advertising and political messages during parades.
Images for kids
-
Lee Circle in 2017, after the statue of Robert E. Lee was removed
