Loyal slaves monument facts for kids
The Loyal Slaves Monument is a special monument in Fort Mill, South Carolina. It was built in 1896. This monument was made to honor enslaved people who were seen as loyal and helpful to the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
This small monument was the first of its kind in the United States. It is still one of the very few monuments in the South that mentions or shows enslaved people. It is also the only one dedicated entirely to enslaved people as a group.
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Why This Monument Was Built
Many monuments honoring the Confederacy were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. White people in the Southern states built them. These monuments helped to support unfair laws called Jim Crow laws. These laws kept Black people separate and treated them badly. The monuments also helped spread the idea of the Lost Cause. This was a way of looking at history that said the South's reasons for fighting the Civil War were noble.
The Loyal Slaves Monument was built in 1896. This was around the time when many Confederate monuments started to appear. This monument also showed a new idea for memorials. Instead of honoring famous leaders like Robert E. Lee, it honored everyday people. This included regular soldiers or white women who stayed home during the war.
What the Monument Looks Like and Its Story
The monument is about thirteen feet tall. It is a tall, pointed stone shape called an obelisk. It is made of white marble and sits on a marble base. This base is supported by four steps made of stone.
Two sides of the monument have carvings that stick out a little. These are called bas-relief carvings. They show enslaved Black people. One carving shows a "mammy" figure holding a white baby. A "mammy" was a common, often unfair, way of showing Black women who cared for white children. The other carving shows a Black person harvesting wheat in a field. The monument also lists the names of ten enslaved people who were considered loyal.
The words carved on the monument say:
Dedicated to the faithful slaves who, loyal to a sacred trust, toiled for support of the army. With matchless devotion, and with sterling fidelity guarded our defenseless homes, women, and children during the struggle for the principles of our Confederate States of America.
These words mean that the monument honors enslaved people who were believed to be loyal. It says they worked hard to support the Confederate army. It also says they bravely protected homes, women, and children during the war.
The monument was dedicated in 1896. A local cotton mill owner named Samuel E. White helped pay for it. He was a former Confederate officer. He also helped put up three other monuments in Fort Mill. These included monuments for Confederate soldiers, Confederate women, and the Catawba people, who are native to the area.
A white entertainer named Polk Miller spoke at the monument's dedication. He was a supporter of slavery. In his speech, he compared African Americans of his time, who were seeking more rights, to enslaved people from "the good old days." He suggested that freeing enslaved people was a bad idea.
The Fort Mill Loyal Slaves Monument was the first Confederate memorial to actually mention slavery. Other monuments often avoided talking about it. It is also still the only Confederate monument that shows both enslaved people who worked in houses and those who worked in fields.
How People Feel About It Today
Many white people in Fort Mill like the monument. Even some African American residents in Fort Mill have mixed feelings about it. Some Black residents believe it should stay up. They see it as a reminder of their history and where their families came from. For example, one resident said her great-grandfather was listed on the monument.
However, other members of the Black community want the monument removed. They believe it promotes a false idea that enslaved people were happy and devoted to their owners.
In 2017, officials in Fort Mill said they had not received any complaints about the monument. But in 2020, a small protest was held in Confederate Park. People protested all the monuments there, including the Loyal Slaves Monument. Many critics say this monument is one of the most controversial in the park because it promotes a misleading idea about slavery.
Images for kids
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Inscription and a carving on the loyal slaves monument in Confederate Park in Fort Mill, SC.
