Nathan Bedford Forrest Bust facts for kids

For the statue in Nashville, see Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue. For the statue in Memphis, see Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument.

The Nathan Bedford Forrest Bust is a sculpture of Nathan Bedford Forrest. He was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. This bust is on display in the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

History of the Bust

In 1973, a politician named Douglas Henry suggested putting a bust of General Nathan Bedford Forrest in the state capitol. This idea was approved on April 13, 1973.

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a complex figure. Many people in the South saw him as a hero because of his military actions during the Civil War. However, he also made a lot of money from the slave trade before the war. He used this wealth to help fund his troops. He was also involved in the Battle of Fort Pillow, a controversial event. After the war, he became a leader in the first Ku Klux Klan, a group known for its violence and intimidation.

Money to create the bust came from selling copies of a portrait of Forrest. This portrait was made for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group that honors Confederate soldiers. The bust itself was designed by Loura Jane Herndon Baxendale. It was made by the Karkadoulias Bronze Art Foundry in Cincinnati and placed in the Tennessee State Capitol on November 5, 1978.

Protests and Calls for Removal

When the bust was first put in place, many African Americans protested at the capitol. More protests happened in 1979. Around that time, the bust was damaged. Soon after, two crosses were burned in Nashville. This was a scary act often linked to the Ku Klux Klan.

Years later, after a tragic shooting in 2015, some politicians suggested removing the bust from the capitol. They included Congressman Jim Cooper and Governor Bill Haslam. However, the removal was put on hold.

After more violence in 2017, Governor Haslam again asked for the bust to be removed. He suggested moving it to the Tennessee State Museum. But a group called the Capitol Commission voted against removing it. Governor Haslam said he was "very disappointed" with this decision.

In 2017 and 2019, there were more attempts and votes to move the bust, but they did not succeed. In January 2019, a group of college students also asked Governor Bill Lee to remove the bust.

On June 9, 2020, the Tennessee General Assembly discussed removing the bust. The motion failed, meaning it stayed in place for a bit longer.

Bust Removed from Capitol

Finally, on July 9, 2020, the Tennessee Capitol Commission voted to remove the bust from the Capitol building. They decided to move it to the Tennessee State Museum. The process to move the bust takes time, so it was not moved right away.

Images for kids

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  Tennessee Lt. Governor Randy McNally.

• Speaker Cameron Sexton at an event in Dickson, TN.jpg

  Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton.