Unveiling of the Equestrian Statue of Robert E. Lee

🗿 Unveiling of the Robert E. Lee Statue — Richmond, Virginia, 1890
📍 North America » United States » Virginia » Richmond » South Richmond
🗓️ Year: 1890

This photograph captures the unveiling ceremony of the equestrian statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on May 29, 1890, in Richmond, Virginia. The moment drew thousands of spectators and became a defining symbol of the post-Reconstruction South.

Installed on Monument Avenue, the statue marked the beginning of a broader effort to memorialize Confederate leaders—not just as military figures, but as icons of Southern identity and the "Lost Cause" narrative. It also reflected the era’s racial and political climate: a time when Black civil rights were being actively suppressed through segregation and disenfranchisement.

For over a century, the statue stood as a focal point of controversy, especially during the civil rights era and again in the 21st century, until it was finally removed in 2021 following widespread protests and a national reckoning with symbols of white supremacy.

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