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Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments
An urgent and fractious national debate over public monuments has erupted in America. Some people risk imprisonment to tear down long-ignored hunks of marble; others form armed patrols to defend them. Why do we care so much about statues? And who gets to decide which ones should stay up and which should come down?
Erin L. Thompson, the country’s leading expert in the tangled aesthetic, legal, political, and social issues involved in such battles brings much-needed clarity in Smashing Statues. She traces the turbulent history of American monuments and its abundant ironies, starting with the enslaved man who helped make the statue of Freedom atop the US Capitol, and explores the surprising motivations behind such contemporary flashpoints as the toppling of a statue of Columbus at the Minnesota State Capitol. Written with great verve and thoroughly researched, Smashing Statues gives readers the context they need to consider the fundamental question: Whose voices must be heard and whose pain must remain private?
Erin L. Thompson, the country’s leading expert in the tangled aesthetic, legal, political, and social issues involved in such battles brings much-needed clarity in Smashing Statues. She traces the turbulent history of American monuments and its abundant ironies, starting with the enslaved man who helped make the statue of Freedom atop the US Capitol, and explores the surprising motivations behind such contemporary flashpoints as the toppling of a statue of Columbus at the Minnesota State Capitol. Written with great verve and thoroughly researched, Smashing Statues gives readers the context they need to consider the fundamental question: Whose voices must be heard and whose pain must remain private?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 8, 2022
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2342 people want to read
About the author
Erin L. Thompson
4 books18 followersErin L. Thompson is a professor of art crime at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is the author of Possession: The Curious History of Private Collectors and her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Art in America. She lives in New York.
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January 27, 2022
Smashing Statues by Erin L. Thompson takes the reader on a journey throughout American history and it’s turbulent and divisive relationship with statues. Specifically statues and monuments surrounding the Confederate movement, slavery and American figureheads.
What struck me the most while listening to this eBook was how much I didn’t know. Of course, you’d have to be living under a rock to miss the culture shift happening across the nation but the history of what statues and monuments we have, who paid for them, who fought to keep them, the laws that now protect them…etc, are not exactly taught in history class. At least, not in any high school or undergrad American history class I ever took.
The authors focus on Stone Mountain, located not far from Atlanta, Georgia churned my stomach the most. I remember vacationing there as a child with my family but I didn’t know about the prison (read slave) labor that constructed it. My understanding of the confederacy, at that age anyway, was very rudimentary. Erin L. Thompson has inspired me to dig more so that my children, now the same age I was, will not remain ignorant.
Overall I thought the ebook was well written and flowed well. It is heavy on dates and people, so I took it in by chunking instead of just listening straight through, but I don’t think that is a bad thing.
Smashing Statues will be released on 2/8/22. I plan to buy and donate copies of this book to my daughters schools.
Thank you to @netgalley, OrangeSky Audio and author, Erin L. Thompson for allowing me access to an eARC copy in exchange for a honest review.
What struck me the most while listening to this eBook was how much I didn’t know. Of course, you’d have to be living under a rock to miss the culture shift happening across the nation but the history of what statues and monuments we have, who paid for them, who fought to keep them, the laws that now protect them…etc, are not exactly taught in history class. At least, not in any high school or undergrad American history class I ever took.
The authors focus on Stone Mountain, located not far from Atlanta, Georgia churned my stomach the most. I remember vacationing there as a child with my family but I didn’t know about the prison (read slave) labor that constructed it. My understanding of the confederacy, at that age anyway, was very rudimentary. Erin L. Thompson has inspired me to dig more so that my children, now the same age I was, will not remain ignorant.
Overall I thought the ebook was well written and flowed well. It is heavy on dates and people, so I took it in by chunking instead of just listening straight through, but I don’t think that is a bad thing.
Smashing Statues will be released on 2/8/22. I plan to buy and donate copies of this book to my daughters schools.
Thank you to @netgalley, OrangeSky Audio and author, Erin L. Thompson for allowing me access to an eARC copy in exchange for a honest review.
May 22, 2022
When we see that a monument shows some people as inferior, we assume it acts as a cheery pat on the back to the people it claims are superior. But sometimes a pat on the back can push you into danger. When we think a monument flatters us or our ancestors, we need to look very carefully to see just what part of our history it praises and just what it wants our future to be.
This book was full of so many really impactful quotes, it was hard to narrow it down to just one, the way I usually like to introduce my reviews. The author was very good at making a statement, and a powerful one.
I didn't know a ton about the statue vs. no-statue debate, but when I was still in college I studied history, and had made my decision based mostly on that. The way I have always viewed it, is that we learn history from books, not from hunks of metal or stone. And this book did a very good job of confirming my biases.
But, in all seriousness, this book was very concise at explaining both the beginning of statues being torn down by the populous, such as with a statue of George III before we were even truly a country, to the more modern day. It also helped explain that sometimes, pulling a statue down ourselves is the only real option. So many Southern states have done more in the last few years to protect the rights of statues than their own people.
This book was full of so many really impactful quotes, it was hard to narrow it down to just one, the way I usually like to introduce my reviews. The author was very good at making a statement, and a powerful one.
I didn't know a ton about the statue vs. no-statue debate, but when I was still in college I studied history, and had made my decision based mostly on that. The way I have always viewed it, is that we learn history from books, not from hunks of metal or stone. And this book did a very good job of confirming my biases.
But, in all seriousness, this book was very concise at explaining both the beginning of statues being torn down by the populous, such as with a statue of George III before we were even truly a country, to the more modern day. It also helped explain that sometimes, pulling a statue down ourselves is the only real option. So many Southern states have done more in the last few years to protect the rights of statues than their own people.
February 15, 2022
This book is a masterpiece. Smashing Statues takes an in-depth and critical look at the history of public moments in the United States, and the power structures that have created, and perpetuated their messages in our country. Starting with a toppling of a statue on the very day that New Yorkers became American, it highlights that monuments are created by those in power to reinforce particular views or narratives of history, and that when society undergoes changes, those monuments are often the first to come down. By starting off this book with a chapter on the toppling of King George the III, Dr. Thompson disabuses the critique that removing statues is somehow "un-American" However, by following the ways in which statue making was used by largely white, Southern, power holders to reinforce docility among poor workers, she also shows that statues of the Confederacy were less about honoring history and more about post-hoc constructions of narratives that served to use racial tensions to perpetuate and exacerbate class divisions. And racism, lots and lots of racism.
The second half of the book looks at what it means to take the statues down. By doing so in public, these acts can serve as foci for much needed conversations about power dynamics and who's versions of history are centered in our collective narrative. Of note is that the horrible and racially motivated violence on Charlottesville and Charleston were inexorably linked to Confederate monuments, and while one may think that statue removal would have been one of the major outcomes, ironically it seems that in fact, a doubling down on their protections was a major outcome. Thus the oft-publicized forcible removal of statues is usually an act last resort, as removal, if legally possible, is only achievable through a Byzantine set of court procedures.
This book is beautifully written with an insightful, emotional and in some places devastating prose which cuts to the heart of the matter. It is equally a book of historical scholarship and a call for activism. Statues do not need to bind us to a single voice, and their removal can be an integral part of restorative justice, allowing us to sing together of a collective vision for the future.
The second half of the book looks at what it means to take the statues down. By doing so in public, these acts can serve as foci for much needed conversations about power dynamics and who's versions of history are centered in our collective narrative. Of note is that the horrible and racially motivated violence on Charlottesville and Charleston were inexorably linked to Confederate monuments, and while one may think that statue removal would have been one of the major outcomes, ironically it seems that in fact, a doubling down on their protections was a major outcome. Thus the oft-publicized forcible removal of statues is usually an act last resort, as removal, if legally possible, is only achievable through a Byzantine set of court procedures.
This book is beautifully written with an insightful, emotional and in some places devastating prose which cuts to the heart of the matter. It is equally a book of historical scholarship and a call for activism. Statues do not need to bind us to a single voice, and their removal can be an integral part of restorative justice, allowing us to sing together of a collective vision for the future.
January 25, 2022
A master class! I loved learning the history and the behind-the-scenes drama behind our treasured and not so treasured monuments. Some of the topics I have studied and was still able to pull a few gems from the stories shared in this book The author looks at the monuments in question from the perspective of all participants involved. Refreshing and unique to have a factual and thought out telling of a history that in some cases I only thought I knew. I would recommend this book across the ages. I think there is a lot of opportunity for incorporating across disciplines if a teacher were so inclined. While a true telling also an easy and enjoyable read.
February 8, 2022
Timely and thought-provoking. No matter what your stance is on the removal of monuments, this book will make you more informed on the issue--and may well change your perspective.
May 30, 2022
Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments is a succinct and evocative history written by Professor Erin L. Thompson of public monuments in America. Written in the aftermath of the 2020 protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the book doesn't stick to a conventional historical narrative charting the erection of America's public monuments and then jumping straight into the modern discourse. Instead Professor Thompson effectively illustrates not only that monuments have always been subject to public discourse, but more importantly, that the people behind these monuments - both in their creation and continued preservation - should be just as equal a focus for our interrogation of what these statues mean and how they and the ideas they represent continue to persist.
The first four chapters of the Book - Rising - focus on the history of a few poignant examples of public monuments in American history from the Revolutionary War right up to the twentieth century, but does so by telling the stories of the people behind their creation. From the sculptors, to the funders, to the politicians and other powerful figures who commissioned or were key in upholding them, Professor Thompson demonstrates that statues are not pure depictions of individuals or events from history. Very often they are ghosts (not least because they were regularly created in the aftermath of the persons or events they're supposedly honouring), captured in stone or metal, echoing the sentiments of their creators. Not only that, but that their placement in the public space - national parks, in town squares, adjacent to courthouses and state capitols - has much less to do with preserving heritage and much more to do with projecting an image of who that space is deemed to be for, and who it isn't.
The last four chapters of the book - Falling - brings us to the much more contemporary debates surrounding the fate of these monuments and others like them, and why the recent attempts by the 2020 protests to permanently remove a lot of these monuments have, at best, only seen them 'fall' temporarily into storage. Just as the first four chapters tell the stories of the people who made the monuments, these chapters tell the stories of some of the people who've tried to take them down for good, sometimes at great risk to themselves. Professor Thompson patiently takes the time to look at the arguments and debates that have arisen from these events, looking at the prospect of suggestions such as contextualising these monuments with more signage or in a museum, but ultimately concluding that no amount of contextualisation can avail these monuments of the harms they've upheld - and continue to uphold - by their very present image in the public consciousness, not least of all as a reactionary tool by those who prefer the status quo that these ghostly monuments embody.
Rather than settle on this malaise, the conclusion of the book makes it clear that the way forward goes beyond the simple toppling of a statue or monument and the erection of another in it's place. What needs to follow is a communal interrogation of our public spaces and the infrastructure they rest upon, and that not only do we need to reflect upon whether the monuments that exist are fit for the sorts of public spaces and life that we would like to see, but recognize that we can create more meaningful ones altogether. First, we may look at the statues, but ultimately our gaze will come to turn on the courthouses and capitols that they've watched over.
The first four chapters of the Book - Rising - focus on the history of a few poignant examples of public monuments in American history from the Revolutionary War right up to the twentieth century, but does so by telling the stories of the people behind their creation. From the sculptors, to the funders, to the politicians and other powerful figures who commissioned or were key in upholding them, Professor Thompson demonstrates that statues are not pure depictions of individuals or events from history. Very often they are ghosts (not least because they were regularly created in the aftermath of the persons or events they're supposedly honouring), captured in stone or metal, echoing the sentiments of their creators. Not only that, but that their placement in the public space - national parks, in town squares, adjacent to courthouses and state capitols - has much less to do with preserving heritage and much more to do with projecting an image of who that space is deemed to be for, and who it isn't.
The last four chapters of the book - Falling - brings us to the much more contemporary debates surrounding the fate of these monuments and others like them, and why the recent attempts by the 2020 protests to permanently remove a lot of these monuments have, at best, only seen them 'fall' temporarily into storage. Just as the first four chapters tell the stories of the people who made the monuments, these chapters tell the stories of some of the people who've tried to take them down for good, sometimes at great risk to themselves. Professor Thompson patiently takes the time to look at the arguments and debates that have arisen from these events, looking at the prospect of suggestions such as contextualising these monuments with more signage or in a museum, but ultimately concluding that no amount of contextualisation can avail these monuments of the harms they've upheld - and continue to uphold - by their very present image in the public consciousness, not least of all as a reactionary tool by those who prefer the status quo that these ghostly monuments embody.
Rather than settle on this malaise, the conclusion of the book makes it clear that the way forward goes beyond the simple toppling of a statue or monument and the erection of another in it's place. What needs to follow is a communal interrogation of our public spaces and the infrastructure they rest upon, and that not only do we need to reflect upon whether the monuments that exist are fit for the sorts of public spaces and life that we would like to see, but recognize that we can create more meaningful ones altogether. First, we may look at the statues, but ultimately our gaze will come to turn on the courthouses and capitols that they've watched over.
March 16, 2024
From an art historian, this is a thought-provoking look at the history and role of public monuments in the United States. It alternates between historical narrative and polemic; the author provides a fascinating (and sometimes disturbing) history of many of our most famous statues while exploring the meaning of public monuments and their lasting impact on future generations. This book was published after the national debates over public displays erupted in 2020 (post Charleston, Charlottesville, and George Floyd protests) and discusses many current political / social debates: purpose of monument vs. memorial, glorification of a maligned past, representation of institutionalized racism.
In addition to the primary thesis of how statues have been erected by powerful groups for their own interests, I was also struck by two undercurrents: how our collective interpretations of historical events can change and how history is reimagined or manipulated. The are many examples in the book but the two I found most compelling were Columbus and the Confederacy.
Since I was a kid – many years ago - in elementary social studies, probably no historical figure has been reassessed more than Christopher Columbus. Once venerated for being the founder of the New World, he is now remembered more for his violent abuse of indigenous peoples, the forced conversion and genocide of this population, and even his poor navigational and scientific skills. (On this latter point, ‘Coming of Age in The Milky Way’ has an excellent essay on Columbus getting the science wrong.) We don’t even know what Columbus looked like (no contemporary portraits exist), but thousands of hagiographic statues were erected in public spaces for over a century.
The reimagining of a noble Confederacy in the years after the Civil War is even more remarkable. The author provides a detailed account of the “rise” of public monuments, most notably under the patronage of the Daughters of the Confederacy and other Confederate Veterans groups. As she writes: “Faced with defeat, white Southern society had to come up with a new conception…Instead of dwelling on a foolishly hopeless fight for the right to own their fellow humans, they would soon warm themselves with memories of their tragically hopeless defense of freedom.” And just as with many other national landmarks, these monuments that celebrated a reimagined past and exalted white supremacy were built by the very people they subjugated. I was reminded of the plantations I visited while growing up in the south: I went to Monticello and the Hermitage multiple times and only as an adult did either of these two landmarks include displays on the slaves who lived there.
The final sections of the book cover what has been done in response to the statue controversy (the “Fall” of America’s public monuments). With the amount of news coverage and backlash several years ago, I was surprised at how few of the thousands of monuments have actually been removed from US public spaces. If the first sections of the book (the “Rise”) startled me out of many historical assumptions, this section was sobering. The author makes a compelling argument that we are not tearing down history but rather exposing it. She also points out how difficult it is both legally and politically to remove these statues.
A very good and detailed book for anyone interested in this debate.
In addition to the primary thesis of how statues have been erected by powerful groups for their own interests, I was also struck by two undercurrents: how our collective interpretations of historical events can change and how history is reimagined or manipulated. The are many examples in the book but the two I found most compelling were Columbus and the Confederacy.
Since I was a kid – many years ago - in elementary social studies, probably no historical figure has been reassessed more than Christopher Columbus. Once venerated for being the founder of the New World, he is now remembered more for his violent abuse of indigenous peoples, the forced conversion and genocide of this population, and even his poor navigational and scientific skills. (On this latter point, ‘Coming of Age in The Milky Way’ has an excellent essay on Columbus getting the science wrong.) We don’t even know what Columbus looked like (no contemporary portraits exist), but thousands of hagiographic statues were erected in public spaces for over a century.
The reimagining of a noble Confederacy in the years after the Civil War is even more remarkable. The author provides a detailed account of the “rise” of public monuments, most notably under the patronage of the Daughters of the Confederacy and other Confederate Veterans groups. As she writes: “Faced with defeat, white Southern society had to come up with a new conception…Instead of dwelling on a foolishly hopeless fight for the right to own their fellow humans, they would soon warm themselves with memories of their tragically hopeless defense of freedom.” And just as with many other national landmarks, these monuments that celebrated a reimagined past and exalted white supremacy were built by the very people they subjugated. I was reminded of the plantations I visited while growing up in the south: I went to Monticello and the Hermitage multiple times and only as an adult did either of these two landmarks include displays on the slaves who lived there.
The final sections of the book cover what has been done in response to the statue controversy (the “Fall” of America’s public monuments). With the amount of news coverage and backlash several years ago, I was surprised at how few of the thousands of monuments have actually been removed from US public spaces. If the first sections of the book (the “Rise”) startled me out of many historical assumptions, this section was sobering. The author makes a compelling argument that we are not tearing down history but rather exposing it. She also points out how difficult it is both legally and politically to remove these statues.
A very good and detailed book for anyone interested in this debate.
March 7, 2022
An insightful book about the history of monuments, who created them and the messages they were/are intended to convey. The controversy about their removal or preservation rages on and there is much here to ponder about how it should be handled. My only disappointment with the book is that she did not address Richmond, Virginia’s removal of the Monument Avenue statues and their plan for the future.
June 11, 2023
I took a break from this book while researching for my thesis(too much nonfiction, haha!), but I'm really glad I picked it back up again. Thompson has a really interesting perspective on the recent debate over America's monuments. I think she raises a lot of good points and includes a lot of case studies, though her ultimate conclusion leads me wanting a bit more.
April 4, 2022
Tonight, the author appears at Carter Center in Atlanta, 7 PM.
https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/ev...
I'll be returning to this important survey of public sculpture in America, especially the fine, provocative chapter on the Stone Mountain Memorial. On page 76, you'll find a B&W image of a color-lithographed postcard, which reads "IMPERIAL PALACE ... Stone Mountain, Largest Stone in the World, one mile from Base to Summit. On its highest pinnacle the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Organized at Midnight, Nov. 25th, 1915." Thereby hang the tales of a monument, several sculptors, and several schemes.
Later, in the Epilogue, Thomson documents the prison labor who built the State Park as I know it. On page 177, a photo appears with cutline, "William Clinton on the campaign trail in March 1992, making an appearance at Stone Mountain Correctional Institute with Sen. Sam Nunn, Congressman Ben Lewis Jones (former star of the Dukes of Hazzard), and Georgia Governor Zell Miller. [AP Photo/Greg Gibson]" Our history of convict leasing is pernicious, with great abuses during the post-Civil War period into the twentieth century [read Douglas Blackmon [book:Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II|2319745].]
I'm focused on parts I know. Thompson intelligently portrays diverse localities and monuments and disputes.
You must read this.
I acquired an Advanced Reader Copy (a galley, prepublication) from the publisher, in my work as a bookseller at the Carlos Museum Bookshop. They give these their own ISBN or book identification numbers now, so you don't see the book cover, unless we add that; it's the same as on the hardback edition.
Highly recommended.
https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/ev...
I'll be returning to this important survey of public sculpture in America, especially the fine, provocative chapter on the Stone Mountain Memorial. On page 76, you'll find a B&W image of a color-lithographed postcard, which reads "IMPERIAL PALACE ... Stone Mountain, Largest Stone in the World, one mile from Base to Summit. On its highest pinnacle the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Organized at Midnight, Nov. 25th, 1915." Thereby hang the tales of a monument, several sculptors, and several schemes.
Later, in the Epilogue, Thomson documents the prison labor who built the State Park as I know it. On page 177, a photo appears with cutline, "William Clinton on the campaign trail in March 1992, making an appearance at Stone Mountain Correctional Institute with Sen. Sam Nunn, Congressman Ben Lewis Jones (former star of the Dukes of Hazzard), and Georgia Governor Zell Miller. [AP Photo/Greg Gibson]" Our history of convict leasing is pernicious, with great abuses during the post-Civil War period into the twentieth century [read Douglas Blackmon [book:Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II|2319745].]
I'm focused on parts I know. Thompson intelligently portrays diverse localities and monuments and disputes.
You must read this.
I acquired an Advanced Reader Copy (a galley, prepublication) from the publisher, in my work as a bookseller at the Carlos Museum Bookshop. They give these their own ISBN or book identification numbers now, so you don't see the book cover, unless we add that; it's the same as on the hardback edition.
Highly recommended.
November 25, 2024
Erin Thompson's book examines public monuments. It is a book of stories. It is not a comprehensive survey of American monuments, but covers recent developments in public debates. Thompson says Monuments are powerful sources of inspiration; they do not need to exist forever. They each have their own stories and we need to do are part to uncover the histories of them.
Smashing Statues can be read super-duper quick. Each chapter is short and sweet. Monuments reflect and shape how nations see themselves, and Thompson does a good job of showing that argument. One interesting narrative choice Thompson makes is she inserts her herself into the narrative but always with plural pronouns, never singular.
Smashing Statues can be read super-duper quick. Each chapter is short and sweet. Monuments reflect and shape how nations see themselves, and Thompson does a good job of showing that argument. One interesting narrative choice Thompson makes is she inserts her herself into the narrative but always with plural pronouns, never singular.
May 19, 2022
Read as an audiobook because the description made it sound like history. Alas, I was heartily disappointed because there was no indication of the author's extremely progressive perspective. In fact, the introduction had me railing so much I nearly gave up listening. (I agree with some of the ideas, but party bashing is not my jam.) Fortunately, it got better and I learned a few things. Each chapter is on a different monument. So, I hope the print version includes plates or good images because I had to look them up. I also agree with Thompson that there needs to be a community process to petition for a monument's removal or relocation though where such disowned pieces should end up is open for debate. (I'm torn in the final chapter because there is artistic merit in the Spirit of the Confederacy and film students still study Birth of a Nation and Leni Riefenstahl's work. Technique and ideology do not have to coincide.) Lots of food for thought and, if nothing else, I can appreciate the scale of Lee's memorial in Richmond now.
January 18, 2022
This book goes over the history behind many of our statues across the United States. I found this book to be really informative, and enjoyed reading all the back stories and learned a lot about the people involved in each creation of monuments. It helped so much that the authors included pictures for reference. This book addresses the debate of letting the statues stay in public places or to take them down. I think she brings to light many sides of the argument and lets the readers decide their own stance. Very interesting and informative!
February 9, 2022
I found Smashing Statues a very informative book. The topic is extremely relevant, since it has been widely discussed the importance of monuments and what they represent and I feel that this work brings very thoughtful arguments and I believe it’s possible to reach your own conclusions from a more insightful perspective after the reading experience.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!
December 16, 2021
A very timely book with plenty of good to say, and it is said well. Unfortunately, polarizing language about a polarizing topic will keep this book from making any difference. Those who already agree with the author will agree with the points she makes here, those who don't, won't.
June 1, 2023
A very enlightening read for anyone who is interested in or has an opinion on the removal of public monuments in the United States.
September 3, 2023
A slim volume, but it touches all the bases it needs to.
Did you think that a lot of Confederate and other offensive statues were permanently — note that word — put on ice after Dylann Roof’s Charleston shootup in 2015? After Heather Heyer was killed at Unite the Right? Even after George Floyd?
Think again, especially in the first two cases. And in all three, especially in many Southern states, state laws override local government and prohibit such statues from being permanently removed without being relocated. Sure, in a New Orleans, the temporary haul-down has been stretched out …. But, still; they’re on deferred adjudication, if you will, and no more.
Many, after the first two instances, and even some after Floyd’s killing, have been moved to other communities, put in cemeteries, donated or sold to folks like the United Daughters of the Confederacy who first erected them, or put in museums — and usually without historic context, which, per an essay by Thompson at The Conversation, usually doesn’t change most people’s minds, anyway, as they “self-inoculate” against any cognitive dissonance. (For blogging of mine about that, go here.
“Shuffling statues around our cities is like moving an abusive priest to another parish.”
“Taking down a monument doesn’t erase history — but it does remove honor.” (Sic on the em-dash instead of comma.) At this point, Thompson again references the statue of George III toppled in New York City in 1776. It’s who’s writing history.
The irony, or worse, of largely Black Georgia inmates working on Stone Mountain is made even more stark by presidential candidate Slick Willie Clinton speaking in front of a bunch of them in 1992, with picture in the epilogue.
Although this issue in general seems peculiarly American, Thompson also notes in her epilogue East German disputes over a Lenin statue after the fall of the Wall.
The “white guilt” issue should be addressed, and for that, I jump back to a chapter that started with George Floyd, and from there moved to the toppling of a Columbus statue in St. Paul, Minnesota, that had been the site of not just protests but “targeted actions” by Sioux and other American Indians for years.
I quote her quote of Mike Forcia, the Anishinaabe activist who led its takedown:
To me, that sounds so much more nuanced that White professional race hustler Robin D’Angelo.
Did you think that a lot of Confederate and other offensive statues were permanently — note that word — put on ice after Dylann Roof’s Charleston shootup in 2015? After Heather Heyer was killed at Unite the Right? Even after George Floyd?
Think again, especially in the first two cases. And in all three, especially in many Southern states, state laws override local government and prohibit such statues from being permanently removed without being relocated. Sure, in a New Orleans, the temporary haul-down has been stretched out …. But, still; they’re on deferred adjudication, if you will, and no more.
Many, after the first two instances, and even some after Floyd’s killing, have been moved to other communities, put in cemeteries, donated or sold to folks like the United Daughters of the Confederacy who first erected them, or put in museums — and usually without historic context, which, per an essay by Thompson at The Conversation, usually doesn’t change most people’s minds, anyway, as they “self-inoculate” against any cognitive dissonance. (For blogging of mine about that, go here.
“Shuffling statues around our cities is like moving an abusive priest to another parish.”
“Taking down a monument doesn’t erase history — but it does remove honor.” (Sic on the em-dash instead of comma.) At this point, Thompson again references the statue of George III toppled in New York City in 1776. It’s who’s writing history.
The irony, or worse, of largely Black Georgia inmates working on Stone Mountain is made even more stark by presidential candidate Slick Willie Clinton speaking in front of a bunch of them in 1992, with picture in the epilogue.
Although this issue in general seems peculiarly American, Thompson also notes in her epilogue East German disputes over a Lenin statue after the fall of the Wall.
The “white guilt” issue should be addressed, and for that, I jump back to a chapter that started with George Floyd, and from there moved to the toppling of a Columbus statue in St. Paul, Minnesota, that had been the site of not just protests but “targeted actions” by Sioux and other American Indians for years.
I quote her quote of Mike Forcia, the Anishinaabe activist who led its takedown:
You weren’t there. You didn’t do it. And I wasn’t there. It didn’t happen to me. Your ancestors were there and they may have done some very awful things to my ancestors, but you didn’t do it. Don’t feel guilty. … But what you have to understand is that you all are still benefiting from those atrocities. And me and my family and my people are still suffering to this day from those atrocities. And that’s what we have to come to terms with.
To me, that sounds so much more nuanced that White professional race hustler Robin D’Angelo.
January 17, 2023
One of the best books I've read in years! Thompson describes herself as "the only professor of art crime in America," and she has developed an expertise in the destruction of various artworks. When the American people began toppling statues of Confederate soldiers and Columbus in 2016, Thompson saw an opportunity to leverage her expertise to document efforts at righting wrongs in the practice of monumentalism in the USA.
Thompson uses an equity lens to examine the creation and destruction of statues in the U.S., and she divides her book into two sections: "Rising" and "Falling". In the first section, she identifies monuments as important because they show us what we are supposed to admire and emulate, and they can serve as encouragement to those in power. Thompson argues that we must decide as a nation whether a small group of people of the same race/class should continue to hold disproportionate power, and the debate around the status of Confederate monuments is an outgrowth of this decision.
The very first monument erected by European settlers on U.S. soil was a gilded lead statue of King George III, which was torn down by American soldiers a few days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thompson draws a direct line from that behavior to the modern conflict over statues, showing that behavior toward monuments has always been a reflection of social upheaval and potential transfers of power.
In the second section, "Falling," Thompson makes a compelling case that monuments have a long history of a fluid status, with some examples of statues that were placed in the U.S. Capitol and then removed because U.S. Congressional representatives objected to the theme or imagery of the statues in question. Thus there is historic precedent for reevaluating whether the statues that previous Americans thought worthy of erecting should still be allowed to tower over our public spaces and send their unmistakable messages to modern viewers.
Thompson's most effective points are when she argues that those who complain that monuments should stay up until they are removed through a lawful, orderly process are choosing to ignore that those who hold power in America have created a byzantine system of rules and laws that make it functionally impossible to even discuss removing Confederate monuments from Southern public places. Faced with the impossibility of removal through lawful means, Americans who are tired of looking at symbols of white supremacy have taken matters into their own hands to tear down these symbols of hate.
Thompson uses an equity lens to examine the creation and destruction of statues in the U.S., and she divides her book into two sections: "Rising" and "Falling". In the first section, she identifies monuments as important because they show us what we are supposed to admire and emulate, and they can serve as encouragement to those in power. Thompson argues that we must decide as a nation whether a small group of people of the same race/class should continue to hold disproportionate power, and the debate around the status of Confederate monuments is an outgrowth of this decision.
The very first monument erected by European settlers on U.S. soil was a gilded lead statue of King George III, which was torn down by American soldiers a few days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thompson draws a direct line from that behavior to the modern conflict over statues, showing that behavior toward monuments has always been a reflection of social upheaval and potential transfers of power.
In the second section, "Falling," Thompson makes a compelling case that monuments have a long history of a fluid status, with some examples of statues that were placed in the U.S. Capitol and then removed because U.S. Congressional representatives objected to the theme or imagery of the statues in question. Thus there is historic precedent for reevaluating whether the statues that previous Americans thought worthy of erecting should still be allowed to tower over our public spaces and send their unmistakable messages to modern viewers.
Thompson's most effective points are when she argues that those who complain that monuments should stay up until they are removed through a lawful, orderly process are choosing to ignore that those who hold power in America have created a byzantine system of rules and laws that make it functionally impossible to even discuss removing Confederate monuments from Southern public places. Faced with the impossibility of removal through lawful means, Americans who are tired of looking at symbols of white supremacy have taken matters into their own hands to tear down these symbols of hate.
April 15, 2024
To be clear, this is an excellent history of public monuments. Where this treatment works well is where it puts a human context around the monuments, why they were erected, how they came down, how they are interpreted in their new locations. Where it falls short is capturing a similar zeitgeist of the persons wanting the monuments to remain in place. The Daughters of the Confederacy are a frequent villain but there is no personality or humanization, no face of the organization or explanation of what they feel the stakes are. I suppose we are to assume they are in line with those a century ago, or that these are voices we have heard as part of the public debate. To some degree I am sure that is true, but the absence of humans on the other side explaining what they see are the stakes can only render them a faceless, unfeeling, cruel adversary preventing racial progress. Neither is there a general or meaningful context given to the lifetime of the monuments. This emerges occasionally, as when the St. Paul Columbus statue became the terminus of an annual parade, but resentment against these monuments is argued to be long standing. This may be hard to measure, and I don't feel that the decline in Emancipation Day events is directly correlated to the erection of a Confederate Soldier pillar, but it's hard to estimate the degree of community resentment with this paucity of evidence, even anecdotal. Returning to the Columbus, we know that Forcia and others had tried to work through regular process to get the statue removed, but we get very little about what motivated them (excepting that Columbus was a slaver and rapist - enough reason I grant you - but what did Forcia hope to achieve after the statue came down or was that enough?). Again, I feel that this choice presumed that the reasons were generally known, but to hear the reasons from the people doing the toppling would have been useful.
None of this detracts from this being an interesting and useful record of the last decade of public debate and action around monuments.
None of this detracts from this being an interesting and useful record of the last decade of public debate and action around monuments.
June 23, 2023
🛑SPOILERS🛑
⭐️: 4.25/5
I had to read this book for work, and it was exceptional.
I usually stay away from American history books because they usually don't interest me enough, and they are not my type of readings. It's a reason I didn't enjoy history much in school 🤷🏾♀️. Also, American history stories are significantly white washed, and we live in a society where reading certain books is illegal, and I never thought in this day and age that would happen.
However, this novel was everything different. It never really gave a true answer or formed an opinion because the author just gave facts alongside history. I always asked myself, "Why do we have statues of confederate leaders since they lost 🤔?" This book answered the question but made me look at political leaders and want to ask them questions.
This novel made you see the removal of statues has been a conversation for years. But, in 2020 was when it gained noterity after the murder of George Floyd. Ridiculous a murder in broad daylight has to bring such attention to our history that involves racism, murder, and genocide.
This was a great read, and Erin L. Thompson did wonderful in gathering facts and letting others who are people of color speak through her book. I dont want anyone to believe that learning history is a pathway for people to hate people. It's just a lesson that is needed to prevent such a horrific period in time from happening again.
Read this book. You will learn, gasp, and want to go back to that certain moment to approach, though in modern-day still honoring statues that are truly weapons against African Americans and Native Americans.
⭐️: 4.25/5
I had to read this book for work, and it was exceptional.
I usually stay away from American history books because they usually don't interest me enough, and they are not my type of readings. It's a reason I didn't enjoy history much in school 🤷🏾♀️. Also, American history stories are significantly white washed, and we live in a society where reading certain books is illegal, and I never thought in this day and age that would happen.
However, this novel was everything different. It never really gave a true answer or formed an opinion because the author just gave facts alongside history. I always asked myself, "Why do we have statues of confederate leaders since they lost 🤔?" This book answered the question but made me look at political leaders and want to ask them questions.
This novel made you see the removal of statues has been a conversation for years. But, in 2020 was when it gained noterity after the murder of George Floyd. Ridiculous a murder in broad daylight has to bring such attention to our history that involves racism, murder, and genocide.
This was a great read, and Erin L. Thompson did wonderful in gathering facts and letting others who are people of color speak through her book. I dont want anyone to believe that learning history is a pathway for people to hate people. It's just a lesson that is needed to prevent such a horrific period in time from happening again.
Read this book. You will learn, gasp, and want to go back to that certain moment to approach, though in modern-day still honoring statues that are truly weapons against African Americans and Native Americans.
March 6, 2022
Great history book about the history of racist statues of US and the different motive throw history to their removal. The author does not dwells much in the ethnics of statue braking or removing, only present the different motives people have for their removal and the counter arguments. That is a good approach, because it in my opinion it is stupid to create a "universal" rule for when a statue can be removed. Like in this book, my opinion is that the community should decide collectively and democratically throw discussion to decide what to do to a controversial public monument, not the state of central governement
The most fascinating thing about many American statues is that their history is even worst than i knew. There where in the early 1900's even more racist statues that where removed and almost forgotten about, because in the early 1900's people thought that they where to racist for them. So the toppling of statues is not a new American phenomenon, a sign of cumming barbarism, like the fall of Rome
The most fascinating thing about many American statues is that their history is even worst than i knew. There where in the early 1900's even more racist statues that where removed and almost forgotten about, because in the early 1900's people thought that they where to racist for them. So the toppling of statues is not a new American phenomenon, a sign of cumming barbarism, like the fall of Rome
April 24, 2025
Well written and informative dialogue about our insanely strange obsession with monuments. This book helps bring back the discussion we SHOULD be having about why certain monuments are in the crosshairs. I’ve long held the belief that confederate statues should be removed simply because they were losers, and monuments honoring their failed coup are some of the earliest participation trophies for a large group of sensitive white folk that don’t want to admit they lost. But more importantly, as discussed in this book, these monuments don’t just honor losers, the majority of them were placed in an attempt suppress the people who gained the most from the loss.
Monuments mean things to people. That is why art and statues are often targeted by an invading force (read: Nazi Germany). Any discussion that monuments should stay due to “heritage” or “history” should include the conversation about what that heritage and history actually mean, and why it matters so much in this century.
Monuments mean things to people. That is why art and statues are often targeted by an invading force (read: Nazi Germany). Any discussion that monuments should stay due to “heritage” or “history” should include the conversation about what that heritage and history actually mean, and why it matters so much in this century.
January 8, 2024
A very topical book. Thompson does a good job of getting the (roughly) three main points across: Monuments are not erected merely to record history but to idolize a figure or for other political aims. The history of America's monuments is filled with terrible people explicitly acting to uphold in reverence other terrible people while degrading minorities at every turn. These monuments still effect us today in important ways. What is not done as well, I think, is the actual writing. The prose is not dense or academic, yet it is fairly dry and uninspiring. It's also always annoying to have endnotes over footnotes, especially when it's endnotes of the variety where extra information is mixed haphazardly with citations. Overall, I felt I learned some important history, but it was a slog at points for being such a short book.
October 6, 2022
“We need to acknowledge how and why our monuments were created. We need to reveal their secrets in order to take away their power.”
This is a fascinating subject. The book is very well researched. My qualms about the overall organization of the book are meager when compared to how well it’s written. At the very end the author brings up a really interesting comparison between removing monuments versus the actual erasure of history (ie Native American boarding schools, etc). Wishing she had dedicated more time to that topic.
This is a fascinating subject. The book is very well researched. My qualms about the overall organization of the book are meager when compared to how well it’s written. At the very end the author brings up a really interesting comparison between removing monuments versus the actual erasure of history (ie Native American boarding schools, etc). Wishing she had dedicated more time to that topic.
August 30, 2023
While obviously left-leaning, this book did a good job of providing some decent questions for anyone to ask about monuments. The writing is pretty good and the stories she chose to illustrate her points are interesting and useful. I am still hoping we'll rewrite legislation such that smashing statues isn't necessary in the future, but I can understand why some people have chosen it as their means of communication.
My biggest critique is that the author seems to take the side of blaming modem racism and past genocide in the US on Columbus, which is historically ridiculous.
My biggest critique is that the author seems to take the side of blaming modem racism and past genocide in the US on Columbus, which is historically ridiculous.
November 6, 2023
was forced to read this for a college class but was surprised by its arresting examination of american society over the centuries, especially within the post-civil war era (the author’s epiphany on how southern states often use ideas of “obedience” from the confederate era to repress class consciousness and radical change was really illuminating). i would say it definitely changed my perspective on how i view monuments. i wouldn’t say it completely changed my life and it was a bit repetitive at some points, but it was a shockingly good read nonetheless
February 28, 2022
This is must read! We get so much backstory to the start of USA to today, we also get personal stories along the way. So much of it is not taught in schools or even college- you will learn so much about why we are where we are at today. It is also not so academic you get bored or can't follow- its accessible to everyone. It will make you think and question a lot of what you thought you knew and how we need to move forward. Everyone should listen or read this one!
March 17, 2022
Thompson is a truly masterful writer. She has opened my eyes to how truly painful these unnecessary monuments are in our world today and the sad truth behind their existence. This is a thought provoking amazingly well researched book that I hope everyone takes time to read and reflect upon. It should be required reading for all future generations and I cannot recommend it more highly.
Thank you to the publishers for my ARC.
Thank you to the publishers for my ARC.
May 28, 2022
Smashing statues is a short book covering a few examples of monuments and the stories behind them that are controversial for different reasons. Sometimes there just aren't democratic routes to removing said monuments and people need to take it down themselves in slightly less democratic ways. I feel like I learned about as much as I could expect from 188 pages. I would recommend anyone who wants to hear from this side of the story should check it out.
December 22, 2022
Great, short primer on the history of public monuments in the U.S. and the current debate surrounding them. Thompson assumes a level of familiarity with social, racial, and economic justice debates that could make this a challenging read if you don’t have a firm grounding and opinion already. That being said, this is a great introductory resource on the history and debate around statues and monuments and I found it clarifying my thinking.
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