A More Inclusive Civil War Interpretation in Cape Girardeau, Missouri's Public Square: A Case Study

Abstract:The debate over the place of Confederate memorials in the public sphere became much more heated in the aftermath of racist attacks in Charleston, South Carolina, and Charlottesville, Virginia. Some communities decided to remove or relocate Confederate memorials, often in the face of strong protests. Other communities chose to preserve these memorials in place and enacted state laws to prohibit the removal of monuments. Some communities opted to provide additional interpretation to existing monuments or add new monuments to express new values of community and inclusion. Historians, public historians, and historic preservationists have an important role to play in helping communities navigate through these often conflicting alternatives. Using interviews, newspaper accounts, and archival sources, this case study examines Cape Girardeau, Missouri's journey to celebrate African-American contributions to the community and to confront and acknowledge its Confederate past and complicated Civil War-era history. By working together, community members, public historians, and historic preservationists can help bring about the understanding we need to develop if we are ever going to come to terms with the difficult histories found in all of our communities.