Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2-11-2026

Department 1

First Year Seminar

Department 2

Civil War Era Studies

Abstract

The Mississippi State Monument at Gettysburg National Military Park, inaugurated in 1973, demonstrates how Civil War memory was transformed throughout the post–Civil Rights era. Although commemorating Mississippi soldiers who engaged in the 1863 battle, the monument was erected amid ongoing controversies over race, history, and historical interpretation. Its imagery and inscription are significantly influenced by Lost Cause ideology, emphasizing valor, sacrifice, and a "righteous cause" while omitting the central role of slavery in Confederate secession. This project investigates the ways in which Mississippi utilized public memory to assert Southern identity, resist changing national narratives, and project a selective version of the past that continues to be the subject of controversy today, by placing the monument within its political, cultural, and commemorative context.

Comments

This poster was created based on work for FYS-W-184: Remembering Slavery and the Civil War since 1865 and presented as a part of the eleventh annual CAFE Symposium on February 11, 2026.

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