HARPERS FERRY, West Virginia, United States — The Shepherd Monument stands in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia. Dedicated to Heyward Shepherd, a free African-American killed during John Brown's 1859 raid, the monument was erected in 1931 by Confederate heritage groups. Its inscription and history have made it a subject of ongoing historical debate and interpretation.
Photograph by David Coleman. The Shepherd Monument in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, is a controversial historical marker that embodies complex narratives of race, memory, and the Civil War era. Erected in 1931 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the monument commemorates Heyward Shepherd, a free African-American man who was the first casualty of John Brown's famous raid on October 16, 1859. Shepherd, employed as a baggage master for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was fatally shot during the early stages of Brown's attempt to seize the federal armory and initiate a slave uprising. The monument's inscription characterizes Shepherd as an "industrious and respected colored freeman" and portrays his death as an example of African-American loyalty to the existing social order, despite the raid's intention to end slavery. The monument's text and the circumstances of its erection have been subjects of historical controversy. Critics argue that it represents a "Lost Cause" ideology, which sought to romanticize the Confederate cause and downplay slavery's role in the Civil War. The timing of the monument's dedication in 1931, during the Jim Crow era, adds another layer to debates about its intended message and contemporary significance. Located within Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the Shepherd Monument is now part of a broader historical landscape that includes sites related to John Brown's raid, the Civil War, and African-American history. The National Park Service provides context for the monument, encouraging visitors to consider multiple perspectives on this complex period of American history.
Size: 4476px × 6706px
Location: Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, United States
Photo credit: © David Coleman | Have Camera Will Travel / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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