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Heyward Shepherd: The Faithful Slave Memorial

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  • Memory, Race Conflict, and Landscapes
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Abstract

During the 1920s and 1930s the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) and the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) received considerable publicity with their cosponsorship of a “faithful slave” monument in Harpers Ferry. Sitting in Lower Town Harpers Ferry in the midst of an urban landscape, the Heyward Shepherd Monument has different meanings to Southern heritage groups, the National Park Service, and the NAACP. Its tumultuous history shows the dynamic nature of commemorative landscapes, and it demonstrates how different interest groups interpret this landscape feature. The Heyward Shepherd Monument still stands in the national park and the National Park Service sees itself as the custodian of this cultural resource. While the UDC and the SCV see the monument as an important symbol of Southern heritage, the NAACP has lobbied to have it removed from the landscape.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, Woods Hall, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Paul A. Shackel

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  1. Paul A. Shackel
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Shackel, P.A. Heyward Shepherd: The Faithful Slave Memorial. Hist Arch 37, 138–148 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03376617

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