Statue of The Republic, Chicago, IL
1918 (Photograph Unknown)
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Statue of The Republic by Daniel Chester French was unveiled in Chicago, IL in 1918. It is a smaller replica of a statue created for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.
Following a series of national protests against police brutality and racism in policing in the summer of 2020, the Mayor of Chicago created a committee to evaluate monuments and statues across the city that had been a focal point of these protests. In February 2021, the Chicago Monuments Project released their report and selected Statue of The Republic as one of 41 monuments that warranted a public discussion because it promoted narratives of white supremacy, presented an over-simplified view of history, presented a demeaning characterization of American Indians, memorialized individuals with connections to racist acts (including slavery and genocide), or created tension between people who see value in these artworks and those who do not.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Commission of Fine Arts.
Full Citation: Statue of The Republic, Chicago, IL; 1918 (Photograph Unknown); Statues, Monuments and Memorials in U.S.: Arranged alphabetically by name - 66G19A (letter 'A') through 66G19Y (letter 'Y'); General Photographic File of the Commission of Fine Arts, ca. 1910 - 1950; Records of the Commission of Fine Arts, Record Group 66; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/statue-of-the-republic-chicago-il, May 14, 2024]