Monument to the Famous Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad, memory of the Underground Railroad, National Underground Railroad Freedom Centerunderground railroad journey
America is full of landmarks and historical sites that are well worth visiting
– from the Lincoln Memorial
and the Washington Monument
to the Statue of Liberty and the impressive Mount Rushmore. You will see
such memorials in places
ranging from little urban settlements to huge cities, in graveyards and
in parks, on the sides of mountains and near the roads and highways of the
country.
Monuments reflect the heritage of a nation, telling the story of its history
and keeping memories and principles alive in the hearts of the people. A
Latin phrase meaning ‘that which reminds’ is the root of the word ‘monument’.
So monuments remind us of the past, of our heritage, culture and history.
Many revere monuments, while many others feel that they are a form of art.
Many monuments were constructed in this country in the latter part of the
nineteenth century, once the trials of the Civil War were over. There was
another period of building of memorials that began towards the latter part
of the twentieth century and this period is still going on. There are monuments
in this country that act as a reminder of famous persons, of important occurrences
such as wars, of certain places and even as an embodiment of a principle.
There could be, for instance, a monument built on the site of the New York
World Trade Center buildings to remember the September 11 tragedy.
One of the areas that a lot of people felt should be represented by a monument
is the Underground
Railroad. The Underground Railroad was the clandestine arrangement
of concerned people and particular places that was the means of escape for
slaves who had run away to seek their liberty.
So the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio,
set up a museum in 2004. They even held a contest for the design of a monument
that would keep the memory of the Underground Railroad fresh in the minds
of people.
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