The monuments created in the Civil War’s wake tell different stories about this conflict. Some celebrate Union victory and the coming of Emancipation; others, such as those that celebrate the Confederacy, glorify famous generals and the common soldier. Hundreds of Civil War monuments have been removed in towns and cities across the country since 2015. This course will explore the history of these monuments going back to 1865 and how they illuminate the often conflicting ways in which Americans have chosen to remember and commemorate the Civil War. It will also explore how the city of Boston has responded to this controversy by examining our local Civil War monuments on the Boston Common and the Public Garden.