A statue of Ulysses S. Grant, the nation's 18th president and a general who fought for the Union during the Civil War, was defaced and toppled by protesters in San Francisco on Friday “Together," the monument reads, “they gave to the nation and the world undying proof that Americans of African descent possess the pride, courage and devotion of the patriotic soldier." ... Ulysses S. Grant and Francis Scott Key being torn down in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Shaw was the white captain of the 54. A similar scene took place in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. If we put up a statue to Washington, or Roosevelt, or Gandhi, are we honoring their good deeds? Anti-racism protesters ripped down statues of Ulysses S. Grant and Francis Scott Key in San Francisco while SWAT team officers arrested an armed man seen suspiciously recording people with his cell phone while on the roof of a building overlooking a statue of Robert E. Lee in Virginia. The monument doesn't honor Shaw alone or individually. and View Comments, Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters. Trump cancels Camp David trip, hunkers down at White House He freed the man in 1859. TOP STORIES Grant, a former U.S. president, led Union forces to victory in the Civil War but owned a slave before the conflict, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Janet Yellen made more than $7 million in speaking fees in 2019, 2020, ‘Great victory’: Gun rights activists celebrate as Trump administration pulls stabilizing-brace ban, Greatest undrafted players in NFL history, Baby bust: Pandemic to spark biggest fertility declines since 1970s, Adam Carolla urges anti-lockdown Cali Dems to wake up: ‘Imagine trying to pull this s— off in 1955’. An iconic model is the memorial to Robert Shaw in Boston. Grant's record of great good and great evil isn't unique. But he also owned enslaved people and called for genocide against Native Americans. ", Massachusetts is…a story of human possibility. Also torn down in the San Francisco park was a statue of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the U.S. national anthem “Star Spangled Banner.” Key … Grant also supported the 1868 Republican platform when he won the presidency, which called for allowing Black men to continue voting in the South. Saint-Gaudens' final design shows Shaw on his horse against a relief of Black soldiers, which Saint-Gaudens designed from live studies of African American men from Boston and New York. This statue was vandalized by protestors. The protestors knocking down statues today are trying to get the American public to confront our legacy of racism. But Grant's legacy also has less admirable aspects. But he also interned Japanese Americans in concentration camps. By Vandana Rambaran | Fox News June 20, 2020: A statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant– the Union general who led his army to victory against the Confederacy during the Civil War– was toppled on Friday as hundreds gathered in San Francisco to celebrate Juneteenth. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. CNA Staff, Jun 20, 2020 / 09:41 am (CNA).- A statue of Catholic missionary St. Junipero Serra was toppled in a San Francisco park Friday, along with statues of Francis Scott Key and Ulysses S. Grant. But his early writings are racist, and in his late Seventies he slept with his teenaged grand-niece. Alone, Shaw is nothing. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Whenever you put someone on a pedestal, you physically elevate them over their fellow humans. Massachusetts Infantry, the second African American regiment in the Civil War. Confederate statues are an easy call; there's no reason to honor people who are notable first and foremost for defending slavery. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/503685-protesters-tear-down- Statues commemorating former President Ulysses S. Grant and U.S. national anthem author Francis Scott Key were toppled by protesters in San Francisco on Friday night. The latest statues to be toppled by BLM protesters are that of Ulysses S. Grant, who led Northern Union soldiers in the Civil War, and Francis Scott Key, the lyricist behind ‘The Star Spangled Banner,’ puzzling and outraging many. - Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Protesters brought down a statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who also led the Union Army during the Civil War, in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on Friday. Shaw was the white captain of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the second African American regiment in the Civil War. He notably insisted that the Confederacy treat imprisoned black soldiers the same as white ones, to Robert E Lee's consternation. They insisted that the memorial had to honor the regiment Shaw fought and died with. As president, Grant broke the KKK and fought for Black voting rights with a tenacity few other presidents have rivaled. The Shaw memorial calls those who look at it not to admire one antiracist man, but to join an antiracist community. Vandals also brought down a statue of Francis Scott Key, the composer of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Notification San Francisco Mayor London Breed: “There is very real pain in this country rooted in our history of slavery and oppression, especially against African-Americans and Indigenous people. But another, perhaps more useful lesson is that we need to think about heroism differently. Protests against systemic racism and police brutality have taken place worldwide in the weeks since, including in several U.S. cities where controversial monuments have recently been toppled amid that unrest. WATCH: Statue of Ulysses Grant, Head of Union Army, Toppled. A bronze bust of Ulysses S. Grant was installed in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, in the U.S. state of California, in 1896. He owned at least one slave prior to the war, according to The American Civil War Museum. Rather, it is a tribute to his solidarity with the Black men he fought with, and their solidarity with him. The rioters justified taking down Key's statue because he was a … In San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, protestors, But Grant's legacy also has less admirable aspects. With the men of the 54, , though, he points to a better world, in which memorials are more honest and more brave, and, It wasn't a mistake to pull down the statue of Ulysses S Grant, Trump attacks racial justice protests at rambling Tulsa rally, Eric Trump refers to racial justice protesters as 'animals' at rally, One person shot dead inside autonomous protest zone, reports say, Protesters topple Confederate monuments across the US on Juneteenth, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. We need to change our perspective on how to memorialize complicated individuals from history, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. ", One takeaway from the protest is that we need different heroes. SAN FRANCISCO – Protesters in Golden Gate Park toppled statues of Fr. Ulysses S. Grant Protesters in San Francisco defaced and toppled the statue of former President Grant, who led the Union Army during the Civil War, in Golden State Park, on Friday, June 19. Quiz: Can you match the nickname to the National Football League player? But the Shaw family were dissatisfied with that idea. But another, perhaps more useful lesson is that we need to think about heroism differently. Ulysses S. Grant statue toppled in San Francisco. Over the weekend, Black Lives Matters protestors continued to deface and tear down memorials to those associated with slavery and racism. The statues in San Francisco are among the latest to be dismantled as monuments around the country are toppled following last month’s racially charged killing of George Floyd. here for reprint permission, Trump presses Georgia’s secretary of state in phone call about alleged election fraud, Republicans warn of ‘generational damage’ from left if Georgia Democrats win Senate races. Shaw and 40 percent of his regiment were killed in 1863 in an attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. Statue of Ulysses S. Grant as it stood in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (Wikimedia Commons) I’m suspicious of all monuments, and I believe in dismantling those that tell warped tales about our national past, suppress its horrors, and gild its errors by encasing them in tragic dignity. Nearby statue of Ulysses S. Grant is also toppled. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. here for reprint permission. Protesters in San Francisco, California this week toppled the statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who helped win the Civil War that ended slavery. The fate of the statue is unknown and this post will be updated when more is learned. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Quiz: Can you guess the REAL names of these actors? Ulysses S. Grant statue toppled in San Francisco By Vandana Rambaran | Fox News June 20, 2020: A statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant– the Union general who led his army to victory against the Confederacy during the Civil War– was toppled on Friday as hundreds gathered in San Francisco to celebrate Juneteenth. Protesters on Friday toppled a statue in San Francisco of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who famously led the Union Army to victories that crippled and ultimately brought down the Confederacy. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. President Trump responded to the Pike statue’s dismantling on Twitter late Friday by calling for the immediate arrest of those involved. Flawed human beings are just flawed human beings; you can't raise them up without lying about them. Shaw and 40 percent of his regiment were killed in 1863 in an attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. The Pike statue has long been relatively obscure, however, in part because it depicted him in civilian dress and was designed primarily to honor his achievements in leading an order of Freemasons. To do that, you have to fudge their flaws and their humanity. One takeaway from the protest is that we need different heroes. The designer of the Shaw memorial, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, originally planned a typical noble-guy-on-horse, standalone statue. Click Floyd, a black man, died May 25 in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department in Minnesota. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The Washington Times In San Francisco, about 400 protesters pulled down three statues: U.S. Grant, Francis Scott Key, and St. Junipero Serra. Click to Read More As president, Grant's policy towards Native American people could easily be described as cultural genocide. JavaScript is required for full functionality on this website, but scripting is currently disabled. Demonstrators Topple Statues in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park The statues of St. Junípero Serra, Ulysses S. Grant and Francis Scott Key were torn … Saturday, June 20, 2020, Hunter Biden email associate on Justice Department transition team. George Washington established American independence and Democratic institutions. Their story suggests that we too might give meaning to our lives by doing the unthinkable and daring the impossible on behalf of justice. But he, An iconic model is the memorial to Robert Shaw in Boston. Real heroism is something we make together. But even people who are admirable in some ways often are less so in others. Grant served two terms in the White House after helping to win the Civil War. As a general, he fought the Confederacy with energy and brutal commitment. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. They, “Together," the monument reads, “they gave to the nation and the world undying proof that Americans of African descent possess the pride, courage and devotion of the patriotic soldier. 'I want him out': Sen. Lisa Murkowski calls on Trump to resign, casts doubt on her GOP future He instigated an illegal and bloody war against the Lakota people of the Black Hills, and used federal force to push Native people onto reservations and to slaughter the buffalo they relied on for food. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The story: According to the San Francisco police around 400 people gathered in Golden Gate Park to take down the statue on Friday, which Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the […] In San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, ... protesters also pulled down a statue of Ulysses S Grant — the Union general responsible for the defeat of the Confederacy — because he owned a slave. Any supporter of Trump must denounce what happened at the U.S. Capitol. As historian James Loewen wrote in his beautiful essay about the memorial, "the 54th Massachusetts is…a story of human possibility. Franklin Roosevelt created America's social safety net and led the country to victory over the Nazis. Grant's wife had legal ownership of several Black people when he married her, and he himself kept a person in slavery for a year before freeing him at the start of the Civil War. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Please enable JavaScript and reload this page. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. The incident reflects a growing debate over the legacy of the Civil War president in San Francisco, including a proposal to rename Lincoln High. - Quiz: US Citizenship Test - Could You Pass? Their story suggests that we too might give meaning to our lives by doing the unthinkable and daring the impossible on behalf of justice.". Other monuments toppled on Friday include a statue of Junípero Serra, an 18th century missionary recently declared a saint in the Catholic Church, and Francis Scott Key, the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the national anthem. The cultural revolution claimed yet more defenseless statues Friday night. U.S. elections are not worth sacrificing one’s ‘personal’ life, Healing in a national crisis, thy name is Greg Stanton, Any supporter of Trump must denounce what happened at the U.S. Capitol. According to the Pike statue ’ s dismantling on Twitter late Friday by for. Writings are racist, and in his beautiful essay about the memorial to Robert Shaw in.... 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