Stone Mountain
Often (inaccurately) billed as the "largest exposed piece of granite in the world," Stone Mountain is actually a giant piece of quartz monzonite. But, while it's undeniably a huge hunk of rock, people visit the park for the views and the carving on the north face, the largest of its kind.
This enormous carving features three confederate heroes: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis, each on horseback. The United Daughters of the Confederacy commissioned the Civil War Memorial in 1916 but the project met many challenges. Gutzon Borglum started the carving but abandoned it to work on Mount Rushmore. A second artist stopped work on the carving in 1928 and nothing further was accomplished for thirty years. The whole shebang was finally completed in 1972.
But before this rock became a memorial, a group of men met at this site in 1915 to reincarnate the Ku Klux Klan. For many years, the Klan played a large role in funding the monument and even influenced the carving.
Mount Rushmore
The Lakota Sioux knew this spot as Six Grandfathers but today Mount Rushmore only features the faces of four former presidents. The US seized control of the mountain after several military conflicts and was known by several different names, including Slaughterhouse Mountain, before Charles E. Rushmore took over and suggested the carving as a way to increase tourism to the area.
But, before the US stepped in, the mountain, part of the Black Hills, represented something quite different to Native Americans. The Souix and Cheyenne believed it was the sacred center of the world. But the Lakota inhabited the hills when the first settlers showed up. The question of ownership was answered by the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie -- the Lakota owned the area. But the US changed their mind when gold was discovered and relocated everyone.
A Supreme Court Case in 1980 awarded nearly $106 million to the Lakota for the illegal seizure of the land by the US. The Lakota turned down the settlement wanting to return to the Black Hills instead. Today a monument in honor of Crazy Horse is under construction on Thunderhead Mountain.
Next Up: Hoover Dam
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Posted on Jun 21st 2009
By James Bagby
Beautiful Monument, Courageous men. Thank you UDC.
POU PC Crowd
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Toy
I live in the South and hate no one ,but I think we should our old landmarks and such alone .I;m sure if you look hard enough you can find something somewhere that will ofend someone no matter where they are from or what race they are. Just drop this bull and love one another. Don;t forget to Pray America
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By strawmanslave
You will be seeing many more articles about hate inserted into useless news so as to keep so called THOUGHT crimes legislation the minds of the Public,... Have you heard that the Global Elite parasite filth are now telling Law enforcement that the Founding Fathers were Terrorists and that the Boy scouts are being trained to be the new Hitler Youth: -- http://www.infowars.com/boy-scouts-train-to-become-homeland-gestapo/
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Greg
Why is it that if a group in not Politically Correct, it's a "Hate Group"? Black Panthers are never referred to as a Hate Group, nor Jesse's Rainbow Coalition. Some gay activist groups are as bad/worse that the KKK, but that's ok? Certainly the Animal Liberation Front, and some PETA factions have cause more harm, but they are never called out for it. I will stop there. I'll be on the hate group watchlist after this post anyway.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By IBQ
Its funny that this piece mentions that Klansmen gathered at Stone Mountain in 1915, but what it doesn't tell you is the "The Second Klan" was rebirthed in 1915 in Indiana. If you are going to tell it, tell it all.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By BillofGeorgia
So what??? Does the PC crowd want to erase all history that might offend someone? The Stone Mountain carving is a depiction of three great heroes of the South. If you don't like it don't go to Stone Mountain. Don't look at it. It is located in the South. Personally, I don't care for the Lincoln Monument.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Carolyn
The Civil War was fought over states rights not slavery. Slavery originated in the North. We need to learn from the past and look to the future as God instructs us to do.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Gene
Hate!!!!!!!!! you people are always looking for something to whine about, worry about working and supporting yourself and families, help your neighbor, not critisize them, history is history, The south is the south, if you don't like it leave, don't try to change it to fit your life style
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By retiredAFvet
This is a free country--anyone can meet anywhere to form any group. Just because this hate group, which at the time carried only the Christian and US flags, met there does not reflect the character of the men represented on the carving. I believe they would have disapproved of their actions.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Bob Ulrich Sr
I really wonder where all of these folks that degrade our National history would be if it were not for these folks and places that we honor. Some years ago there was a stir about our "sick society". I think society today is not only sick but mentally deranged ( oops - sorry not politically correct ) I meant socially challenged.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Jim G.
If this monument were to be carved today, Robert E. Lee would be carved to look African-American and Jefferson Davis would be carved to look Latino in the name of "diversity." Whether or not it's historically accurate would not be an issue. I concede that the KKK was (and is) composed of lunatics, but our nation owes a debt to the sons and daughters of the Confederacy! God Bless Them!
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By eric
I have been to Stone Mountain many times. It's a great family oriented place to be....The laser show is excellent, and if you will look around, you'll see people from many different races having a nice time!
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Lori
I fail to understand how anyone could defend the KKK or any group that promotes violence based on race or ethnicity. And as far as the Black Panthers and some other groups that were mentioned... yes some of them used violence and thats wrong but I don't think you ever heard of any of them lynching, hanging or dragging people behind there vehicles. The south is the south. I grew up in Tennessee and now live in Virginia but I have to tell you that I'm deeply disturbed by the legacy that the south has left. I see nothing to celebrate and I'm glad that the Union won the Civil War otherwise we'd be living in a world of ignorant biggotry and it sounds like that attitude is alive and thriving based on some of the comments here. Having an open mind can be a liberating and spiritual experience. Some of you should try it.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Phil
The US mint pressed a half dollar piece in 1925 to help fund this project(Stone Mountain). On the back of the coin it says Memorial to the Valor of the Soldier of the South.
Put this in the eBay search engine to check it out. This is a good example of one -
1925 STONE MOUNTAIN AU VERY NICE COIN
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Dave
I can clearly see where this is going, can't you? Some just love to keep a "List" of any fault associated with Americas past and belch it up one more time in an attempt to impune the integrity of our Nations greatness. Nice try, but we can see right though you liberals. Yet another effort to make America the bad guy. Get over it. We remain the the best hope for mankind on the planet and you can take you petty attempts to discredit our country and move to France. Other than that.......have a nice day now, won't you?
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By William Jones
As a bagpiper, I have competed at the foot of Stone Mountain as part of the annual keltic games which are hosted there every year. That area is beautiful and guess what? It's in the South! Perhaps someone should go up to Brown University up North, which was built by people who made their fortune in the slave trade, and demand it be bulldozed.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By William Jones
You've got to be kidding! If you love the North so much, why not move up there and become just as pharasaic, arrogant and rude as they are? The North started that war over taxes, and Lincoln couldn't have cared less about the negro, and along with Henry Clay tried to deport them to Liberia. Learn your history Lori before popping off.
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By Jan Cook
AMEN....THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. I totally agree...this Race Crap has got to go...only breeds hate and discontent, as some of out people in the nation wants to go on and on.
Thank you again
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By HOUSTON
LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT , A MEMORIAL TO ROBERT E. LEE , JEFFERSON DAVIS , AND STONEWALL JACKSON IS NOW BEING ATTACKED FOR BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE KU KLUX KLAN ..
YOU PEOPLE ARE ALL HISTORY CHALLENGED ... THOSE THREE
MEN WERE CONFEDERATE HEROS THAT FOUGHT IN THE WAR OF FREEDOM FROM A DOMINANT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HEADED UP BY ABE LINCOLN .. THE WAR WAS FOUGHT FROM 1861 TO 1865. THE KU KLUX KLAN WAS NOT EVEN IN EXISTENCE UNTIL
NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST FORMED A SOCIAL CLUB IN PULASKI, TENN IN 1865 ..AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER !!!!!!!!.. HISTORICAL FACTS DON'T SEEM TO GET IN THE WAY OF THE REVISIONIST HISTORY PROMOTED BY THE WHINING LIBERALS IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY !! ROBERT E. LEE HAD WASHINGTON D.C. SURROUNDED IN 1862 AND COULD HAVE ENDED THE WAR THEN .. BUT LEE CHOSE NOT TO ATTACK THE CAPITOL OF THE USA ..
ROBERT E. LEE WAS A MAN OF CHARACTER AND DIGNITY .. AND SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT WAY ... NOT BY SOME DAMNING ACCUSATIONS RELATING TO THE KU KLUX KLAN ..!!!!
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Posted on Jun 12th 2009
By rip300rog
More Americans died in the Civil war than all our other wars combined.
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