“Monumental Controversies is a much-needed and overdue corrective to what Harriet Senie rightly terms an either/or mindset that dominates present-day discussions of historical monuments. . . . A must-read for all Americans who yearn for a more informed and nuanced assessment of our country’s commemorative tradition.”—Sally Webster, author of The Nation’s First Monument and the Origins of the American Memorial Tradition
“Harriet Senie has taken on the problematic and iconic Mount Rushmore to cut to the heart of what is dividing America. . . . The only way to move beyond toxic divisiveness is to reckon with history, and this book offers a clear-eyed assessment of the contributions and failings of U.S. presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt to pave the way for new national origin stories. Senie draws on her extensive knowledge of public commemorative sculpture to examine how these four men have been honored in monumental form and how new memorials, institutions, and initiatives are beginning to tell more accurate histories inclusive of Indigenous and Black experiences and voices.”—Jennifer Wingate, author of Sculpting Doughboys: Memory, Gender, and Taste in America’s World War I Memorials
“How do monuments such as Mount Rushmore contribute to a national myth in which the four presidents depicted—Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt—are lauded in history books as heroes, and yet each, in their own way, held values which are no longer acceptable in today’s world? Should their flaws, as grave as they may be, obscure the contributions they brought to the nation? And who is to judge? A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities inherent in America’s commemorative landscape.”—Marie-Louise Jansen, program director of Contested Histories, Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation, The Hague, the Netherlands
