How many Confederate monuments have been removed in the United States?
More than 160 Confederate monuments and memorials have been removed from public spaces in the United States. All but three of those removals happened after 2015.
Questions about Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the modern campaign to remove Confederate monuments begin?
The modern campaign began after the Charleston church shooting in 2015. Only five Confederate memorials had been removed in the entire century and a half before that. Momentum accelerated further after the Unite the Right rally in 2017 and the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Why were most Confederate monuments built in the first place?
Most Confederate monuments were built on public land between 1877 and 1964, the era governed by Jim Crow laws. Construction peaked in two waves, from the late 1890s through 1920 and again from the late 1950s through the mid-1960s, both coinciding with major Civil War anniversaries.
Which states have laws that block the removal of Confederate monuments?
Seven states have passed laws that block or slow the removal of Confederate monuments. Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama prohibit removal outright, while South Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee make it harder without banning it. Virginia repealed its own protective law, originally passed in 1902, in 2020.
What happened when the U.S. military tried to rename bases named after Confederate generals?
In 2022, the Defense Department's Naming Commission recommended new names for nine Army bases and two Navy ships, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged to follow through. Bases such as Fort Bragg and Fort Benning received new names, but nearly all of those names were later reverted, this time honoring different people who shared the same surnames, with the last changes finalized in June 2025.
How did Americans feel about removing Confederate monuments, according to public opinion polls?
A 2017 Reuters poll found 54% of American adults wanted Confederate monuments to remain in all public spaces, versus 27% who favored removal. Opinion shifted after the George Floyd protests in 2020, when support for removal rose to 52%, against 44% who wanted the monuments left in place.