Monuments and memorials serve multiple functions in the communities in which they are erected. When the members of a community create a monument or memorial, they are making a statement about the ideas, values, or individuals they think their society should remember, if not honor.

Why do monuments matter?

Farber said American monuments exist in part “to create a usable past” for this relatively young country—to tell an easier story than America's inconvenient, often contradictory history. “Monuments elevate figures and stories without the deeper work of reckoning with the past,” he said.

Why are monuments important in history?

Old buildings teach us about the history that happened before we were born and promotes the respect for those who lived in different times and different societies. Architectural monuments cultivates pride of our past and heritage making us unique in the world.