Liberty Monument

The so-called Liberty Monument portrays the Colfax Massacre, a racially motivated event in Louisiana in 1873 that is largely neglected by mainstream history books. Lady Liberty on top of the Monument ironically bears witness to the massacre of as many as 150 Black citizens, who protested voter suppression relating to the state’s 1872 gubernatorial election. On the Monument, a figure representing a Black woman clambers up the tower toward a ballot box marked “Kellog,” representing William Pitt Kellogg, the candidate favored by Black voters.

Wallace and Cornwall Kirkpatrick, the white potters who made this piece in Illinois, were known for their strong public criticism of government corruption and social inequality. On this object, sarcastic inscriptions—“Our protection / under the / Civil-right / Bill,” a reference to the Civil Rights Act of 1866 that provided U.S. citizens of all races equal protection under the law, and “Freedom / in / Louisiana”—are placed near the portrayal of the Colfax Massacre. Though sympathetic to the plight of the Black victims of the attack, the brothers used then-common racist stereotypes when modeling the figures.

The four match safes indicate that this object may have been displayed in a tavern or bar. Nearby inscriptions point to the irony and inequity of the tax placed on matches as part of the Revenue Act of 1862, which was designed to help fund the Civil War. The inscriptions reads: “U.S. revenue / on matches / 3 cents,” “no tax on silks / and Jewelry / put i[t] all on / matches,” “matches / revenue / Paid,” “matches / 3 / cents.” The large plaque on the rear reads “the great show / COST / 3 000 000 000 / Dollars,” suggesting that the Kirkpatricks considered the Civil War to be expensive, theatrical, and ineffective in leading to a truly free nation.