Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument is located in Alton, Illinois and was built from 1896 to 1897. It stands over ninety-three feet tall. It is a memorial to honor a man who was an abolitionist and the editor of the paper, The Alton Observer. He was shot and killed by a mob that was trying to prevent him from printing his anti-slavery news. Elijah Lovejoy's death gain national attention and was viewed as martyrdom for free speech and the abolition of slavery.

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Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument is located in Alton, Illinois and was built between 1896 and 1897. It was designed by R.P. Bringhurst, a sculptor from St. Louis, and built by Culver Stone Company from Springfield, Illinois_.1 On the main shaft and on the columnn of the monument there are winged statues mounted, these are meant to show the idea of a triumphant goal, such as the end of slavery_.1The main columnn is ninety-three feet talk and has a seventeen feet tall bronze statue on top_.1 This columnn is one of the largest in the country.₁ This columnn is surrounded by three, eight feet high walls.₁ Two smaller columnns that are thirty feet high and mounted with bronze eagles stand on either side of the main columnn.₁ There are also four bronze panels that are excerpts from the life of Elijah P. Lovejoy.₁

Elijah P. Lovejoy was an abolitionist and a newspaper journalist. He was born in Maine on November 9, 1802. He published a newspaper called The St. Louis Observer and started to protest the abolition of slavery.₂ In July 1836, his newspaper was trashed by a mob, so he decided to move to a free state and he chose Illinois.₂ While in Alton, he started another newspaper this one called The Alton Observer.₂ On November 7, 1837, a group of his supporters joined him in helping protect his press from a mob.₂ When the mob attacked they did so with gunfire and in this attack Elijah Lovejoy was shot and killed.₂ On November 9, 1937, he was buried in the city cemetery.₁

In 1969, a group from the Alton, Illinois area urged the state to renovate the monument.₁ They invited people from all over the area to help. They cleaned the monument and his grave site. They then had a rededication ceremony in the cemetery.₁ Then on November 8, 1997, 200 people met at the monument to again rededicate the monument to Elijah Lovejoy.₁

Sources

1. "The Lovejoy Monument," Illinois State Historical Library, accessed October 1, 2014, http://www.state.il.us/hpa/lovejoy/monument.htm#years. 2. "Elijah Parish Lovejoy," accessed October 1, 2014, http://www.altonweb.com/history/lovejoy/.