West Virginia, Born Out Of The Civil War, Grapples With Confederate Monuments

A statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson stands tall on the grounds of the West Virginia Capitol building in Charleston.

Dave Mistich / West Virginia Public Broadcasting

As statues of Confederate generals have been toppled or ordered down across the American South, all still stand in West Virginia, the only state born out of the American Civil War.

One hundred fifty-seven years ago Saturday, West Virginia seceded from Virginia to join the Union and reject the Confederacy.

Across the state, there are 21 statues and memorials honoring Confederate generals and soldiers, according to data compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Like many monuments elsewhere, some of West Virginia’s were gifted by the United Daughters of the Confederacy during Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement.