The National Park Service installed 12 bronze statues of Revolutionary War soldiers in Freedom Plaza near the White House last week as part of the agency’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
They join a towering statue of Caesar Rodney, the Delaware statesman and slave owner whose vote helped secure his state’s vote for independence in 1776. The Trump administration placed the Rodney statue in Freedom Plaza last month, a move viewed as a rebuke to its removal from Wilmington, Delaware, during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
The Interior Department said the statues “represent the collective sacrifice of those who served during the Revolutionary War, reflecting the broad range of individuals who contributed to the nation’s founding.”
“Together, the installation will transform Freedom Plaza into a space of remembrance and reflection, inviting visitors to connect with the people and pivotal moments that shaped the early history of the United States,” the department added.
