~ A DAILY PHOTO BLOG ~

~ AN ALMOST DAILY PHOTO BLOG ~

~ A DAILY PHOTO BLOG ~

Welcome to an almost daily peek at our beautiful Williamsburg, Virginia which includes the "Historic Triangle" consisting of Colonial Williamsburg -the world’s largest living history museum- Yorktown and Jamestown.

September 2, 2010

Yorktown Victory Monument, Yorktown, Virginia


The Victory Monument at Yorktown, though authorized by congress shortly after the American victory over Cornwallis, who surrendered October 19, 1781, was not built  until 1881.  

According to the National Park Service,

         "I. The base carries an inscription on each of its four sides:
     A. One dedicates the monument as a memorial of victory.

     B. A second presents a succinct narrative of the Siege.

     C. A third commemorates the treaty of alliance with France.

     D. The fourth tells of the resulting treaty of peace with England.

II. The pediments just over the inscriptions carry:

     A. Emblems of nationality.

     B. Emblems of war.

     C. Emblems of the alliance.

     D. Emblems of peace.

"The base is thus devoted to the historical statement."

III. The podium is a "symbol of the birth of freedom."

It carries the sculpture of thirteen "female figures" hand in hand in a solemn dance to denote the unity of the thirteen colonies. Beneath their feet is the inscription "One country, one constitution, one destiny."

IV. The column which springs from the podium, is a "symbol of the greatness and prosperity of the nation after a century of various experience, when thirty-eight free and independent states are shining together in a mighty constellation." There is a star for each state which was in the Union at the time the monument was designed. On the field of the shaft and among the stars, as reminder of the past, is the "shield of Yorktown covering the branch of peace."

V. Atop the shaft is the sculptured figure of "Liberty herself" -- attesting to the existence of the nation as "a proof of the possibility of a government of the people, by the people, for the people."

The monument is about 98 feet tall and stands high on a hill overlooking the York River.

7 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

This monument is quite something else.I'm glad you told us how tall it is so I could get some perspective. You've gotten very good photos, and I love the one showing the abundance of food. I do wonder why it is women holding hands rather than men. Perhaps because women more represent peace. I'm also wondering why it took so long to build after it was approved!

Anonymous said...

I missed seeing this monument when we were in Yorktown. How could I miss seeing something this tall LOL!

Hilda said...

It's such an elegant monument.

Anonymous said...

May it continue to be a role model and reminder for a very long time. Please have you all a good Friday.

daily athens

Unknown said...

Wonderful pictures of a piece of our history!

Luuuuuua said...

f interesant blog,bravo

Pat Tillett said...

Thanks for the information. Yorktown was a very important incident in history of this nation, yet it is glossed over in schools.... thanks!

Related Posts with Thumbnails