The Atlantic

Will Congress Remove Confederate Statues From the Capitol?

After Charlottesville, Democratic lawmakers have called for their expulsion, but Republicans haven’t joined in.
Source: J. Scott Applewhite / AP

More than 150 years after Ulysses S. Grant’s forces captured the Confederate capital, some members of Congress are trying to eject Robert E. Lee and his allies from Capitol Hill.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday backed the growing calls to remove a group of Confederate statues from the Capitol building complex. “The Confederate statues in the halls of Congress have always been reprehensible,” she said in a statement. “If Republicans are serious about rejecting white supremacy, I call upon Speaker Ryan to join Democrats to

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic8 min readAmerican Government
The Most Consequential Recent First Lady
This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. The most consequential first lady of modern times was Melania Trump. I know, I know. We are supposed to believe it was Hillary Clinton, with her unbaked cookies
The Atlantic3 min readCrime & Violence
Donald Trump’s ‘Fraudulent Ways’ Cost Him $355 Million
A New York judge fined Donald Trump $355 million today, finding “overwhelming evidence” that he and his lieutenants at the Trump Organization made false statements “with the intent to defraud.” Justice Arthur Engoron’s ruling in the civil fraud case
The Atlantic7 min readAmerican Government
The Americans Who Need Chaos
This is Work in Progress, a newsletter about work, technology, and how to solve some of America’s biggest problems. Sign up here. Several years ago, the political scientist Michael Bang Petersen, who is based in Denmark, wanted to understand why peop

Related Books & Audiobooks