Commems Collection Modern: What If? 1997 African-American Civil War Veterans Memorial

In September 1997, during the 105th Congress, House of Representatives Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), introduced a bill that called for up to 500,000 Silver Dollars to be struck for the benefit of the African-American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation ("Freedom Foundation"); each SD was to include a surcharge of $10 as part of its issue price. The coins were to commemorate the African-American Army veterans who fought on the Union side in the US Civil War.

The surcharges paid on the coin were to be used "for the purpose of supporting the construction and maintenance of an African-American Civil War Memorial and the Garnet-Patterson Family Heritage Center (Visitors' Center)." The Heritage Center was to be a genealogical research center located within the Garnet-Patterson school (near the Memorial/Statue). The school was closed in 2009.

Related Note: In 1992, Delegate Norton introduced a House Joint Resolution that authorized "the government of the District of Columbia to establish, in the District of Columbia or its environs, a memorial to African-Americans who served with Union forces during the Civil War." The Resolution became Public Law in October 1992 which helped clear the way for the Memorial to become reality.

When she introduced the coin bill, Delegate Norton commented:

"...African-Americans who served with the Union Army did so as volunteers. At first they were barred from combat and made to contribute only as members of service and labor battalions. The number of African-American troops that were in the Union Army was larger than the entire Confederate Army in the final months of war. Ultimately, their determination, courage, and love for their country and for the cause of freedom, enabled them to transcend this barrier.

"The 185,000 African-American troops who served in the Civil War never received the recognition they deserved for fighting so bravely for our country. Following the end of the Civil War, The Grand Army of the Republic paraded 200,000 Union soldiers for 2 days down Pennsylvania Avenue in the District of Columbia, but not one of the units representing the African-American soldiers was invited to attend the celebration. They never received a thank you for their service. Not only is it fitting for the memorial in their honor to be located in our Nation's Capital, but they too deserve a commemorative coin to memorialize their sacrifice to our country."

Upon its introduction, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services. The bill was never reported out of Committee, however, and did not see further consideration in the House or Senate.

But the demise of the coin bill did not put an end to the plan for the Memorial...

The Freedom Foundation was able to raise enough funds without the coin to commission its desired bronze statue - the Spirit of Freedom - and establish a museum in Washington, DC. The statue's front features three United States Colored Troops (USCT) Army soldiers and a US Navy sailor - all from the Civil War. The back of the Memorial presents an African-American Civil War soldier with several family members.

Spirit of Freedom Memorial/Statue - Front

(Image CreditL National Parks Service. Public Domain.)

The Memorial/Statue is surrounded by a Wall of Honor which features the engraved names of the 209,145 USCT soldiers and sailors who fought for the Union in the Civil War.

The statue was designed by African-American artist/sculptor Ed Hamilton.


To learn more about the Spirit of Freedom Memorial/Statue, visit:

- African American Civil War Memorial


To learn more about the African American Civil War Museum, visit:

- African American Civil War Memorial & Museum


For a brief video about the museum:

27s