George Rogers Clark Memorial Essay

German playwright Frank Wedekind famously said of monuments that they “... are for the living, not the dead.” A memorial does not serve any purpose for those it commemorates, rather, they educate and remind those that visit of the enshrined individual(s) or event. They also vary greatly in scope with one memorial being dedicated to the entirety of American forces in World War II while another could be dedicated to a single soldier. In the case of the George Rogers Clark National Historic Park, it serves as a historic site wherein a number of those involved with the Illinois campaign are memorialized in present day Vincennes, Indiana. George Rogers Clark (elder brother to William Clark of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition) was a military
Firstly, there is the question of the site of the memorial building in which Clark’s statue and the murals are contained. It is placed at a site that was believed to be the original location of Fort Sackville. In spite of this, there has been no archeological evidence that has shown its actual location. All the National Park service maintains is that the fort undoubtedly lies within the park's boundaries. Regardless, this situation presented the memorial’s architect, Hirons, with the opportunity to impart a significant degree of Bias when choosing the exact site to construct the building and other large park structures. This could result in a misrepresentation of the historical locations for visitors, albeit
While the park loses focus as the result of an added World War I memorial, it still does an excellent job of memorializing the “Conqueror of the Old Northwest”. Additionally, its close or absolute proximity to the original sites of the siege of Fort Sackville provides a great deal of relevance for both visitors to the park and residents of the area. While not perfect, it serves as an excellent commemoration to the Illinois Campaign and Clark’s time in the Revolutionary