| Beyond
the Physical:
Meaning of Arlington’s
Transformation  or
millions of Americans who visit Arlington
National Cemetery
annually, the grounds have a story to tell. The graves, memorials and monuments
serve as physical reminders of American sacrifice in defense of democracy and
freedom and evoke much thought, emotion and remembrance. But, in order to fully
understand the power of Arlington
as a monument to freedom, one must look beyond the graves and discover the story
which flows through the land. In doing so, the inquisitive visitor realizes that
the setting of the cemetery is far from accidental and the power of Arlington
as a symbol extends far deeper than the graves on the landscape. The experiences
of people who lived at Arlington,
not just the graves of those buried there, make it a particularly appropriate
site for a place of national remembrance and celebration of freedom
With
its various uses by different groups from 1861-1865, Arlington
served as a stage for evolving American freedoms. During the War, thousands of
Union soldiers trod on the estate, ensuring the defense of the United
States capital and contributing to a War effort
which would eventually succeed. Thanks largely to the efforts and sacrifices
of these men, the Union was restored and slavery abolished
at Arlington and across the country.
As a result, new concepts about American freedoms and, more specifically, new
concepts about who was eligible for such freedoms emerged. For the first time,
former slaves had a degree of autonomy in directing and shaping their lives and
legal protections to exercise rights long held dear by white Americans. For several
thousand Africans Americans who lived at Freedman’s Village after the War,
Arlington became the place where these
freedoms were first realized. Perhaps fittingly, this first experience of freedom
occurred on an estate which had been built and worked by slave labor—an irony
which, in itself, encapsulates the changing view of American freedom which occurred
during the nineteenth century. Such human experiences
provide the base of meaning at Arlington,
now adorned with graves and memorials which remember those who made great sacrifices
to defend American freedoms. Indeed, another piece of land which lacked Arlington’s
rich cultural history could not speak so strongly. Back:
The First Two-Hundred Acres: Arlington National
Cemetery Interactive Map: Arlington
In-Between |
