Pennsylvania’s Historical and Museum Commission has changed the signage marking Confederate troop movements in McConnellsburg, Fulton County. McConnellsburg is and hour’s drive west of Gettysburg, past Chambersburg, and it saw Confederate troops pass through in both the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign and the 1864 burning of Chambersburg. The changes to the signs have been harshly criticized as a product of “Woke History” and “Cancel Culture.” Here are the changes:
Last month, Representative Parke Wentling issued a statement criticizing the commission’s review of markers generally saying:
My fear is that the commission is becoming less of a true historical arbiter and more of a miniaturized version of George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth that has government officer alter history to fit the convenient narrative of those in charge. It is also another example of unelected bureaucrat far-left ideologues within the Wolf administration using their positions to implement a belief system they cannot enact through legislative means. As a student and lover of history, I know that not our collective past includes things we are not proud of today. I respect the role that the debate of historical appropriateness and significance plays in determining our present course of action.
Wentling said that “The problem dates back to 2018 when PHMC began an effort to instill Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) efforts into the internal operations of the commission, which bled over into a revisionist historical review of markers through the ideological DEIA lens…” Wentling’s statement does not specifically mention the McConnellsburg markers, however it says that “over the last year, something troubling has been occurring in relation to these points of state and community pride: they are falling victim to revisionist history driven by woke cancel culture.”
At a county meeting last year, some residents spoke out against changing the markers. “We’re working very hard to make sure that these monuments are staying right where they’re supposed to stay and that’s right here,” vowed Republican State Sen. Judy Ward.
Note: The feature photo shows one of the controversial new markers. Below is the United Daughters of the Confederacy sign it replaced.
These are good changes that more fully explain the actual history. Your orignal “Orwellian” ministry oi propaganda was the Daughters of the Confederacy which put up most of the Lost Cause monuments and markers.
Agreed, these aren’t changes so much as they are expansions
The new sign is more informative, but should include the information about the Daughters Of The Confederacy. There’s no reason to eliminate that and the more info, the better.
Just for clarification, the United Daughters of the Confederacy did not participate in the skirmish.
What does that silly remark mean? If there is a monument there wouldn’t it be important to know who put it up? Does that mean the UDC got permission from the Pennsylvania Government to place a monument honoring their lost sons? If so, then that was a very open minded and forgiving gesture by Pennsylvania. Try getting them to do something similar today.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy monument nearby clearly identifies itself as having been erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, so I am not sure why the marker paid for by the State of Pennsylvania also needs to say the monument was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Nothing about the skirmish is explained by a reference to the UDC. I also note that this monument has attracted those wishing to place Confederate Flags by the stone memorial.
If some wish to place confederate flags at a memorial to confederate soldiers, commissioned by an organization of female relatives and descendants of those men, and allowed by a gracious northern state. It should be viewed as an act of remembrance, and not as something disturbing or racist.
Your obvious lack of historic insight is obvious. Lost cause? My family entire family dedicated all it had to the “lost cause “ of freedom from the tyranny of northern aggression.
Don’t see anything woke or revisionist with the changes, just a fuller description of events
So treason against your country is ok? Northern aggression? It was the south that started the war in order to preserve slavery.
You don’t know much about history do you Cash,, you would do well to read up on it before making untrue statements like that.