Saratoga Monument Association

Composite photo: LEFT, a tall, granite obelisk; RIGHT, a small granite monument

Saratoga NHP.

Why monuments at Saratoga NHP?

Why do monuments, like those at Saratoga National Historical Park, make a difference?

Imagine: you’ve been asked to participate in a video chat. What can you expect?

• The presenter has a message to convey.
• You’ll only see the presenter, and whatever fits the camera view.
• Bad connectivity limits good communication.
• Missed illustrations or conversation parts affect your understanding.
• The call can only fit so much information.
• You might agree, or not, with something said or omitted.
• Presenter clarity and good visuals/graphics say a lot.
• Ask questions to get answers.

Saratoga NHP, like numerous historical, cultural, or artistic sites, has many monuments. Through monuments, their designers are inviting you to “visually chat” as they share about important events, ideas or persons…in this case the world-changing American victory in the Battles of Saratoga (1777).

Who were the designers here? The Saratoga Monument Association (SMA), in the late 19^th century, was part of a larger, post-Civil War “Memorialization Movement” seeking societal healing by looking to a more unified time, the American War for Independence.

The SMA established the 155’ Saratoga Monument just north of Saratoga Battlefield, followed by 13 smaller monuments within the battlefield—which lay unmarked for over a century. Saratoga Monument commemorates the American victory, while the 13 smaller monuments denote highly generalized battle-related areas, and some individuals involved; some of these were ancestors of the monuments’ sponsors.

Additional monuments later followed. Some were sponsored by descendants, others by ethnic/patriotic groups like the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Polish American Congress.

How do all these monuments make a difference?

They give voice to the voiceless, remind generations of essential history, convey layers of history, prompt us to ask questions…and call each of us to ask, “How might I make a difference in sharing history?”