Monuments as Mobilization? The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Memorialization of the Lost Cause

Objective The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) played an important role in constructing monuments commemorating the Civil War. Memorialization of the “Lost Cause” and preserving southern heritage are often cited as reasons for monument construction. Here, we study whether these monuments were also used as tools to mobilize potential members. Method We use data on Confederate monuments and UDC membership to empirically test if monument construction mobilized women to join the UDC. Results States with more Confederate monuments tended to have more UDC members. Confederate monument construction, especially courthouse monuments, was also predictive of the annual growth in UDC membership in a state. However, membership in individual chapters was not consistently affected by building a monument in a community Conclusion Confederate monuments could be a boon to UDC membership, underscoring how memorials can be used as catalysts for interest group mobilization.