Reconstructing Remembrance: Race, Memory, and the Eulogies of Charles Sumner

This research seeks to illuminate the unique ways in which Black and White Americans remembered Charles Sumner, exploring how these distinct perspectives reflect the social and political landscape of a post-bellum America. Rather than exploring Sumner’s legacy itself, this research will examine the broader, enduring impact of his legacy on politics and national identity by examining how Black and White speakers used Sumner’s death and legacy differently. It will highlight the active role African Americans played in shaping historical memory and advancing a vision of America grounded in justice and freedom. The significance of this work lies in its exploration of how memory and identity are used to shape social and political realities. The eulogies delivered for Charles Sumner after his death reveal distinct and contrasting perspectives on his legacy, shaped by race and political context. While White eulogists celebrated Sumner as a model of integrity and virtue; African American orators laid unique claim to the senator and his legacy by positioning him as their champion of justice.