Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to unveil statues around Florida in counties named after founding fathers as a way to celebrate the upcoming 250th birthday of the United States. Counties like Monroe, Madison, Hamilton, and Franklin will be included.
Jefferson County received its statue earlier this month. A bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson now sits on a bench in front of the courthouse in Monticello, and a statue of George Washington, currently on loan from Mount Vernon, is already on display at the Florida Capitol.
“It’s a chance for young people to understand what it means to be an American, how our country came into existence, what are some of the principles that the country was based upon,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis discussed the Constitution and the lives of the Founding Fathers. He also responded to criticism about the fact that Jefferson continued to enslave people despite writing in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.”
“I think it’s totally fair to criticize any of the founders for the decisions and actions they made,” DeSantis said. “But I do think it’s wrong to demonize them and act like somehow 250 years later, they did this. Take them for all the pluses and minuses.”
DeSantis is placing the statues around the state amid ongoing controversy over how American history is recognized through statues, names and other historical markers.
