Charles Sumner Statue

Created by Thomas Ball, the Charles Sumner Statue was installed and dedicated in 1878 in Boston's Public Garden. Charles Sumner was an American statesman and Massachusetts senator best known for his outspoken stance against slavery. In fact he was so outspoken that a pro-slavery proponent in the senate nearly beat him to death. Instead of hurting him politically, this violent act catapulted him to fame and he surely would have risen even higher in politics had he not disastrously gone against Ulysses S. Grant after the Civil War. Because of his unwavering protests against slavery and racism, Sumner is the namesake for many places around Massachusetts. (Submitted by Omar Medina)