Infographic of Confederate Memorializing in the United States by Year

The memory of the Confederacy has been used in many ways. When examining the historical uses, merits, and other subjects to understand the statues, they must be examined through the lens of their historical context. As is noticeable from the upticks in Confederate monument building, they are in certain periods related to periods of transition in race relations.

• The Civil War and Reconstruction Era (1861-1877): Few monuments constructed
• The Late 1800s (1878-1900): The United States was nearly in recession for this entire period. More importantly, blacks continued to vote in force until the 1880s
• WWI and WW II Era (1901-1945): This period saw the entrenchment of Jim Crow and the total repression of African Americans 
• WWII till the Civil Rights Era (1945-1970): Mass action and litigation against Jim Crow took place in force from the middle of the 1950s to almost 1970. 
• The End of the Cold War (1970-2000): This period was less active with dramatic racial changes other than the continued pursuit of policies established during the Civil Right's Era such as busing.
• War on Terror (2001-2016): Little change still. However, I imagine there is likely an uptick of monument building as reactions to the Obama presidency and the Trump Presidency.