Why was arlington national cemetery built

Arlington became a segregated cemetery, just like all national cemeteries at the time, and remained segregated by race and rank until , when President Harry S. Truman desegregated the military. The primary burial ground for white Civil War soldiers became Section Meanwhile, Section 27 became the area for African American soldiers and freed people; more than 3, freed African Americans are buried in Section Initially, being buried at a national cemetery was not considered an honor, but it ensured that service members whose families could not afford to bring them home for a funeral were given a proper burial.

This tradition continues today , and is one reason why Arlington transformed from being one of many national cemeteries into the premier national military cemetery. The event was so popular that in , an amphitheater was constructed to hold the official ceremonies. Renamed the James Tanner Amphitheater , it reopened in after restoration. Beginning in the late s, high-ranking veterans began requesting burial in the Officers' Sections Sections 1, 2 and 3. In , the U. Arlington National Cemetery consequently expanded to include Sections 21, 22 and More than , people have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery, including two U.

Currently, as many as 30 U. The cemetery, which has gone through several expansions through the years, now spans acres, roughly one square mile. The Millennium Expansion Project, started in , adds 27 acres and roughly 30, additional burial plots to the cemetery. Even with the expansion, Arlington National Cemetery is expected to reach capacity by the s.

History of Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery. Smithsonian Magazine. PBS NewsHour. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Days after resigning from the U. Lee left the Arlington estate where he had married The United Nations U.

The U. The League of Nations was an international diplomatic group developed after World War I as a way to solve disputes between countries before they erupted into open warfare. Arlington House became a Union Army headquarters and the estate was incorporated into the defensive works around the capital. As the number of Union war dead began to exceed the space available in local cemeteries, additional burial grounds were required. Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs selected Arlington for its serene atmosphere.

The U. Supreme Court ruled in that the federal government had illegally seized the land. Up to 30 funerals take place each day. Flags at the cemetery are flown at half-staff from one-half hour before the first scheduled memorial funeral service until one-half hour after the last service of the day. As a result, Congress passed legislation allowing the federal government to purchase land for the purposes of a national cemetery. It was the shrewd thinking of Quartermaster General Montgomery C.

Meigs that proposed the grounds of Arlington House as the new national cemetery. Not only was the site ideal because its elevation protected it from flooding, but it served to further weaken the Confederate cause while emboldening the North by sending a strong message by denying Robert E. Lee of its use. The first burial took place at Arlington in There were, however, legal wranglings that later took place with the government of the United States and the natural heirs of the property resulting in a Supreme Court ruling that returned Arlington House back to Custis Lee, Robert E.

Over the years, as the United States entered several wars, the cemetery underwent a massive expansion to the hundreds of acres it occupies today.

They subsisted by raising crops and lived there during and after the Civil War. There are 3, former slaves buried there on a plot of land known as Section Despite all the contributions and sacrifices of African-American soldiers up through the Second World War, Arlington National Cemetery remained segregated until Several years after the conclusion of the Civil War in , the U.

The week long ordeal cost American lives lost to combat along with another 5, due to disease. Later in , the monument was unveiled and dedicated. This marked the first time that a national memorial was posted by a society of women. In , a society was formed on their behalf that successfully lobbied to have a memorial for that group of soldiers erected the following year.

In , construction began on the Maine Mast Memorial.