Statement from the President General

As early as 1866, ladies across the South began to decorate the graves of soldiers with flowers. What they called “Decoration Day” eventually became our Memorial Day, a day to remember the men who fought for their states, homes and families.

But for those who never came home, who were missing or killed in action only to lie in graves far from home, there was no place for local women to gather, reflect, mourn or decorate. These ladies formed Memorial Societies and began to save nickels and dimes to erect local monuments to their veterans, both living and missing ones. Ladies’ Memorial Societies merged to form the United Daughters of the Confederacy, long known as “Monument Builders”. These monuments, erected for no other reason than to give them a place to pause and remember their lost loved ones, were placed on courthouse squares along roads where they were a visual reminder of the sacrifices families made during the War Between The States.

These memorial markers and statues have been a part of the Southern landscape for over a hundred years. To some, they are viewed as divisive; to others, they simply represent a memorial to our forefathers who fought bravely during four years of war. They are intended as memorials to those who served as soldiers and the women who valiantly carried on life at home while the men were off fighting. They memorialize the common soldier, officers, women, American Indians, Jewish Americans, Confederates of Color, foreign nationals (Asian-Pacific, Hispanic, French), and multicultural (Creole, Tejano) soldiers who supported the Confederacy.

As descendants of this diverse group, the UDC strives to understand others, the world and ourselves as we co-exist without destruction. Their histories and efforts are not to be forgotten and are acknowledged with reverence and honor for coming to the aid of their states and doing their duty.

The United Daughters of the Confederacy strongly denounces any individual or group that promotes racial divisiveness. We condemn hate groups that use our flag and symbols for reprehensible purposes. Join us in affirming that Confederate memorials and monuments are part of our shared diverse American history and should remain in place.

                    Julie Noegel Hardaway
                    President General, 2024-2026



Reaffirmation of the Objectives of the United Daughters of the Confederacy®

WHEREAS, The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a tax-exempt, non-profit Organization whose objectives are Historical, Benevolent, Educational, Memorial and Patriotic; AND

WHEREAS, The United Daughters of the Confederacy® is an Organization dedicated to the purpose of honoring the memory of its Confederate ancestors; protecting, preserving and marking the places made historic by Confederate valor; collecting and preserving the material for a truthful history of the War Between the States; recording the participation of Southern women in their patient endurance of hardship and patriotic devotion during and after the War Between the States; fulfilling the sacred duty of benevolence toward the survivors and those dependent upon them; assisting descendants of worthy Confederates in securing a proper education; honoring the service of veterans from all wars as well as active duty military personnel and cherishing the ties of friendship among the members of the organization, AND

WHEREAS, The United Daughters of the Confederacy® is a patriotic Organization which honors and upholds the United States of America and respects its Flag, AND

WHEREAS, The United Daughters of the Confederacy® does not subscribe to policies of individuals, groups or organizations that do not honor and respect the United States of America and its Flag,

THEREFORE, BE IT KNOWN, that The United Daughters of the Confederacy® does not associate with or include in its official UDC functions and events, any individual, group or organization known as unpatriotic, militant, racist or subversive to the United States of America and its Flag, AND

BE IT FURTHER KNOWN, that The United Daughters of the Confederacy® will not associate with any individual, group or organization identified as being militant, unpatriotic, racist or subversive to the United States of America and its Flag.