Memorial Craze: How War Memorials have been Changed by War

This thesis project argues that memorials constructed after 9/11 were designed specifically in a way that privileged and focused on the dead individually. By taking a look at memorials throughout American history, the study of memorialization sets up the stage for the way the lives of ordinary people have been memorialized throughout history. 9/11 is one of the most memorable days in the history of the world in the 21st century. However, the academic world has generally ignored the study of war memorials throughout American history as a subset of memorials. Chronicling memorials from the Civil War period to present day, this project intends to focus on 9/11 and the specific type of memorial preferred by the powers that came together to memorialize in the aftermath of this tragic event. This thesis outlines the shift from memorials honoring the dead as a whole towards the preference to incorporate individualistic naming of the dead within the memorials