Read the excerpt from "Elegy for the Native Guards.” The Daughters of the Confederacy has placed a plaque here, at the fort’s entrance— each Confederate soldier’s name raised hard in bronze; no names carved for the Native Guards— 2nd Regiment, Union men, black phalanx. What is monument to their legacy? What does this excerpt demonstrate about the impact of the past on the present?
Answer
A
The oppression of people can last far beyond their deaths.
B
It is our responsibility to search for artifacts from history.
C
It is easier to forget about the past than to think about it.
D
History tries to remember all people equally.
Explanation
The plaque prominently names Confederate soldiers but leaves out the Native Guards, Black Union soldiers who also served at the fort. This unequal remembrance shows that past oppression can continue to shape whose contributions are recognized in the present. Therefore, choice A, “The oppression of people can last far beyond their deaths,” best captures the excerpt.
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