Grassley Introduces Measure Creating Memorial to Honor African Americans Who Fought In Revolutionary War

Press Release

Senator Chuck Grassley yesterday introduced legislation creating a memorial to honor the role both freed and enslaved African Americans played during the American Revolution, including Iowan Cato Mead. The memorial would be located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The legislation was introduced with Senator Chris Dodd.

"A national memorial would be a tribute to African-Americans, like Iowan Cato Mead, who fought for our nation's independence during the American Revolution. It will be a great help to broaden Americans' understanding of the diversity of the patriots of the Revolutionary War," Grassley said.

The National Liberty Memorial would honor the more than 5,000 slaves and freed slaves who served as soldiers and sailors under General George Washington and in the various state and local militias.

Grassley co-sponsored similar legislation more than 20 years ago. In the 1980s, several young Iowans took an interest in the effort and helped with the initial push for the memorial. Federal funds are not used for any memorials on the National Mall, so the legislation would authorize the National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to raise funds for the memorial.

Grassley said that Mead was a Revolutionary War patriot who was originally from Connecticut but spent his final years in Southeast Iowa. There is a monument dedicated to Mead in the Montrose Cemetery in Lee County.

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