The James Bradley Monument

A downward looking left view of the James Bradley Monument. The gaze of the man is focused on the book in his hand. An embodiment of Bradley's commitment to education
View of the James Bradley Monument harkens to ‘The Thinker’ by Auguste Rodin.

The James Bradley Monument tells the story of the man who became enslaved and eventually bought his way into freedom. The monument sits on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River facing the Queen City. This serves to the viewer as another symbolic representation of the line between freedom and enslavement for Africans/ African Americans escaping to the north as the Ohio River served as the physical boundary between the two realities. At least that’s what the plaque would like you to believe as slave catchers were often found in Cincinnati and even farther North searching for “escaped” African Americans.

Side view of the Jame Bradley facing to his right. The mouth of the of the licking river can be slightly seen in the distance.
Facing towards the mouth of Licking River and Newport.
A frontal view of the James Bradley Monument. The homes of Covington can be viewed in the background.
James Bradley’s Monument sits invitingly on the Ohio riverfront.
The plaque that sits by the James Bradley monument. It describes the man's life and his importance to history. A project that was dedicated by the Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial Commission in 1988.
The plaque sits by the James Bradley monument. It describes the man’s life and his importance to history. A project that was dedicated by the Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial Commission in 1988.
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1800sCincinnati historyFreemanKentuckyOhioOhio RiverRiverfrontslavery
By fall 2023, historic landmarks, local history, monuments & statues, PH Wild, race & diversity