Casimir Pulaski - Tributes and Commemoration

Tributes and Commemoration

Pulaski is one of the most honored persons in American history, in terms of places and events named in his honor. The United States has long commemorated Pulaski's contributions to the American War of Independence, and the Congress passed a resolution that a monument should be dedicated to him. In 1929, Congress passed a resolution recognizing October 11 of each year as "General Pulaski Memorial Day", with a large parade held annually on the Fifth Avenue in New York City. Separately, a Casimir Pulaski Day is celebrated in Illinois and some other places on the first Monday of each March. After a previous attempt failed, the United States Congress passed a joint resolution conferring honorary U.S. citizenship on Pulaski in 2009, sending it to the President for approval. President Barack Obama signed it on November 6, 2009, making Pulaski the seventh person so honored.

In Poland, Pulaski's relative, Antoni Pułaski, obtained a cancellation of his brother's sentence in 1793. He has been mentioned in the literary works of numerous Polish authors, including Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. Adolf Nowaczyński wrote a drama "Pułaski w Ameryce" (Pulaski in America) in 1917. A museum dedicated to Pulaski, the Kazimierz Pułaski Museum, opened in Warka in 1967.

Throughout America and Poland, various anniversaries related to Pulaski's birth and death have been celebrated on many occasions, and numerous objects of arts such as paintings and statues exist of Pulaski. In 1879, to commemorate a 100th anniversary of his death, Henri Schoeller composed "A Pulaski March." Commemorative medals and stamps of Pulaski have been issued. Several towns and counties in United States are named after him. Numerous streets, parks and structures (such as the Pulaski Bridge or the Pulaski Skyway) are also named in his memory. There is also a number of institutions named after him. A US Navy submarine, USS Casimir Pulaski, has been named for him, as was a 19th-century Revenue Marine (Coast Guard) cutter. A Polish frigate, ORP Generał Kazimierz Pułaski, is also named after Pulaski. Fort Pulaski, active during the American Civil War, is named in honor of Casimir Pulaski.

Polish historian Władysław Konopczyński, who wrote a monograph on Pulaski in 1931, noted that he was one of the most accomplished Polish people, grouping him with other Polish military heroes such as Tadeusz Kościuszko, Stanisław Żółkiewski, Stefan Czarniecki and Prince Józef Poniatowski.