stonewall

Stonewall is a name used for several places, people, and cultural landmarks. It is most famously associated with the Stonewall Inn and the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, and with Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate general whose nickname referred to his perceived steadiness in battle.

The Stonewall Inn is a bar in Greenwich Village that became a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ rights movement after police raids in June 1969 led to days of protests and activism. The riots helped catalyze the formation of advocacy groups and the annual Pride events that followed. The site is a National Historic Landmark, and in 2016 the area around it was designated Stonewall National Monument, the first federal monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights.

Stonewall Jackson, born Thomas Jonathan Jackson in 1824, earned his nickname at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861, where his resistance was said to have stiffened Confederate defenses. The nickname has since entered common usage, though it is now primarily a historical reference.

Multiple towns in North America bear the name Stonewall, including Stonewall, Texas, the birthplace of Lyndon B. Johnson, and Stonewall, Manitoba, near Winnipeg. The uses of the name reflect a blend of historical figures and local naming traditions.