Historians open 19th century time capsule found under Lee statue

• The Democratic governor said in a statement after the Lee statue was removed in September, "This monument and its time capsule reflected Virginia in 1890 — and it's time to remove both, so that our public spaces better reflect who we are as a people in 2021."

The big picture: The Lee statue was one of dozens of Confederate monuments removed in response to last year's Black Lives Matter protests, which brought to the fore civil rights advocates' point that such symbols pay deference to the U.S. history of slavery and racism.

• Northam lifted the lid of the capsule, which wasn't discovered until last Friday. Inside were items including an 1875 almanac, a British coin, some books and a cloth envelope.

• Historians believe the capsule dates from 1887, according to the governor's office.

The intrigue: Julie Langan, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, noted to the New York Times that the "odd assortment" differed from an 1887 newspaper description that indicated a capsule placed beneath the monument contained "a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln in his coffin."

Go deeper: New capsule installed at base that held up Robert E. Lee statue