WASHINGTON: A statue of Robert E. Lee, a commander for the pro-slavery South during the US Civil War, was removed from the Capitol building early Monday, officials said, part of a reckoning with the country's history of racism.

"Last night, Virginia removed its statue of Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol," tweeted the state's governor, Ralph Northam. "This is an important step forward - it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion," he continued. During the 1861-1865 Civil War, the Confederate South seceded from the United States and fought to maintain slavery, which the rest of the country had abolished.

Virginia was home to the Southern capital, Richmond. The statue of Lee had represented the state at the Capitol building in Washington, the heart of US legislative power, since 1909.