Final answer:
Edward Miner Gallaudet founded a school for the deaf in Washington D.C., known for using sign language as a method of instruction. His efforts were part of broader educational advances post-Civil War, including the Freedmen's schools and the fight for universal access to education.
Step-by-step explanation:
Edward Miner Gallaudet founded the school for the deaf in Washington D.C., later known as Gallaudet University, and this occurred within the framework of a significant period for educational development following the U.S. Civil War.
The inclusion of the bronze memorial statue for Dr. Gallaudet signifies the importance of his contributions to education, especially in using sign language as a new method of instruction for those who are hearing impaired, epitomized by his interaction with the student Alice Cogswell, as depicted in the sculpture.
Efforts to provide education and improve learning conditions during this era were widespread, from the Freedmen's schools post-Civil War to the advocacy for universal access to education demonstrated in cases such as Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia in 1972 and the establishment of institutions like Tuskegee Institute under the leadership of Booker T. Washington.