Four Faces of the Past: A History of Mount Rushmore
Carved into the rugged granite of South Dakota's Black Hills, Mount Rushmore is a breathtaking monument that has captivated the imagination of millions
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The Mount Rushmore Memorial features four US presidents who played crucial roles in the first 150 years of American history. The mountain got its name from Charles E. Rushmore, a New York lawyer and prospector who searched for minerals in the late 19th century. The idea for the memorial began in 1923, when historian Doane Robinson sought to promote tourism in South Dakota by creating a large sculpture on Mount Rushmore.
The main sculpture, designed by Gutzon Borglum, and his 400 workers began carving the colossal carvings in October 1927. It was decided that the sculpture would depict four US presidents who significantly contributed to the preservation and expansion of the United States. In the following paragraphs, I will provide more in-depth information about these men.
The first president on the left is George Washington, born in 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He began his career as a planter and acquired a significant estate. Through his half-brother, Lawrence Washington, he became involved in the military and served as a militia officer during the British-French war. After the war, he returned to his business life and plantations. Washington's involvement in politics began after Britain imposed more laws and acts on the colonies, leading him to become a delegate to the First Continental Congress. When the war started in 1775, he was elected commander-in-chief of the Continental Army due to his military experience, charisma, and reputation as a strong patriot. Later, he became the first United States president when he was unanimously elected in 1789.
The Washington Sculpture was dedicated to the public on Independence Day, 1934. The next president on the line is Thomas Jefferson, who was initially placed to the left of Washington but was relocated during the sculpting process due to poor stone quality. Borglum eventually blasted off the Jefferson sculpture and restarted work on the right side of Washington. If you look to the left of Washington, you'll see a large hole left by the explosions.
Who was Thomas Jefferson? Born in Virginia in 1743, Jefferson began studying French, Greek, and Latin at age nine. He also studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy during his college years, finishing with excellent grades. Known for his diverse interests and high intelligence, Jefferson worked as a lawyer while simultaneously becoming active as a Virginian politician. He protested against the new laws and acts imposed by British rule on the colonies.
Thomas Jefferson's contribution to American history was significant. He argued that the colonists had the natural right to govern themselves and soon became responsible for creating the famous Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence is what Jefferson is most famous for. However, he had a rich political career, serving as a Virginian Governor, Minister to France, Vice President, and finally President. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, looking back on his life as a large landowner, political philosopher, architect, musician, book collector, scientist, horticulturist, diplomat, inventor, and third President of the United States. He is widely regarded as the most intelligent and intellectual US president of all time. Jefferson's sculpture on Mount Rushmore was dedicated in 1936.
The next sculpture on the line is Abraham Lincoln, depicted on the far right. Born in 1809 on a small farm in Kentucky, Lincoln was raised in a poor home by two uneducated farmers. Despite his limited formal education, he quickly developed an interest in studies and mastered the Bible, Shakespeare's works, English history, and American history through self-education. He developed a plain writing and rhetorical style that puzzled audiences and brought him into politics at the age of 23. Lincoln became a member of the Whig party and later elected to the US House of Representatives in 1846. He left politics after one term and began working as a lawyer before returning to politics. In 1860, he won the Republican Party nomination and was elected president.
Lincoln's hatred for slavery made the already strained relationship between the northern and southern states even more problematic. The Civil War broke out the following year, and Lincoln was the political leader for the Union. His leadership qualities helped preserve the United States as it is today. Lincoln is most known for issuing his Emancipation Proclamation and his contribution in passing the Thirteenth Amendment, which permanently abolished slavery in the US. In 1865, shortly after the war was won, Lincoln was assassinated while watching a theatre act. This made him a martyr for the ideal of national unity and he is today one of the most famous and highly ranked of all US presidents.
Lincoln's sculpture on Mount Rushmore was dedicated in 1937.
As the face of Theodore Roosevelt was being sculpted, Borglum and his workers faced challenges in finding suitable rock, which forced them to dig deeper into the mountain. Luckily, they didn't have to go too far before finding rock that was suitable for sculpting. This is why Roosevelt's sculpture is placed farther back than the other three. Roosevelt's head was dedicated in 1939.
When constructing the sculptures, Borglum used dynamite in an innovative way to remove large amounts of rock quickly and inexpensively. Around 90% of all removed granite was blown off using dynamite. The more detailed work was done using drills, chisels, and hammers, finished off by a special pneumatic drill that provided a smooth surface. The construction process involved removing huge amounts of granite from the mountain, which is evident by the huge granite pile below the memorial. Despite the massive scale of the project, attention was given to every detail.
The irises of the eyes were sculpted as holes with a cube of granite left inside to represent the reflection highlight. This is why the eyes of the presidents appear so alive and realistic. If you have access to binoculars and take a close look at Roosevelt's sculpture, you'll see that even his characteristic glasses are present.
The majority of the workers were experienced mountaineers, often former miners and rock climbers. This was probably one reason why not a single worker died during the project, which is unusual for a project of this size. With the completion of Roosevelt's face in 1939, the memorial looked much like it does today.
Borglum's original plan for Mount Rushmore included much more than just the faces of the presidents. The original plan was to sculpt a massive panel next to the faces, in the shape of the Louisiana Purchase. The panel would be inscribed with gilded letters of the Declaration of Independence and other territorial acquisitions. Borglum also wanted to create a hall into the mountain behind the memorial, which would be known as "The Hall of Records" and hold much of US history represented by the four presidents.
The original plan also included sculptures of the presidents' heads-to-waist, not just their faces. However, as you can see, neither of the presidents' torsos is sculpted, only the beginning can be seen on Washington and Lincoln. Borglum's "Hall of Records" was also started but never completed.
The main reason for this is that Borglum suddenly died from an embolism in 1941. His son Lincoln tried to continue the work, but his father's death and the raging Second World War led to serious funding problems that caused a halt in construction that same year. With this, the Mount Rushmore memorial was left as we know it today.
The memorial was officially dedicated in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush. Today, Doane Robinson's original vision of boosting South Dakota tourism has become reality. The memorial receives millions of visitors each year and has become a true American icon.
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