Mount Rushmore: An Emblem Of The United States

The giant sculptures on Mount Rushmore are known around the world. These monumental portraits carved into a cliff in the Black Hills of South Dakota depict four of the most prominent presidents in American history. Here is the history and features of this unique memorial.

Presentation of Mount Rushmore

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial (or Mount Rushmore National Memorial in English) is the main tourist attraction in the state of South Dakota.
The site, which is located forty miles from Rapid City, attracts more than two million visitors each year.

This monumental sculpture depicts the faces of four famous U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

This spectacular work was carved from granite by Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum. These faces are located at an altitude of approximately 1740 meters and are 18 meters high!

History of Mount Rushmore

The idea for the memorial was initiated by historian Doane Robinson in 1923 as a way to develop tourism in the area. It was approved by the federal and state governments in 1925.

The Mount Rushmore sculptures took 14 years to complete, between 1927 and 1941. After Gutzon Borglum's death in 1941, the work was continued by his son Lincoln. The original project called for busts of all four presidents, but only the faces were completed due to lack of funds.

The portrait of Thomas Jefferson was originally intended to be carved to the right of Washington, but was eventually completed to his left due to a flaw in the rock.
In 1933, the National Park Service took jurisdiction over the site.

The sculptor's studio or Sculptor's Studio was built in 1939 under the direction of Borglum himself. It displays the plaster molds and tools that were used to create this spectacular sculpture.

Note: Nearly 400 workers were employed in the making of this memorial; despite the risks (the sculptures were made with explosives), there were no casualties during this project.

The presidents of Mount Rushmore

The four presidents represented on Mount Rushmore are:
- George Washington: the first president of the free United States, from 1789 to 1799, he is considered one of the 'Fathers of the Nation'
- Thomas Jefferson (3rd President from 1801 to 1809) is the author of the Declaration of Independence
- Theodore Roosevelt (26th President from 1901 to 1909) was a Nobel Peace Prize winner
- Abraham Lincoln (16th President from 1861 to 1865) was the author of the abolition of slavery.

Did you know that?

Named 'Six Grandfathers' by the Lakota Indians, this mountain was renamed after Charles E. Rushmore, a New york lawyer who noticed it during an expedition in 1885. The site is controversial because it is located on sacred Lakota land.

Mountain climbers climb Mount Rushmore every year to maintain the memorial.

This particularly spectacular monument has been used as a backdrop for many films and commercials.