Why was Mt. Rushmore created?

Answer 1

Doane Robinson is known as the "Father of Mount Rushmore." It was his idea for colossal carvings in the Black Hills. He wanted to create an attraction that would draw people from all over the country to his state. In August of 1924 he contacted Gutzon Borglum who was working at Stone Mountain, GA on the face of Robert E. Lee. In his letter Robinson invited Borglum to visit South Dakota and talk over the possibility of carving a mountain. Borglum took Robinson up on his offer and met with him during September of 1924 and again in August of 1925. During this second trip Borglum found Mount Rushmore.

For more about the people involved in creating Mt. Rushmore, see http://www.nps.gov/moru/historyculture/people.htm

Mt. Rushmore is carved with the likenesses of four U.S. Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

George Washington, (1st president) led the early colonists in the American Revolutionary War to win independence from Great Britain. He was the father of the new country and laid the foundation of American democracy. Because of his importance, Washington is the most prominent figure on the mountain. (1732-1799)

Thomas Jefferson, (3rd president) he was the author of the Declaration of Independence, a document which inspires democracies around the world. He also purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 which doubled the size of our country, adding all or part of fifteen present-day states. (1743-1826)

Theodore Roosevelt, (26th president) provided leadership when America experienced rapid economic growth as it entered the 20th Century. He was instrumental in negotiating the construction of the Panama Canal, linking the east and the west. He was known as the "trust buster" for his work to end large corporate monopolies and ensure the rights of the common working man. (1858-1919)

Abraham Lincoln, (16th president) held the nation together during its greatest trial, the Civil War. Lincoln believed his most sacred duty was the preservation of the union. It was his firm conviction that slavery must be abolished. (1809-1865).

Answer 2

The idea of Mt. Rushmore was thought of in 1924, by the historian, Doane Robinson. He believed that carved faces of western heroes would attract more visitors to the area. After a long lobbying period, where he tried to persuade government officials to allow and support this art, the Mt. Rushmore project began on October 4, 1927.