The four figures carved in stone on Mount Rushmore represent the first 150 years of American history. The birth of our nation was guided by the vision and courage of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson always had dreams of something bigger, first in the words of the Declaration of Independence and later in the expansion of our nation through the Louisiana Purchase. Preservation of the union was paramount to Abraham Lincoln but a nation where all men were free and equal was destined to be. At the turn of the Twentieth Century Theodore Roosevelt saw that in our nation was the possibility for greatness. Our nation was changing from a rural republic to a world power. The ideals of these presidents laid a foundation for our nation as solid as the rock from which their figures are carved.
Each man possessed great skills and leadership of the brand our nation needed for the times. Today millions of visitors come to see Mount Rushmore and gain inspiration from these four great men.

In the Black Hills of South Dakota, stands the national memorial, Mount Rushmore, created by Gutzon Borglum. It was designed as a testament to the growth of the country and its great leaders. This magnificent rock carving depicts the 60-foot high (18.3 m) faces of four great U.S. Presidents.

They are:

The Four Faces

George Washington
As “father of our country” and the nation’s first president, George Washington earned his place as the foremost figure in the presidential portrait. Born in 1732 in Virginia, as a youth he surveyed what was then considered the western wilderness, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. At only 23 years of age, he commanded the Virginia militia, then served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was a justice of the peace and then commander-in-chief of the Continental Army before assuming his most illustrious role as the first president of the United States.

Washington is remembered for helping the nation achieve its independence from England and for ensuring that Americans have a representative form of government. Before sculpting his own vision of Washington, Borglum studied portraits by Rembrant Peale and Gilbert Stewart, as well as a life-mask by French artist Antoine Houdon.

Thomas Jefferson
Born in 1743 to Virginia planters, Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence at age 33, giving the nation a plan for sovereignty and freedom. Jefferson also served as governor of his native state, as minister to France and as secretary of state for four years under President Washington. From 1801 to 1809, he served two successful terms as the nation’s third president.

Jefferson was ultimately included by Borglum because of his vision of an America that spanned from coast to coast. His unprecedented purchase of the vast Louisiana Territory, which more than doubled the size of the young nation, brought this dream closer to reality.

Borglum chose to render Jefferson as a young man, using the life mask created by American artist John H. I. Browere as his model. As depicted on Mount Rushmore, Jefferson is looking to the heavens, emphasizing his reputation as a visionary and philosopher.

Abraham Lincoln
“The Great Emancipator,” Abraham Lincoln, was born to impoverished parents in Kentucky’s backwoods in 1809. Lincoln taught himself law, served in the Illinois Legislature, then gained a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1858, he challenged Senator Stephen Douglas and – through wit, wisdom and a series of historic debates – won the admiration of the American people, though he lost the election.

Elected president in 1860, Lincoln oversaw one of the most pivotal periods in American history, the Civil War. Through steadfast devotion to the nation, he successfully preserved the Union.

Lincoln was Borglum’s favorite leader. In fact, the sculptor named his only son for the 16th president. After studying photographs and a life-mask of Lincoln, Borglum chose to portray him with the beard and the determined look he wore during his tenure in office.

Theodore Roosevelt
The only presidential selection to draw any measure of criticism was that of Theodore Roosevelt, the nation’s 26th president.

Some academics argued that history had not yet judged the Roosevelt presidency (he had been dead only eight years). But Borglum believed Roosevelt’s vision of America’s role in the world community qualified him for the fourth place on the mountain. Roosevelt had realized the dream of Christopher Columbus by completing the Panama Canal and connecting the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

More significantly, Borglum identified with “T. R.’s” energy and charisma, and saw him as the epitome of the American spirit. Borglum sculpted Roosevelt from memory, as he and “Teddy” were close friends and confidants before, during and after Roosevelt’s presidency.

Borglum started drilling into the 6,200-foot mountain in 1927; however, he died in 1941 before it could be completed. The head of Washington was completed first, followed by Jefferson and Lincoln. Roosevelt’s head was unfinished when Borglum died. The memorial was finished later that year by his son, Lincoln. Borglum’s original design was a sculpture of the four presidents to their waists, but time and money only provided for their heads. A similar memorial honoring Crazy Horse, the Oglala Sioux chief, is currently under development nearby.