George Washington
1930, July 4 - Dedication of the Washington figure. First President of the United States
Born 1732, died 1799. Washington led the 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, Borglum chose Washington to be the most prominent figure on the mountain
and
represent the birth of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson
1936, August 30 - Dedication of the Jefferson figure, attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Born
1743, died 1826. Jefferson was the primary 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. Gutzon
Borglum
chose Jefferson to represent the growth of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln
1937, September 17 - Dedication of the Lincoln figure. Born 1809, died 1865. Lincoln 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. Gutzon Borglum
chose Lincoln to represent the preservation of the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt
1939, July 2 - Dedication of the Roosevelt figure. Born 1858, died 1919. Roosevelt 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. Borglum chose Roosevelt to represent the development of the United States.
