Snapshots Spotlight: Honoring America's Great Presidents

Mount Rushmore located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, features sculptures of four of the greatest Presidents of the United States: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Source: Used under License-Corel Photo CD.

Snapshots Spotlight: 

Honoring America's Great Presidents

     On Monday, February 16^, 2015, we celebrate a holiday that has become known as “Presidents’ Day”. But is it more than just a day off of work or when businesses offer deals on appliances, carpet or furniture?

     The history behind Presidents’ Day goes back to the early 1800’s. After George Washington died in 1799, his birthday, which was February 22, was “unofficially” celebrated by many patriotic Americans in honor and remembrance of the first US President and the “Father of our Country”. However, it wasn’t until 1885, that Washington’s Birthday was officially established as a National Holiday celebrated annually on February 22.¹

     The Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which went into effect in 1971, officially moved several Federal Holidays to Mondays, creating more “three day weekends” for families. One of the goals and arguments supporting the promotion of the change, was that three day weekends would stimulate the travel industry and increase business commerce. Hence the now common “Presidents’ Day sales”, really do have an actual historical origin in the law as it was supposed to be helping  to stimulate business and economical growth.²

     The new law changed the official date to celebrate Washington’s Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February. Depending upon how the calendar falls, it can occur between Feb 15 and 21. That date was chosen under a proposed provision in that Act that would combine the celebration with Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, which was February 12.^1&2 

     Interestingly, the final draft of the bill dropped language and the reference regarding President Lincoln or other Presidents, and only recognized the Federal Holiday as “Washington’s Birthday”. However, since that time, many States, as well as popular tradition, have recognized and adopted the holiday as “Presidents’ Day”, honoring primarily both Washington and Lincoln, as well as other Presidents throughout history.²

    As we are honoring and remembering the Great Presidents that have help build and strengthen America, Mount Rushmore is the one place that memorializes 4 of the great Presidents, including both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who we are primarily recognizing on Presidents' Day.

Work at Mount Rushmore in progress under the direction of Sculptor Gutzon Borglum.
Source: National Park Service Mt. Rushmore Historical Photos

“The purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt."  Gutzon Borglum5

    
Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, was born in the Idaho territory in 1867. His family moved to Nebraska while he was still young where his father established a medical practice. He studied art and sculpture in Paris at the Julian Academy, where he met and was influenced by famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Borglum had built a reputation for several patriotic works of art, ranging from a bronze memorial statue at Gettysburg of confederate soldiers from North Carolina, to a six ton marble head of President Lincoln that was exhibited in the White House during Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency.

    Work on Mount Rushmore started in 1927. After 13 and a half years of work, Gutzon died in March 1941 before Mount Rushmore was finished. His son Lincoln, supervised some finishing touches on the faces through the Fall of that year. Shortly thereafter, the United States entered World War II and with the country’s resources being devoted to the war effort, further work stopped.

     Over the decades, Mount Rushmore has become a familiar symbol of America, recognizing 4 of the greatest Presidents of the United States. Each year over 3 million people come to witness one of the greatest historic memorials and artistic ingenuities in 

American History.⁴

.

The Men on the Mountain

"Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze, Oil on Canvas,
on Display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

     

     George Washington is recognized as the “Father of our Country” for his many roles in establishing the United States as an independent and free country. He was the General and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, leading his troops to victory over the British which established the Independence of the United States.

     He also presided over the Constitutional Convention which drafted the United States Constitution in 1787. He was then unanimously elected as the First President of the United States, and served two terms from 1789-1797.

Potrait of Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale
Source: White House Historical Association

     Thomas Jefferson is known for being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence as well as the Third President of the United States serving 2 terms from 1801-1809. He had served as Secretary of State for Washington’s first term and as his Vice President for the second term. During his Presidency he negotiated with the French for the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States territory and sent Lewis & Clark to explore the new added territory.

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln by George H Story
Source: The White House Historical Association

     Abraham Lincoln was the 16^th President, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He is best known for his leadership during the Civil War and for the Emancipation Proclamation which ended slavery in the U.S. He is also famous for the Gettysburg Address, which was given four months after a key Union victory, where he reaffirmed the Nation’s commitment to equal rights, liberty, democracy, aboloshing slavery and preserving the Union. 

President Theodore Roosevelt and conservationalist John Muir
during a tour of Yosemite National Park in 1903.
Photo from The National Parks: Shaping the System, National Park Service.

     Theodore Roosevelt was the 26^th President and a key political supporter of National Parks and Monuments, and was a key figure in preserving the natural wonder and beauty of America. Mt. Rushmore sculptor, Gutzon Borglum was a friend of “Teddy”, and believed that Roosevelt had a clear vision of the role of the United States in leading the world community as well as epitomized the true Spirit of America.⁴

Snapshots Across America features Mount Rushmore as one of the Attraction game cards:

For more information about Snapshots Across America, and the new updated edition to be release this coming Summer 2015, follow our blog or like us on Facebook

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