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The View from Mount Rushmore
Amidst the Black Hills of South Dakota, the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln watch over the nation. George Washington, often called the father of the nation, was a leader in the American Revolutionary War to win independence from Great Britain and later became the first president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and added territory that doubled the size of the nation through the Louisiana Purchase. Theodore Roosevelt demonstrated strength, sought to improve the country through the Progressive movement, and constructed the Panama Canal (Nsp.gov). Abraham Lincoln sought to keep the country united during the Civil War and ensured freedom to African American slaves. The memory of these great leaders of the United States of America is forever carved into stone. Tourists who visit the monument each year are reminded of the ideals of freedom and democracy that these four presidents fought for and instilled in this country. Gerard Baker, the superintendent of Mount Rushmore spoke about the significance of the monument saying, “Mount Rushmore is a memorial that symbolizes America, and Americans should never lose sight of their cultural beginnings” (Nsp.gov). These men represent the freedom that this nation was founded on and yet, the image of this monument is often used to criticize the current situations of the country.
Mount Rushmore has become more than a static symbol of freedom; it has transcended the past and has been utilized to create new and deeper meaning in a myriad of issues. Michael McGee defined ideographs as “culturally-grounded, summarizing, and authoritative terms that enact their meaning by ...
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NPS.gov. 2007. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. 29 Oct. 2007
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PBS.org. 2007. Public Broadcasting Station. 2 Dec. 2007
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Pismestrovic, Petar. “Dreamland.” Cartoon. PoliticalCartoons.com. 2007. Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index. 29 Oct. 2007
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Dr. Seuss. “Liberators of America.” Cartoon. Introduction to Political Cartoons. 2007. 29
Oct. 2007 .
Williams, Mike. “Back of Mount Rushmore.” Cartoon. Cartoonstock.com. 2007. Cartoonstock.
29 Oct. 2007 .
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: from Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York, NY: Sentinel, 2007. Print.
Gordon S. Wood. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage; Reprint edition. March 2, 1993
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in Black Hills, South Dakota. Carved on the side of this granite mountain are the faces of four well known presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Each man earned their place on the mountain for their mark in presidential history. Some might wonder if Theodore Roosevelt belongs on this great memorial and what he did to deserve this honor. His is probably most remembered for his brazen way of getting things done in the White House, but as the 26th president of The United States, Roosevelt should be credited for many of his achievements that we are still appreciating today.
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: from Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York, NY: Sentinel, 2007. Print.
How many Americans recognize the man on the back of the one hundred dollar bill? Do you know who he is and why he is on the back of that bill? If you said George Washington then you are right! It is said that when one begins something that others will follow behind you and in George Washington's case that is correct. George Washington paved the way for many other presidents that followed after him up until the one we currently have today. Without our first president we would not have our current president. George Washington made huge contributions and achievements to our country that still stand today.
George Washington became President in 1789 and since then has been regarded as America’s “Founding Father”(10). This grand and hero-like status is said to have “began gravitating to Washington six months before the Declaration of Independence, when one Levi Allen addressed him in a letter as ‘our political Father.’”(10). The preservation of Washington’s role as a national hero has been allowed by authors and the media omitting his many flaws as if they had either been forgotten or were no longer important. Yet by excluding these human faults, they have projected an almost god-like hero and inflicted him upon the nation as their Father, somebody whose “life still has the power to inspire anyone”(10).
America is a nation that is often glorified in textbooks as a nation of freedom, yet history shows a different, more radical viewpoint. In Howard Zinn’s A People's History of the United States, we take a look at American history through a different lens, one that is not focused on over glorifying our history, but giving us history through the eyes of the people. “This is a nation of inconsistencies”, as so eloquently put by Mary Elizabeth Lease highlights a nation of people who exploited and sought to keep down those who they saw as inferior, reminding us of more than just one view on a nation’s history, especially from people and a gender who have not had an easy ride.
History has a strange way of coming back around when it comes to human civilization. It has been said repeatedly that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. However, just because there is a potential for danger in the future, this does not mean that humanity must ignore what once was. History is normally remembered through what is known as a memorial. When a memorial is put into a physical representation, it is then known as a monument.The need to memorialize events or people is complex; in some cases, monuments honor moments of great achievement, while in other cases, monuments pay homage to deep sacrifice. A monument's size, location, and materials are all considerations in planning and creating a memorial to the past. Examples of such feats are the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and even Mount Rushmore. For the latter of the
The United States of America was formed by many president's of our time. One of these very influential presidents was George Washington. Courageous, smart and firm. The "founding father" has influenced many people today. He was a commander in chief of the forces during the Revolutionary War, chairman of the convention that wrote the Constitution, and the very first president. He has made very important decisions that still influence our country today.
Thomas Jefferson was at the center of American history for more than half a century. He was a man of many talents, he was the author of the Declaration of Independence, and he was the third President of the United States.
The signers of the Declaration are to be thanked on behalf of the American people, the courageous sacrifices they showed in defending the people’s rights and standing their ground despite the consequences they faced, is certainly oddly astonishing. How outstanding is it that letters came to be mightier than swords and weapons? How glorious is it that such sacrifices were given for some words? Words that set free a whole society and abolished another? The Declaration is objectively a set of words, which were strong enough to end persecution under the mighty rule of monarchy, once and for
Thomas Jefferson was the third American President. Due to the fact that he was such an early President, he influenced our political system greatly, both in the short and long term with his seemingly quiet approach to congressional matters. During his presidency, many things happened that changed the United States as we know it. He coordinated the Louisiana Purchase, assisted in implementing the twelfth amendment, formed the character of the modern American President, and cut the U.S.’s war debt by a third.
Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson were Americas first presidents and are easily considered to be among the most recognized and influential. They contributed much needed leadership, functionality, and a voice for the citizens. Yet, one president stands out to be the strongest of them all, and that was Thomas Jefferson. There is no doubt that without Jefferson, our country would not have been able to develop as effieciently as it did. For his ideas put into the Declaration of Independance, expansion of America, and his many other contributions for the people like education.
There is much controversy surrounding the idea of patriotism and the iconography of the American flag in today’s society. Some believe patriotism is simply the act of supporting the decisions of the leaders of the country. Others say, to be patriotic, people should be outspoken and voice their oppositions to what is going on in the government. Opinions also differ on the idea of what the American flag represents. One opinion of the flags representation is that the flag represents our history, and the formerly mentioned idea of patriotism. Others believe the flag also represents our history as a nation, but these beliefs focus much more heavily on the negative aspects of our history; such as slavery and other injustices carried out by our nation. These people often believe we should find a new iconography for our country’s ideas of patriotism. As Barbara Kingsolver states in “And Our Flag Was Still There,” “Patriotism seems to be falling to whoever claims it loudest, and we’re left struggling to find a definition in a clamor of reaction” (Pg. 1). Therefore, every American’s duty is to define patriotism amongst the clamor of reaction, recapture the American flag’s representation, and create a new icon for the flag.
Since the establishment of our nation, the founding fathers have been looked upon with veneration. The numerous monuments throughout the country dedicated to these courageous men demonstrate their lasting dignity in our society. These men were exceptional leaders who played a substantial role in American history and tremendously shaped our country for the better. They gave us some of our most beloved documents, led the way to our freedom from Great Britain, and provided us with the foundations for our current government. These men dedicated their lives to the betterment of our nation and deserve an accolade of admiration and honor.