AnirudhaHave you heard of the famous Japanese saying about a person’s face? The first face, that you show to the world. The second face, that you show your close friends and your family. The third face, that you never show it to anyone and that is the truest reflection of who you are.
If you are thinking that this article must be about some philosophical or psychological aspect of life then my friend you are wrong. You all must be aware of the famous four sculptured faces on Mount Rushmore that includes four prominent United States Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. This place is famous in the United States and all over the world. It is a United States National Monument located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The construction of this beautiful sighting started in 1927 and went on till 1941.
But there is something more than what meets the eye. There is a secret that was hidden behind these famous faces. Oh! you didn’t know?
Initial Plans
The task of sculpting faces on the rocks is not an easy one. It takes lots of time, manpower, and a creative mind that has a capacity to imagine something this big and in this case, Gutzon Borglum was the brain who made this difficult task of putting faces in the mountains possible. At first, Borglum wanted to keep this project as a secret and away from the public’s knowledge. But why? There have been a lot of theories about the secret that still survives behind these faces but not anymore, the secret is out. What could it be?
The Father of Mount Rushmore
Doane Robinson, also known as “The Father of Mount Rushmore,” who came up with this great idea that made South Dakota a tourist destination which attracts so many tourists till now. He met sculptor Gutzon Borglum in 1924 who also helped him in creating The Confederate Memorial Carving on Stone Mountain in Georgia.
After listening to Robinson’s idea, Gutzon agreed to it at once. With good intentions in their hearts and desire to do something great for their place where they grew up, took both of them onto the next step. It was time to decide the place where they could turn their imagination into reality. They agreed on the location in the Needles near Custer, but the condition of the granite was not up to the mark as it was too thin and Borglum did not want to risk his worker’s lives. Where then?
Location Scouting
Needles near Custer was a no go and after all the searching they decided Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. As they looked at Mount Rushmore, Borglum, with pride in his heart said,“America will march along that skyline.” Finally, on March 3, 1925, the Congress authorized the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission. It was a big day and continues to be one as it holds a sentimental value to many people.
But do you know, before they carved out these famous four faces they had something entirely different on their mind? Why did they change their decision? Did they find something?
The Original Intention
Robinson’s first plan was to carve out famous people from around the globe to attract tourist from all over the world. There were suggestions from people to carve eventful incidents that took place in the American history. After receiving several suggestions from people they made a decision of carving the faces of the iconic presidents that made America great with their work and leadership. This idea was well received by the people and the work on the project began that had a beautiful end and a secret that started all of this.
Why These Presidents?
On July 4, 1776, after winning the Revolutionary War where they signed the United States Declaration of Independence and became the country. The United States already had 29 presidents in its times as a country and deciding only four from all of them was a hard choice. But the question is, why these four? The National Park Services explain the decision of Robinson choosing George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln for the carvings. They say, that all four of them represent something about the United States. You could not agree more as all four of them were great presidents and still inspire future politicians. But after reading the real reason that led to their choice will blow your mind. There was something else that made these four the perfect choice. Keep reading if you want to know what was the real reason?
The Reason
The first angle that people believe is that these four presidents represent something about the United States. George Washington represents the birth of the nation, Thomas Jefferson represents the growth of the country, Theodore Roosevelt symbolizes the development of the country and Abraham Lincoln is a representation of the preservation of the union. Because they represent the four foundation reasons that define the country, Borglum chose them. This angle of the story is true but not in all sense because of the second angle that came out later.