Fun Facts
On the back of Lincoln’s head, there is another face, General Robert E. Lee, looking over the Potomac River at his former home at the northern end of Arlington Cemetery.
His hands are signing his initials A and L, in American Sign Language, because he was a staunch supporter of the deaf community.
Lastly, there is a grammatical mistake in the Second Inaugural Address: the wall says “Euture” instead of “Future.”
Brief History of the Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial, located at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was designed to honor Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.
The memorial was designed by architect Henry Bacon, who envisioned a structure resembling a Greek Doric temple. Sculptor Daniel Chester French created the 19-foot statue of Lincoln in the building.
- Construction Began: 1914, and it was completed in 1922. It was dedicated on May 30, 1922, on Memorial Day.
- Purpose: The memorial was built to honor Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War and his efforts to preserve the Union and end slavery. The statue of Lincoln inside the memorial is seated, gazing out over the Reflecting Pool toward the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. The memorial has 36 columns, each representing a state in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death in 1865.
- Inscriptions: Inside are inscriptions of Lincoln’s most famous speeches: the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address.
- The Lincoln Memorial stands as a symbol of freedom, unity, and equality. It honors Lincoln’s presidency and serves as a place to reflect on our nation’s highest ideals.
Resources
https://www.nps.gov/linc/learn/historyculture/index.htm
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lincoln-Memorial-monument-Washington-DC
Washington D.C 