TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Argument
Introduction..........................................................1
History..................................................................2
Controversy..........................................................4
Ecology.................................................................5
Geology.................................................................6
National Memorial................................................7
Rushmore Facts.....................................................8
Activities/Features.................................................9
Conclusion...........................................................10
Bibliography
 Argument

Should the American nation be one day defined by the greatness of its monuments then
undeniably one of the first creations standing on a symbolical list of world’s greatest
monuments is Mount Rushmore. A National Memorial and an icon for America’s
principles, Mount Rushmore becomes synonymous with tradition, challenge and strength.
It is a concord between man and nature whose significance can be found in the portrays
of the four American presidents who stand and watch silently over the present and future
destiny of the nation that once was theirs. This monument should be first interpreted
symbolically for what it represents and then as a human creation of great importance.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of the most representative and controversial
monuments created to become the symbol of reconciliation for the principles of the
American nation. The sculpture representing four of the American presidents attracts
annually millions of people. It is essentially a massive construction meant to last over
time as symbol of democracy, freedom and equality. Mount Rushmore, controversial but
in the same time representative needs to be understood as one of those monuments that
become important for the capacity of human creation as it resides from the genius and
unceasing work of the American people.

The monument, created by Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), is a granite sculpture covering

1,278.45 acres. The idea for Mount Rushmore came in 1923 with the main reason of
promoting tourism in South Dakota, a measure considered to be exclusively necessary for
this region. This massive construction is the result of the unceasing work of 400 people
under the direct guidance of Gutzon Borglum between October 4, 1927, and October 31,
1941. Mount Rushmore is a mixture of symbols and a home to many animals and plants
representative of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The rock of the mountain is composed
of smooth, fine-grained granite and it is so durable that erodes only 1 inch (25 mm) every
10,000 years, indicating that it is sturdy enough to support sculpting.

Mount Rushmore is something that everyone should see one day in order to appreciate
man’s capacity of creation, effort and strength. History, geology, ecology, controversy are
all part of this massive construction. Without one of these Mount Rushmore loses some
of the strength that makes it one of the greatest symbols of the American nation. It stands
as a challenge undertaken by man to tame nature, to change what nature has given for
granted into a monument of extreme importance for the American people, their history
and tradition.
Bibliography

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rushmore
 http://www.mountrushmoreinfo.com/