Mount Rushmore: USA’s Four Immortal Presidents
On 8 December 1941, the United States of America declared war on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbour the previous day. Three days later, on 11 December, Adolf Hitler declared war on the North American superpower. The Second World War, and the leading role the United States played in the restructuring of political power globally following the end of the war, was a defining moment for America. The war forced America to assume a leading role in international politics – a role it takes seriously to this day. The 8 December 1941 is a day that is etched on to the front page of America’s history. Just over a month before that, on 31 October 1941, a piece of artwork carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota was officially dedicated. It aimed to immortalise the men who had helped shape America in the first 150 years of its existence. In short, the formation of America was commemorated by four faces. The man charged with its planning and creation was Gutzon Borglum.
Gutzon Borglum was born on 25 March 1867 in Idaho, to an American mother and a Danish father. A move to Utah followed shortly after. At the age of seven the Borglum’s were on the move again, taking up residence in Fremont, Nebraska. When you throw in Gutzon’s private school education in Kansas and another family move to California, it’s safe to say that Borglum was well versed in American geography. His passion for art had developed from an early age, but it wasn’t until the California move that he began pursuing his hobby as a career.
In 1888 he was commissioned to paint General John C. Fremont. Fremont led five expeditions into Western America during the 1840s. In the third of these he allowed his men to commit numerous massacres against Native Americans, playing a significant role in what became known as the Californian genocide. A career in politics followed his military career, which ended after being court-martialled for mutiny and insubordination (a sentence that was commuted with the backing of President James K. Polk). The biggest moment in this political career came in 1856 with his campaign to be the 15th president of the United States of America. He ran as the candidate for the newly formed Republican Party but lost to Democrat James Buchanan. He also played a brief but important role in the American Civil War. In 1861 Abraham Lincoln entrusted him with command of the highly coveted Western Department, but it was removed from him in 1862, after he was once again charged with insubordination. By 1888 Fremont was a far less influential figure, but for Borglum, work was work. What’s more, the General’s wife, Jessie Benton Fremont, became a friend Borglum’s and played a key role in furthering his career. The sales he generated funded two years of study in Paris (where he cultivated a friendship with sculptor Auguste Rodin, the man behind The Thinker) and a year in Spain before returning to California in 1893. He stayed for three years. In 1896 he was off to England. While there he found success, with some of his work being displayed for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. He soon longed to return home though, and in 1901 he was back in the US, this time armed with a respectable reputation.
By 1927 he had gained experience and notoriety in carving, most notably with his bust of Abraham Lincoln which currently sits in the Capitol Building. In 1924 Borglum was in South Dakota with Doane Robinson, the official State Historian of South Dakota to discuss the potential completion of a carving on the side of the Black Hills. The two parted ways with an agreement in principle to begin the project. At the time of this meeting, Borglum had already begun work on a mountain carving further south. After seeing Borglum’s bust of Lincoln, the President of United Daughters of the Confederacy, Helen Plane, got in contact with the artist requesting he carve the head of Robert E. Lee (commander of the Confederate States Army) into Stone Mountain. Borglum, after visiting Stone Mountain, Georgia, informed Plane that the project should be grounded. Addressing the United Daughters of the Confederacy as a whole, Borglum said, "Ladies, the head of Lee on the side of that mountain would look like a postage stamp on a barn door!" Instead, he proposed a carving of Lee, alongside another confederate general, Stonewall Jackson and the provisional Confederate President, Jefferson Davis. Construction of the shrine to Confederate figures was commissioned by the United Daughters, but the Klu Klux Klan coughed up a significant portion of the funds. While Borglum doesn’t seem to have been a paid up member of the group, it is clear he was heavily involved in their political decision making. Divisions in the group by the mid-1920s meant their funding for the Stone Mountain project stalled. This, combined with disagreements between Borglum and some of the businessmen funding the carving probably convinced Borglum to meet with Doane Robinson. In early 1925 Borglum was fired from the Stone Mountain carving role, allowing him to focus solely on the job at Mount Rushmore. It was decided that the four men would be depicted. George Washington, the first President of the United States and commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, was the first man to be selected. Also selected was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was the third President of the United States but is more popularly known for his role as the primary draftsman of the Declaration of Independence. He spent much of his life advocating for human freedom, it is unsurprising then, that the fact he owned over 600 slaves, has seen him go down in history as a rather hypocritical figure. Despite this, his influence on the formation of the United States can’t be denied. The third face on Mount Rushmore is Abraham Lincoln. The sixteenth and probably most famous pre-WW2 president oversaw a resounding Unionist victory in the American Civil War. His Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that Lincoln passed on 22 September 1862, stated that from 1 January 1963 all slaves in the rebellious states would be free. It signalled that first major step in American politics towards the abolition of slavery. Conveniently for Lincoln’s war effort, it also allowed former slaves to fight alongside Union Army for the first time. The conflict lasted four years, effectively coming to a conclusion on 9 April 1865 when General E. Lee surrendered. On 15 April 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at the theatre by actor and Confederate spy John Wilkes Booth. The final head belongs to Theodore Roosevelt. He was president number 26 and was in office between 1901 – 1909. Serving in the American-Spanish war, he gained a tag as a national hero through his leadership of the so-called ‘Rough Riders’ who served in Cuba. All four men, despite the odd controversy, all had a dramatic impact on the first 150 years of the United States. The four figures selected were solid, now all was need was to source some dynamite.
Work begun on 27 October 1927. The project took over 14 years to complete, thanks to intermittent financial issues as well as problems with the likeness of a couple of the former presidents. Nevertheless, Borglum oversaw the dedication of George Washington (1930), Thomas Jefferson (1936), Abraham Lincoln (1937) and finally Theodore Roosevelt (1939). Unfortunately, he would not live to see the completion of his life’s greatest achievement. Borglum died on 6 March 1941, just a few days before his 74th birthday. His son, Lincoln Borglum, was put in charge of the project as it entered its final stages. On 31 October 1941, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial was officially dedicated. It became an immediate hit with Americans but, following the end of the Second World War, it has since become a tourist hotspot too. Today (or more accurately in recent but pre-covid days) Borglum’s masterpiece on the Black Hills is visited by 2 million people a year.
However, its location is a cause of tension for some Americans. The issue comes through a disagreement between the legitimacy of the United States authority over the Black Hills, and their authority to distort the landscape in any way, with artwork or otherwise. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed by Sioux tribes and General William T. Sherman. By the terms of this treaty, the US government promised the Sioux “undisturbed use and occupation” of their territory including the Black Hills. However, the discovery of gold and the promise of vast profit led American prospectors across the country to flock there. As a result, the United States government began forcing the Sioux to give up their claims on the Black Hills.
This forced now legendary figures like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse to lead Sioux resistance movements against this state sponsored incursion. It was during these conflicts that Crazy Horse defeated General George Armstrong Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. These attacks were eventually halted following the brutal massacre of Sioux natives at Wounded Knee in 1890. Protests by Sioux activists continue to occur, demanding the return of the Black Hills to the native Sioux population, not least because the region is integral to many Sioux religious traditions.
Gutzon Borglum was clearly a man who possessed much talent. His bust of Abraham Lincoln and the Mount Rushmore national memorial are a testament to that. It’s also fair to acknowledge that at best, dealing with people with morally perverse views on race was acceptable to Borglum was acceptable as long as they paid up. It is more likely that he shared these views himself. Despite this, Borglum’s work has immortalised four of America’s greatest politicians and military commanders. His abilities as an artist are unquestionable and are there for all to see, you just need to find a way to get to South Dakota.
Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/moru/learn/historyculture/gutzon-borglum.htm
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/mount-rushmore-1
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mount-Rushmore-National-Memorial#ref226651
George Washington | Life, Presidency, Accomplishments, & Facts | Britannica
Thomas Jefferson | Biography, Political Career, & Facts | Britannica
Abraham Lincoln | Biography, Childhood, Quotes, Death, & Facts | Britannica
Theodore Roosevelt | Biography, Facts, Presidency, National Parks, & Accomplishments | Britannica
Cover Image:
"Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Keystone, South Dakota)" by @CarShowShooter is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
