October 31: Mount Rushmore Declared Complete (1941)
Prayer Idea
Pray that we can be honest about the good and the bad in our past.
History Note
In 1868 the U.S. government signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie with members of the Sioux Nation. By giving up land which had been promised to them in earlier treaties, the Indigenous people agreed to accept land in what is now South Dakota, including the area known as the Black Hills, for “the absolute and undisturbed use and occupation of the Indians herein named.”
However, a few years later, reports of gold in the Black Hills attracted unauthorized Americans into the area. The U.S. Army came, too. The U.S. government made some efforts to stop miners and settlers but quickly gave up. This violation of the 1868 treaty led to the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn. In 1877 the U.S. government forced the Sioux to give up their land in the Black Hills and move to new reservations.
In 1923 South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson proposed building a monument in the Black Hills as a tourist attraction. American artist Gutzon Borglum accepted a commission to design and build a huge sculpture. After a dedication ceremony with President Calvin Coolidge at Mount Rushmore in August 1927, work began in October. Borglum chose to feature George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Nearly 400 men and women worked on the monument. Workers climbed 700 stairs each day to get to the top of the mountain. The work was dangerous. Men sat in swing seats hung from cables on top of the mountain. Remarkably, no one died while working on the project.
Under Borglum’s guidance, workers first used dynamite to remove rock to within three or four inches of what would become a finished face. The second stage was honeycombing, in which a worker used a jackhammer to make shallow holes about three inches apart. After honeycombing, workmen used small drills, hammers, and wedging tools to remove the remaining rock. The fourth and final step was to smooth the faces with small air hammers.
Work continued for 14 years, though the actual carving took only six and a half years. The project had delays several times because of weather or lack of funds. Gutzom Borglum continued to manage the project until his death in March of 1941. His son, Lincoln, then directed the work through the last day of carving on October 31, 1941.
Finished on the eve of American entry into World War II, Mount Rushmore was not an immediate success as a tourist attraction. However, its popularity grew over time, and it now draws about two million visitors per year.
Members of the Sioux Nation continued to believe that the land allocated to them in the Treaty of Fort Laramie had been taken unlawfully. For decades during the 20th century, they petitioned the government to address their grievances. In 1980, in the case of United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged that the Sioux should be paid for their land in the Black Hills, along with interest. However, the Sioux have refused to accept the money because that would mean giving up their right to the land.
Mount Rushmore is an impressive monument honoring four presidents who did valuable things for our country. However, its location reminds us of tragic aspects of American history—of broken promises and violence and the ongoing struggle for justice.
This 2023 photo shows Mount Rushmore with state flags in the foreground. Photo by Frennet Studio / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Watch discussion of Mount Rushmore’s place in American history.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
