Mount Rushmore

I have always wanted to visit Mount Rushmore.  Seeing the faces of the four presidents carved into the granite face of the mountain is quite an impressive sight.  How did such a monumental event even come to be?

Mount Rushmore got its name quite innocently.  A lawyer from New York, Charles E. Rushmore, was visiting a local tin mine in the Black Hills when he asked a friend what the name of the mountain was.  His friend laughed and said it had no name – and then gave it Rushmore’s name.  Ever since, it has been called Mount Rushmore.  Amazingly, the mountain was officially given the name in 1930, some 45 years after Charles E. Rushmore made his visit to South Dakota in 1885.  Perhaps out of a sense of responsibility, Rushmore actually gave the largest donation to the project of sculpting the mountain.  He gave $5000.  It may not seem like much, but back in the 1920s and 30s, this was a small fortune. (Remember the Stock Market Crash of 1929? Most people had lost all their money then).

Doane Robinson was the main person responsible for this monument called the Shrine of Democracy.  He wanted to create a reason for tourists to come visit South Dakota and the Black Hills.  He learned about the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who was working on a similar project in Georgia.  When that project fell through, he convinced Borglum to come to South Dakota to come see the area.  Robinson was the main person responsible for collecting funds to complete the project.

Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor.  He was nearly 60 years old when he began working on the Shrine of Democracy.  Born in March of 1867, Borglum started his own studio in California.  His first memorable sculpture was of General John C. Fremont.  He then traveled to Europe for many years.  In 1901, he returned to the United States.  Other works of his include the bronze equestrian sculpture of General Phil Sheridan in Washington, DC, and the Bust of Lincoln in the Rotunda of the Capitol.  He was asked to sculpt a statue of Lee, Jackson, and Davis on the Stone Mountain in Georgia.  Far too many problems arose and the project was scrapped after he finished Lee’s face.  The project was never finished and Lee’s face was destroyed.  It was Doane Robinson who brought Borglum to South Dakota.


Many people do not read about the chief stone carver under Borglum.  His name was Luigi Del Bianco.  He met Borglum early on in the design process of Mount Rushmore.  He assisted Borglum with the Governor Hancock Memorial in South Carolina, the Stone Mountain in Georgia (before Borglum stopped working on it), and the Wars of America Memorial in Newark, New Jersey.   His job was to carve the main features of the presidents.  He did Lincoln's eyes and Jefferson's face.  He worked on the monument until the funds ran out. 

The project was agreed upon in 1924 and received the backing of Congress with the help of Congressman William Williamson and Senator Peter Norbeck.  Finally, after getting Congress to agree to allocate funds, the sculpture was started in 1927.  Mount Rushmore took 14 years to complete, and even then it was not finished the way Borglum wanted.  He wanted the figures to be from the waist to the head, but after his death in 1941, funding was not forthcoming.  His son put on the finishing touches, but the rest of the bodies were never completed.

Calvin Coolidge was president at the time and insisted on having two Democrats and one more Republican in addition to George Washington.  So, why the other three?  Of course we all understand why George Washington – he was the father of our country; our first president; and he was the commander-in-chief of the American forces during the Revolutionary War.  Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence – the document which guides countries to this day in setting up their own democracy.  He was also instrumental in the Louisiana Purchase, the parcel of land that doubled the size of our country.  Abraham Lincoln was chosen because he helped mend a broken country and keep it from self-destructing.  He abolished slavery so all men were free.  Finally, Theodore Roosevelt was chosen because his influence helped our country move into the 20^th century.  He helped construct the Panama Canal which linked the east coast of our country to west coast.  Finally, he was known as a trust buster – keeping companies from gaining too much power.

Some final quick facts:

Mount Rushmore cost $989 million to construct.

The granite was chosen because it only erodes one inch every 10,000 years.

George Washington’s head was completed and dedicated on July 4, 1934.

Thomas Jefferson was supposed to be on the other side but the granite was not good enough.  His head was completed in 1936.

Abraham Lincoln’s head was completed on September 17, 1937.

Theodore Roosevelt’s head was finished in 1939.

Did you know there was a campaign to add Susan B. Anthony’s head to the group?  They could never raise the funds to do so.

The sculpture took 14 years to complete.

The statues are 60 feet high.  Each nose is 20 feet long.  The mouths are 18 feet wide, and the eyes are 11 feet across.
Once World War II broke out in 1942, funds were scarce and the memorial could not be finished.

A great link for Mount Rushmore is run by the National Park Services. 

Albert Gallatin

Who is Albert Gallatin?

When walking through Washington, DC, one comes across many statues of famous people in American history.  Some of them we know. Others we are not familiar with and Albert Gallatin was one of them.  I decided to do a bit of research so others might understand why this man has a statue outside the Treasury Building just down from the White House.

Albert Gallatin was born in 1761, right around the time American was going through its turmoil and becoming a country of its own.  He was not born in American at all, but in Switzerland to a wealthy family. He emigrated to the fledgling country in 1780 – our freedom won, but the new country on shaky legs as it began to formulate its rules and rights. He was strongly opposed to a strong government and was actually a founder of the Anti-Federalist party, later known as the Republican Party.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1795 and served there until 1801.  He was constantly battling with Alexander Hamilton, who at the time was the current Secretary of the Treasury.   He sponsored a law declaring the Treasury should provide an overview of its reports to Congress.  He felt the treasury should be accountable to not only the government but the people as well.

Thomas Jefferson made him Secretary of Treasury in 1801 and he served in that capacity until 1813.  He helped reduce the federal debt He used internal taxes to pay for the War of 1812 but it was not enough.  He fought to restart the First Bank of the United States but Congress refused to agree. He finally resigned in 1814, certain financial disaster was imminent.

He was part of the peace conference between England and Russia. He was there when the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814.

Other facts about Albert Gallatin:

1.      Graduated from University of Geneva in 1779

2.      Settled in Boston in 1780

3.      Served in Revolutionary War

4.      Taught French at Harvard University

5.      Member of Constitutional Convention in 1789

6.      US Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to France 1815-1823

7.      Minister Plenipotentiary to Great Britain 1826-1827

8.      President of National Bank of NY

So next time you are in Washington, DC and you are walking past the first Federal Reserve Bank and see the statue, you will now know who Albert Gallatin was.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition helped us realize there was much more to this great country than even we realized as a young country.  At the time, our country only reached the Mississippi River, but with the Louisiana Purchase, there was so much to see and explore.  President Thomas Jefferson called upon Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to head the expedition.  There were several goals: to study the plants, animals, and geography of the area, and most importantly to see if the land could be a financial boon to our country. 

Lewis

Lewis studied the land, soil, animals, and plants along the way. What else do we know about Meriwether Lewis? 

He was born in Virginia on August 18, 1774.  His father served in the Continental Army but died in 1779 when his horse fell into an icy stream. He grew up not far from Thomas Jefferson’s estate, Monticello.  He was a child protégé of the third president.  Lewis loved to explore the local plants.  In 1794, he joined the US Army and rose to the rank of captain.  In 1801, he became Jefferson’s personal secretary.  Jefferson appointed him to the exploration team because Lewis “was brave, prudent, habituated to the woods and [was] familiar with Indian manners and character.” Lewis was nearly six feet tall and in excellent physical condition.  He had an eye for details and used this while journaling on what he saw and found.  It was Lewis who requested Clark accompany him on the journey. 

Clark replied, “My friend, I assure you no man lives with whom[e] I would prefer to undertake such a trip.”

Clark

Clark charted the course and made maps of what they saw. Now, what do we know about Clark except that he was acquainted with Lewis? William Clark was born in 1770, during the beginnings of the Revolutionary War.  His family lived on a plantation in Virginia and his brother was a hero of the Revolutionary War – George Rogers Clark. He did not have much formal education and was taught at home. His eldest brother taught him wilderness survival skills which would benefit him later in life. After the war, his family moved to Kentucky where he was raised.  In 1789, he fought in several campaigns against the Native Americans in the Ohio Valley. In 1796, he resigned from the military and worked on the family farm.  He served with Lewis in 1795 while in the military and accepted his offer to join him on this expedition.

St. Louis Arch - commemorating Lewis and Clark 's expedition

Jefferson himself declared a primary goal was to find a direct water route across the continent which might connect us with Asia.  Since discovering a water route was their main goal, they had three types of boats with them – a 55 foot long keelboat and two pirogues, which are like canoes.

On May 14, 1804, a group of 35 men and 1 woman left St. Louis, Missouri to begin their journey.  They did not return until September 1806.  They had traveled more than 8,500 miles during their two year sojourn to the Pacific Ocean and back. There were three sergeants – Ordway, Pryor, and Floyd, 23 privates, two interpreters – Drouillard and Charbonneau and his Indian sqaw – Sacajawea, as well as an African American – York, who was Clark’s slave. When Lewis finally met up with Captain Clark, on May 20^th, they truly began their exploration.

The journey was not easy and the travelers were attacked by mosquitoes, gnats, flies, and ticks.  They were also plagued by snake bites, sunstroke, and stomach complaints due to the food they ate along the way.  The men and Sacajawea had more than enough game to eat – buffalo, elk, deer, antelopes, turkeys, and squirrels, not to mention fish galore.

As they met Native American tribes along the way, Lewis and Clark were placed in the position of telling the chiefs, the land no longer belonged to them but to the United States of America. The Native Americans were told they had no choice but to give their loyalty to the “Great Father in Washington” and that the exploration gave the Great Father a chance to discover more about the land and the people who lived there. The chiefs soon welcomed the explorers thinking their lives would improve with this new association with Washington.

Throughout the journey, Lewis and Clark kept detailed diaries, writing down all they saw and did, in order to report it back to President Jefferson. One entry details how a buffalo attacked their camp at night.  The bull, attracted by their camp fire, charged through the camp, climbing over their boat and almost trampling the men in their sleep.  Thankfully, the bull made so much noise, the men awoke and were able to shoo the beast away before anyone could be harmed.

They traveled more than 600 miles before seeing a single Indian.  The Indian encounter between them and the Oto and Missouri Indians went well as the two sides exchanged gifts.  During this time, Sergeant Floyd became ill with appendicitis and died.  He is the only member of the team to die along the journey. 

By the end of August 1804, they reached the edge of the Great Plains and headed into Sioux territory.  They did encounter several different tribes of Sioux and were warned others would not be as welcoming.

In September, they met up with the Teton Sioux who did not like the gifts – a medal, a military coat, and a cocked hat.  The Indians wanted one of the boats. Both sides prepared to battle, but finally the Sioux pulled back. Much to their dismay, instead of making friends with the Indians, they left behind hostility.

By December, they reached a Mandan village where they would spend the winter.  They built a fort to protect them from the Sioux and the inclement weather. Throughout the winter, they prepared for their spring journey. They hunted for food and repaired tools and other equipment. It was here that they hired the trader – Charbonneau who was living with the Indians. Charbonneau, his wife – Sacajewea and their baby, joined them for the remainder of the journey. This time they took along 6 canoes with the two pirogues.

Now, firmly into 1805, the next leg of the journey begins. The Indians warned them about grizzly bears. Lewis was not worried because he felt the rifle would be no match for the powerful animal.  On April 29^th, he encountered a pair of grizzlies.  One was wounded, but one managed to escape.  The wounded bear charged after Lewis and chased him for 240 feet before his companions killed it.

By May, they reached the Rocky Mountains.  They lost one pirogue by a gust of wind that overturned it, but the supplies were salvaged.  Having reached the Rockies, the journey now took on a different bend – how to travel over the mighty mountains.  They traveled along a river which came to a fork.  Unsure which way to go, they sent out scouts to discover which one would take them to the Missouri River. 

Finally on June 13, Lewis saw the Great Falls of the Missouri River that the Mandan Indians had told him.   The falls went on for 12 miles and were not one, but five separate falls.  More than a month passed before they managed to go around the falls carrying all their supplies.  Once passed the falls, they came upon the Rocky Mountains.

They had no idea how immense the Rocky Mountains were. They would need horses.  The only way to get horses was to meet up with the Shoshone Indians. By August, they finally spotted an Indian on horseback.  Much to their luck, the chief was Sacajewea’s brother.  She helped translate what they needed.  The trading was brisk and much to their dismay, the price continued to go up each time.  Information concerning the trails along the way proved much more valuable than the horses which were not the fine specimens the men needed.  While not the best transportation, they would have to suffice to get them over the mountains.

By September, the men reached the Continental Divide. Food was scarce and they met the Flathead Indians.  Fortunately they were able to purchase more horses for the journey.  But the journey across the Bitterroot Mountains was treacherous and the horses and men were starving.  They ate three colts before they met with the Nez Perce Indians and were able to add to their food stores.  Setting up camp, they fashioned several dugout canoes to carry them the rest of the way.

By mid-October, they reached the Columbia River.  Its swift current would guide them.  On November 7, he wrote how he had reached the ocean but he was a bit premature.  They were trapped by heavy storms for more than three weeks. It was not until the middle of November that they reached the Pacific Ocean.  Lewis and Clark built Fort Clatsop and spent the winter there.

During the upcoming months, they prepared for the journey home.  The entire journey took two years, four months, and 10 days.  They covered more than 8000 miles.  They were the first to ever see a grizzly bear.  They sent a prairie dog back to President Jefferson. 

Lewis and Clark were celebrated for their journey.  Clark was named the Indian agent for the West.  Lewis was appointed Governor of the Louisiana Territory.  Unfortunately, Lewis died in 1809.  Clark lived until 1838.  Their legacy has survived to this day and everywhere people celebrate this great achievement.

Thomas Jefferson - who was he?

Since last week was the celebration of the Louisiana Purchase, I thought it might be nice to learn about a man not only responsible for it, but our third president – Thomas Jefferson. 

Jefferson was a man of diverse interests.  He worked himself hard every day and expected the same from those around him.  Here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to his daughter, Martha on her daily routine.  Jefferson had high expectations of his child.  His own wife had died and his advice was to be passed on to the woman watching over Martha. His daughter was but 10 years old at the time he wrote this in a letter to her.

“With respect to the distribution of your time, the following is what I should approve:

From 8 to 10, practice music

From 10 to 1, dance one day and draw another

From 1 to 2, draw on the day you dance, and write a letter next day

From 3 to 4, read French

From 4 to 5, exercise yourself in music

From 5 till bed-time, read English, write, etc.”

He was born on April 13, 1743 to Peter and Jane Jefferson.  His mother was Randolph, one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Virginia.  The small family lived in the Tidewater area of Virginia on an estate called Shadwell.  They lived there for many years before the father moved them to Tuckahoe, a family estate to care for his cousin’s children.  They lived there for 7 years until the children were grown and then returned to Shadwell.  Thomas’ own father died when he was only 14 years old. 

The schedule he set for his daughter may seem too much but as a child, he set his own routine: 5 to 8 study agriculture, botany, zoology, chemistry, anatomy, and religion.  From 8 to 1 study law and politics; afternoons – study history with time out for a two-mile run in the country; every night study literature, languages, and oratory (speaking).

When he was only 16 he traveled to Williamsburg to attend William and Mary College.  While there he met Patrick Henry and they became good friends.  His mentor, George Wythe was a man he respected and he spent many evenings at the man’s home discussing the many topics he loved.  Thomas Jefferson studied law and soon became a prominent lawyer in 1767.  By the time he was 25 he was voted a member of the House of Burgesses, the ruling body in Virginia.  At the age of 26 he was a member of the House of Burgesses in Virginia. He wrote the Statute on Religious Freedom which outlined the separation of church and state.

He met a young lady while in Williamsburg, Martha Skelton.  They married on January 1^st, 1773. He took his young wife to the home he had begun in 1770, Monticello, which means little mountain.  It was there that he began his life as a family man and continued years later as a grandfather when he retired from political life.

Revolution was in the air.  The king ordered the House of Burgesses disbanded and a new group voted in.  The people had other ideas and voted the same men back into office, one of them Thomas Jefferson.  In 1773, the burgesses met secretly at the Raleigh Tavern to discuss the unfair taxes placed on the colonies by the British government.  They all agreed something should be done.  The Boston Tea Party occurred six months later and war at their doorstep.

Thomas Jefferson was active during the War of Independence.  He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, the governor of Virginia (after his friend Patrick Henry), and then later as minister to France in 1785.  He was the youngest member of the Continental Congress.  Even though he suffered many personal losses during the years of the revolution, when congress called, he came.  His mother and a young daughter died during this time. 

He worked with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston to write the Declaration of Independence.  He worked in a rented room in the Graff House (now called the Declaration House) many hours into the night.  It took him 18 days to write the declaration.  When he presented it to Congress they made only a few changes before signing it.  On July 4^th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read to the citizens of Philadelphia and copies were sent to the other colonies to read to the people.

More fighting was going on.  France sent Lafayette (who was only 19 at the time).  He became friends with Jefferson.  In 1779, he became governor of Virginia. When English soldiers reached Virginia, they came after Jefferson who managed to send his family away and he slipped away in the woods that he knew so well.  He had 7 children but only 2 daughters survived and left him 11 (although some claim he had 12) grandchildren. 

Not long after the war was won, Jefferson left office as governor.  He wanted to stay with his family.  His wife had gotten very sick.  On September 6, 1782, his wife died. After weeks of seclusion, he finally left his home and headed back to Philadelphia where he helped the congress create new laws.  They decided the territories would become new states.  He also helped them decide on American money based on a 100 scale.  He went to France and was saddened by the poverty he saw there.

While in France one of his daughters died so he sent for his remaining daughter, Polly.  (Patsy was already with him).  Polly arrived with a young slave, Sally Hemings.  (Evidence has shown he had a relationship with Ms. Hemings and had several children with her over his remaining lifetime.  While kept a secret for hundreds of years, the truth was proven through DNA testing).

While in France, he met with his friend the Marquis de Lafayette. He tried to help France write laws to help the people but the French Revolution started and he was barely able to leave himself once the king and queen of France were captured.  The entire country was overrun with poverty and he had hoped to help the government rectify the situation.  The French Revolution occurred in that country with people touting the very things he and written in his Declaration of Independence for our country.

Jefferson became Secretary of State for George Washington.  He ran for president but lost to John Adams and became his Vice President.  The two disagreed on many topics.  A split occurred in the voting populace at this time.  Those who favored Adams were known as Federalists and those who followed Jefferson were called anit-Federalists, Democrat-Republicans, or just simply Republicans.  Jefferson ran against Adams and won the election in 1801.  This upset Adams greatly who left the capital before Jefferson was even inaugurated in 1801.  They would remain on the outs for years until Abigail sent a letter to console him when his daughter died.  At that time, the men renewed their friendship.

He was a simple man, even while president.  He was rumored to have greeted a foreign dignitary wearing his farmer’s clothes and slippers.  The man was offended but the people loved him.  During his presidency he accomplished many things. 

We think the race for president between Bush and Gore was tight – when Jefferson ran against Aaron Burr, the votes were tied.  The final vote went to the House of Representatives.  The House had to take 36 votes before Jefferson was declared the winner and Burr was made his Vice President.  Because of this, the Constitution was amended so that the position of President and Vice President would have separate ballots (no longer would the loser have to become Vice President).   Today we have a totally different voting procedure for President and Vice President.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to reach the Pacific Ocean.  They left in 1803 and did not return until 1805, nearly 2 ½ years later.  They secured Sacagawea as their guide and with her help, Lewis and Clark were able to communicate with Native American tribes along the way.  The men brought back many plants and animals, including two grizzly bears that Jefferson let roam on the White House grounds.

The Louisiana Purchase

He offered to buy the Port of Orleans and France offered to sell the entire Louisiana territory.  They were too busy fighting the British.  They sold it for about $15 million.  Ironically the US had to borrow money from the Bank of England in order to make the purchase.  They offered promissory notes in exchange and then repaid the debt later.  What is iron is that the French feared the English would send ships to the new land and take it over, so in a way, the new territory belonged to a British bank.  Like in when we purchase a home – we take out a mortgage.  In this case, we took out a mortgage to purchase the Louisiana territory which eventually became ours when we paid back the loan. 

Napoleon regretted the treaty immediately.  Spain was furious because they felt the land  belonged to them, not France. Jefferson threatened war with Spain if they caused a problem.  Spain backed down because of their inferior navy.  Spain transferred its holdings to France who then transferred it all to the US.

During his presidency, he convinced Congress to ban the slave trade in 1808.  Unfortunately thousands were still smuggled into the country to be sold afterwards. As president he slashed military spending, cut the budget, and reduced the national debt.  He used his power though to purchase the Louisiana territory from Napoleon in 1803.  He easily won a second term in 1804.  He was president from 1801 to 1809

After his presidency, he returned to Monticello.  He enjoyed his life there – inventing, playing with his grandchildren, and having lavish parties with his neighbors.  At one point his debts were so great the American people sent him money to pay them.  Even so, when he died, his home had to be sold.  Although he freed 5 slaves in his will, over 200 had to be sold to pay his debts (some were his own children by Sally Hemings). He continued to advise his friends Monroe and Madison during their presidencies, but otherwise, he led a quiet life until his death.  His two major accomplishments after the presidency include – selling over 6,000 books to the government when theirs were destroyed during the War of 1812.  He was very involved in starting the University of Virginia.  He rode his horse every day the many miles to oversee the construction.  He felt it was one of his greatest accomplishments.

He died on the 50^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1826, on the same day as John Adams. 

On his tombstone he wanted written:

Here was buried

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence

Of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom,

And the father of the University of Virginia.