The controversial history of Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore may pay patriotic tribute to arguably the "best presidents of all time,"
but the tale of its construction isn't rife with sugar, spice, and everything nice. In fact,
it is quite the opposite. It goes down in history as one of those things that "requires
great sacrifice" to accomplish, even if that sacrifice is at the expense of
others. So sit down and strap in as we take you on a ride through memory lane
and the controversial construction of the national monument, Mount Rushmore.
When Doane Robinson first thought up his idea to create a mountain sculpture that would transcend
time, he did it to bring more tourism to his state alone. That was the main goal, at least.
As the "Father of Mount Rushmore" pushed ahead with his project, it developed into something
much more symbolic of not only his hometown state but of the whole country. In other words, he saw
an opportunity to make a mark on the country for good and for future generations to come.
While Doane was a fantastic project lead, he didn't have the artistic capability
to accomplish his goal. That's when he reached out to artist and sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who,
at the time, was working on another monumental project at Stone Mountain, Georgia. The amazing
work he was accomplishing there gave him the idea of Mt. Rushmore. After they communed, Gutzon was
well on board to be part of the project. Despite the increase in attention the project was getting,
neither of the men knew how big the iconic monument would be for the country.
After scouting many areas that could be the canvas for his artwork, Borglum eventually settled on its
current location, whose rock faces were as clean and smooth as any artist could have asked for.
The mountain's composition of granite, which is extremely slow in the erosion process, helped
solidify this monument for the ages to come. After pulling some private investors into the project,
Congress eventually agreed to match funding of 250,000 dollars to see the art piece complete.
With everything in place, from money down to the materials used, the duo was ready to begin
the sculpting process. Sculpting started in 1933 where it eventually became part of the
National Park Service. Borglum did not like having government bodies oversee his work, but he chugged
ahead either way. He poured blood, sweat, and tears into the project until he died in 1941.
Left at the decision of the government entity in charge, it was deemed complete in October 1941
and cost a whopping 1 million to finish. The monument was deemed complete and ready for
dedication on October 31, 1941. The eventual cost was nearly $1 million, which, when considering
inflation, amounts to around 19 million dollars today. A whopping 1,700 percent hike!
While the project was rife with positivity for the country's people,
much controversy and heartbreaking tragedy that went along with it were covered up. Mount Rushmore
might replicate the faces of the "greatest" presidents in U.S. history, but its construction
and commissioning speak of very different ideals these very men stood up for and spoke out against.
First off, the chosen spot was considered sacred Native American Land, and they did
not give authorization to the U.S. government to begin constructing, but they did so anyway. Before
it became known as Mount Rushmore, the Lakota indigenous people called this once gorgeous,
natural formation Tunkasila Sakpe Paha, otherwise known as the Six Grandfathers Mountain. It was a
place for spiritual practice and serenity for the Native people that once prowled the great plains.
The mountain's location in the Black Hills was also significant. According to the tribe,
the mountain that was stolen was the center of the universe. It was a place of spiritual worship and
where three different tribes could meet, gather food and herbs, and be at one with one another.
When Rushmore was complete, it tore the three tribes apart and any faith the Native American
people held in the U.S. government. To them, the U.S. would come and steal whatever their
heart desired so long as it furthered their agenda. In 1868 the U.S. government signed the
Treaty of Laramie, which gave the Lakota people exclusive use of the Black Hills.
Unfortunately, the U.S. broke the treaty with the construction of Mt. Rushmore,
and the indigenous people were powerless to fight back.
The construction location was full of controversy and has brought many protests to its borders,
even today. Perhaps the most appalling secret of Mt. Rushmore's construction
lies within the artist himself. With ties connecting him to the Ku-Klux Klan on his
George project, this stealing of land and imposing of local values were all the more
horrendous to those who knew. A professor at Iowa State University, who has studied its construction
and history extensively, says, "It's clearly theft concerning the U.S.' own laws." Apparently,
the U.S. can break its own laws, so long as it is for the benefit of the few in power. To be fair,
Borglum quickly cut ties with the organization in Georgia before Mt. Rushmore. He was an
artist trying to get commissions. The one he had accepted in Georgia was by a KKK-run organization.
According to the organization, they are the ones who fired Borglum for his "offensive egotism
and delusions of grandeur." Suppose terrible people like the KKK say things like that about
a person. In that case, he is either really awful or acts against the organization's best efforts.
The truth is a little hazy, and the proof that Borglum himself held these same ideas is lacking.
After being fired, he destroyed the Stone Mountain models and fled the state so the organization
couldn't use his work any longer. This was when he jumped onto the Rushmore project.
When Robinson finally pitched the idea to Borglum, those ideas of Grandeur he had in the past
suddenly came bursting from the surface once more. This was his chance to create his magnum opus,
and he wasn't going to let anyone get in the way. Borglum had a different idea from Robinson's
initial pitch of the piece: he saw it as an opportunity to give testament to American
exceptionalism. He was adamant that the art depicts presidents that have played a vital role
in the country's expansion. Going through the list of perceived "great" people, the duo decided on
the four presidents for particular reasons. First, George Washington would represent the countries
birth. Second, Thomas Jefferson, who nearly doubled its size with the Louisiana Purchase,
stood for its westward expansion and growth. Third, Theodore Roosevelt,
the overseer of the Panama Canal, was a symbol of economic prosperity. Last but not least, Abraham
Lincoln was selected for having fought to preserve a segregated nation at war with itself. These
vital moments in time are considered some of the most outstanding achievements of American values.
Though the U.S. government officially labeled it completed, Borglum had tons of ideas yet
to achieve. His vision was unfinished upon his death. His initial goal was to carve and
blast away the mountain presidents down to their waits. It took 16 years to complete the faces and
a million dollars, so you can imagine what the remainder of the project would have entailed.
As the faces began to materialize on the mountain, the artist Borglum was running out of space and
couldn't complete the torso as he'd imagined. Instead, he would think up something even better—a
secret vault stored behind the faces set to house ancient artifacts of great power. In 1938 he began
blasting out a 70-foot tunnel and vault systems into the mountain for his hall of records. The
U.S. government was unaware of its construction at first—this was by design of Borglum. You see,
for 16 years, the government tried to control his art piece, trying to cut down cost and
scale. The artist wouldn't have that, so upon his death, he saw an opportunity to cancel the
rest of the project. It still stands as one of the most extraordinary sculptures of all time.
Remember, it is essential to separate art from the artist. In other words, the work an artist
produces doesn't necessarily represent the ideas presented. When Borglum died in 1941, his son
Lincoln took over the project and wrapped it up as best he could. He says of his father, "there will
never be another one like him, even me. I could never produce the quality of work my father has."
After the vault and tunnels were complete, Lincoln told the government the project was completed.
The tunnel that Borglum and his son had constructed sat empty for decades. Then, in 1998,
the National Park Service placed a titanium vault on the floor, filling it with information on
Mount Rushmore, the presidents whose faces were carved there, and the U.S. history behind it.
Too bad they forgot to mention many of the tragedies and dark issues surrounding it.
When you try to keep something a secret, it always leaves room for the WHY? If you give people
the knowledge they desire right away, there is typically no question in motives. Because so much
of its construction was shrouded in secrecy, it has, to this day, been subject to conspiracy and
paranormal theory. This no longer secret room isn't open to the public but has been the subject
of much speculation and was depicted in many films, including Richie
Rich, National treasure, and most famously in Alfred Hitchcock's film North by Northwest. These
films further reinforced the secret theories. When Hitchcock asked the NPS to record for his film,
they agreed, but only under particular conditions; it wouldn't be the backdrop of any violent scenes.
The government was seemingly trying to evade any sort of attribution of violence with the monument
and that no actors would scale the faces at any point during filming. Hitchcock, being Hitchcock,
partially kept his promise. For the sake of the film, he did whatever he wanted.
He shot the film's violent final chase scene on a scaled replica so realistic that viewers believed
it was filmed at Mount Rushmore and still brought the ire from the NPS back onto the Hitchcock
and the studio. The studio had no case, and the film was released as it was.
In the decades since its first construction, the memorial and its surrounding nature scape have
served as a flashpoint for the treatment of Native Americans throughout the country. The protests
that ensue today aren't to have it deconstructed or demolished. Instead, the indigenous people just
want their story told and told correctly. Sure, it may have been a dark period of U.S. history, but
we learn from our mistakes by reviewing them, not by dusting them under the rug. Tell the tale as
it is! Sure, the faces of the presidents who are up there contributed to the countries expansion,
but let's not forget the indigenous people from whom it was taken. Their stories are more vital to
this country's formation than many celebratory holidays that citizens enjoy off work today!
Why have their tales but cut from the history books? While they ignored the great things the
Native Americans did, the NPS also ignored these presidents' heinous things to forever solidify
their faces on the mountains. Roosevelt, for example, saw the dismantling of Indian Territory
in Oklahoma. Washington and Jefferson both owned slaves. Yet, despite these horrible attributes of
these supposed "great men," they refuse to tell of those tales. It all comes down to saving face, and
in this case, quite literally. If the ill-behavior of perceived great men of the past is shattered,
what is to come of the country upon which their ideals were built upon.
Again, you must go back to history and learn from its mistakes, not hide from them.
Acknowledge the wrong-doing and move forward so all humans have a more
inclusive place to live. After all, many indigenous people's stories have been hidden or
swept away in a violent history. Either way, as Americans, we should all look at Mount Rushmore
and wonder what we can do to make it a better place to visit for all citizens of this new
America. To hold onto ideals of the past, despite revelatory wrong-doing, is human regression,
not progression. As you all know, humans can only walk-through time in one direction: forward.
As you can see, Mount Rushmore, though brilliant in its form and construction,
is shrouded in dark tales and mystery. It's proof to not take anyone's word for anything, and that
in-depth research should be conducted individually to form your own ideas. The entities that control
these monuments have forever tried to hide the dark history that resulted in its construction,
but it can't erase it. So, open your eyes, and try to see the world for what it is and what it can
become with a bit of knowledge and application. If you enjoyed the video, smash that like button,
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