The Lincoln Memorial
"In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever." This is written above the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial as “an enduring symbol of unity, strength, and wisdom” (Lincoln Memorial U.S. National Park Service). Both the 16th President and the Lincoln Memorial stand for some important American concepts: democracy, freedom and equality, and unity.
Henry Bacon, the architect of the Lincoln Memorial, used the Parthenon, a Greek design, as a model for the memorial (Marcovitz 18). He did this because President Lincoln defended democracy and Greece was the birthplace of democracy (Lincoln Memorial Design and Symbolism). President Lincoln’s actions and the symbolism of this great monument to democracy led to it’s playing a role in important historic events.
Some call President Lincoln “the Great Emancipator” because of his role in ending slavery (Thomas 158). In 1863, he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation (Emancipation Proclamation). He helped pass the 13th amendment to the Constitution in 1865 abolishing slavery. (Primary Documents in American History). The Lincoln Memorial has a mural of the Angel of Truth with recently freed slaves on the south wall …show more content…
Seating at the memorial’s dedication was segregated by race and the speaker gave a speech that set the Memorial up to be a gathering place for those seeking “racial justice”. The Marian Anderson concert at the Memorial in 1939 challenged segregation again. A March on Washington in 1941 and a Prayer Pilgrimage in 1957 continued to use the Lincoln Memorial as a place to fight for civil rights and equality no matter what color someone’s skin was (Lincoln Memorial). In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial (Marcovitz
"In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever." This is written above the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial as “an enduring symbol of unity, strength, and wisdom” (Lincoln Memorial U.S. National Park Service). Both the 16th President and the Lincoln Memorial stand for some important American concepts: democracy, freedom and equality, and unity.
Henry Bacon, the architect of the Lincoln Memorial, used the Parthenon, a Greek design, as a model for the memorial (Marcovitz 18). He did this because President Lincoln defended democracy and Greece was the birthplace of democracy (Lincoln Memorial Design and Symbolism). President Lincoln’s actions and the symbolism of this great monument to democracy led to it’s playing a role in important historic events.
Some call President Lincoln “the Great Emancipator” because of his role in ending slavery (Thomas 158). In 1863, he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation (Emancipation Proclamation). He helped pass the 13th amendment to the Constitution in 1865 abolishing slavery. (Primary Documents in American History). The Lincoln Memorial has a mural of the Angel of Truth with recently freed slaves on the south wall …show more content…
Seating at the memorial’s dedication was segregated by race and the speaker gave a speech that set the Memorial up to be a gathering place for those seeking “racial justice”. The Marian Anderson concert at the Memorial in 1939 challenged segregation again. A March on Washington in 1941 and a Prayer Pilgrimage in 1957 continued to use the Lincoln Memorial as a place to fight for civil rights and equality no matter what color someone’s skin was (Lincoln Memorial). In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial (Marcovitz