Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began carving Mount Rushmore with the simple goal of "the formal rendering of the philosophy of our government into granite on a mountain peak." Mount Rushmore, named in 1885 for New York Lawyer Charles E. Rushmore, was chosen as the site for such a memorial because its broad granite wall faced southeast and receives direct sunlight most of the day. Borglum's monument to America was a grouping of four leaders who brought the country from colonial times into the 20th century. The most prominent position was given to George Washington, commander of the Revolutionary Army and our 1st president. Next is Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, our 3rd president and advocate of expansion to the west. The 3rd position is held by Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th president who promoted the construction of the Panama Canal and ignited causes like conservation and business reform. On the far right is Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president whose leadership ended slavery in the U.S. and restored the Union.

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