The faces of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt are carved on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota's Black Hills. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum chose to sculpt these four presidents for their unique contributions to the U.S.: Washington for his struggle for the nation's independence, Jefferson for expanding and settling territories, Lincoln for accomplishing the permanent union of the states and emancipation of the slaves, and Roosevelt for his role in world affairs and industrial growth. The sculpture took Borglum 14 years to complete.
(Photograph from "High Plains Driftin'," July/August 2004, National Geographic Traveler magazine)
