Four Important Questions about the Fourth!

Four Important Questions about the Fourth!

The Fourth of July is just around the corner, so let's put your American history to the test.

1. Do you know how many people signed the Declaration of Independence? 2. Can you remember what year Congress declared July 4th a federal holiday? 3. Have you ever heard what happened to both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence? 4. And finally, can you name the South Dakota monument that bears the images of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln?

I'll get back to those questions soon, but even if you miss the first three, my guess is that you got the fourth one correct.

Yes, one of the most popular American monuments is Mount Rushmore--a magnificent tribute to four American forefathers carved into a mountainside by more than 400 workers over a 14 year span. Nearly 90 percent of the "carving" was accomplished with dynamite which removed massive chunks of rock. Once most of the rock was taken out, drillers and carvers drilled holes very close together--a process called honeycombing. That technique weakened the remaining granite so it could easily be removed by hand. The surface was then buffed out until the face was as smooth as finished cement. The colossal work covers 1,278 acres near Keystone, South Dakota.

The idea for the monument was conceived by Doane Robinson, a South Dakota historian who collaborated with sculptor Gutzon Borglum who agreed to come to the Black Hills region to oversee the project. When Borghum first saw the mountainside, he said, "America will march along that skyline."

And indeed America did! Congress approved the project in 1925, and after receiving federal funding ($989,992.32), the work began in 1927. The faces of the four presidents--chosen to commemorate America's first 150 years of history--were finished between 1934 and 1939. Remarkably, not a single worker died during the construction! The monument has been controlled by the U.S. National Park Service since 1933 and attracts more than 2 million visitors annually.

One last question. What company carries over 45,000 images, including a wonderful selection of panoramic photos of Mount Rushmore? Yes, Canvas on Demand--your premier provider of fabulous canvas wall art.

Perhaps you have fond memories of an unforgettable visit to Mount Rushmore . . . or maybe you simply dream of the day when you can see that amazing work of art firsthand. In either case, you can actually enjoy that great monument every day right in your home or office!

Now go light a sparkler, have a slice of apple pie, and feel a great sense of American pride!

Answers to the first three questions: 1) 56 signers, 2) 1941, and 3) both men died on that date

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