The Controversial Truth about Mt. Rushmore

Every single country in the world has their own national monuments, memorials and sites which the people and the culture hold in high regard. The United States of America, being the large and powerful nation that it is today, is of course, no different. Whether it be the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty or the White House, the US has no shortage of national symbols. However, one particular monument that is truly iconic and absolutely stunning from an artistic point of view is Mount Rushmore, a massive collection of 60-foot-tall sculptures carved into the Southeastern side of South Dakota Black Hills Mountains featuring the likeness of four of this country’s most influential presidents throughout our history. This site is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the US and has been an important emblem of American history and culture ever since its completion. But what is the history behind the construction of Mount Rushmore and more curiously, why were these four presidents, and only these ones, chosen to be recreated into granite?

Chapters:
0:00 Mount Rushmore, an Icon that Represents American History
1:02 How Mount Rushmore Went from a Quiet Mountain to One of the Most Famous Sites in the Country
6:22 How Exactly was the Memorial Created – The History of Mount Rushmore’s Construction
9:05 George Washington – The President Who Unified the Nation and Set the Standard
12:53 Thomas Jefferson – The President Who Elevated the Common Man and Shaped the American Dream
15:51 Abraham Lincoln – The President who Kept the Country Together
19:38 Theodore Roosevelt – The President who Made the US a Superpower
22:48 Who are The Four American Icons on Mount Rushmore?

Join this channel to get access to perks:

IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.

» CONTACT

» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Brandon Evans
Editor - Piotr Kubiak,
Host - Ryan Socash

» SOURCES

» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

[donaldrowe]

So everything our forefathers fought against in politics in America is exactly what we have in place today? Amazing how that works

[skylarnovak]

I find it ironic how Roosevelt was chosen to be carved on Mt. Rushmore when he was famously known for being an environmental preservationist. A beautifully natural wonder, ruined for this after cutting away 450, 000 tons of rock.

[TurboMech]

Custer. For the love of history. Custer, not cluster.

[gmaneis]

The sculpture is stunning, and the story of the carving is mind boggling, too, but the mountain would be much more beautiful if it had been left as nature intended.

[EastyyBlogspot]

Before it was carved its beauty was unpresidented

[timewave]

The line about "Jefferson...had to be redone and moved from its original spot on Washington's left shoulder to his right" had me questioning my sanity. I thought I knew how the monument looks. I realize left and right can be ambiguous in some situations, but when you identify whose perspective you're speaking from—as in "Washington's left shoulder"—there's no room for ambiguity.

[wrongwaygarage]

I do believe this is my favorite video of yours!!! This was everything I’ve come to expect from Its History. Your entire team deserves a raise! Excellent video! Extremely informative. Thank you. 👍🏻

[timallardyce]

Your picture when you mention Japan and Russia making peace after the Russo-Japanese War is actually from after WWII with Emperor Showa & Stalin in the background. The signatories in 1905 would have been Emperor Meiji and Tsar Nicholas II or their representatives

[jamesdelap]

As far as we know these guys are pretty decent choices.

[mechalincoln]

it's spelled scandal. great job, nice hustle

[DaarkCloud]

I feel like this brushes over the history of the location. Can you release a second video detailing the further past of what Mount Rushmore was previously?

[toyyoda]

We all need to learn to accept each other and be a strong nation again... Right now we are divided but we can't forget... United we Stand, Divided we Fall

[mikehunt]

The indians called the mountain the 7 grandfather's or something like that, it had a name!

[koen]

Interesting video! Really like the channel. Just wanted to point out that the picture used at 22:09, is taken at the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact of 1941.

[BrianJNelson]

You seriously overcomplicated why these Presidents were chosen.

Washington: Considered the "Father of the Nation" and set the standard of the American Presidency
Jefferson: Aside from being one of the Founding Fathers and Writing the Declarition Of Independance, he doubled the size of the nation with the Lousiana Purchase
Lincoln: Held the nation together during the Civil War and laid the groundwork for reunifying the nation afterwards
Roosevelt: Set up the National Parks system by setting aside land in a preserved state and made it possible for something like the MOunt Rushmore Memorial to exist.

That other stuff you said was just all extraneous and had nothing to do with the monument or why these Presidents are there.

[owen]

why is this controversial? this seems more to be just fact

[phantom]

The way they are described you should do a series on each of the presidents pros and cons, and legacies.

[tabush]

Great video as always! Just wanted to make a suggestion that the song in the background was a bit distracting to the narration at times

[pirateshack]

Awesome work Bud ! Thank You for This !

[Elyseon]

I'd say that unfortunately the state of affairs that the first presidents tried to prevent became the norm later. Corruption, nepotism, imperialism, antidemocratic government.