This summer I visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC with my family. The monument is located at the western end of the National Mall, and was built to recognize Abraham Lincoln the 16th president of the United States, and his fight for equality.
When I visited the Lincoln Memorial I predicted I would learn about the unity, strength and wisdom that Lincoln portrayed when in office. I wondered if the memorial would successfully portray the importance of Lincoln’s leadership. I also questioned if I would feel as touched by this memorial as the nation did when it was first constructed. I wanted to know what new information I could learn about Lincoln from visiting this memorial. I wondered what the constructors main goal for building this monument was. Was its main purpose only to commemorate Lincoln? Or to remember the time period and our attempts at equality and unity?
Lincoln sits in the middle of the memorial behind pillars which represent the 36 reunited states at the time of his death. On one side of Lincoln, the Gettysburg address is written, and on the other his Second Inaugural address. Both side chambers include a mural with the Angel of Truth. This lead me to speculate why the builders decide to place the two murals in separate chambers and not behind lincoln or together. I also noticed the shape of his hands I contemplated if his hands meant anything, one was clenched while the other appeared more relaxed, so I questioned if this was meant to demonstrate the two sides of Lincoln, or the two sides of the war etc?
The Lincoln Memorial portrays the story of Lincoln’s life and presidency and emphasizes the ideals of strength and unity. These themes were really portrayed in the huge statue of Lincoln and the murals representing his ideals for the nation at the time. When I visited the site those ideals stuck with me because of how prevalent they were in the memorial. The murals with the Angel of Truth uniting the two sides of the civil war and freeing the slaves, demonstrated the main goals of this time. I think Lincoln, the center of the memorial, and his goals and strength made these goals possible, or at least put them in motion. I believe that this memorial represents America’s struggle and perseverance through these issues, and even though they aren’t completely solved yet Lincoln’s wisdom and leadership pushed get us closer to reaching these ideals.
The memorial portrays the memory of Lincoln as heroic, courageous, and powerful. However, not all people may have viewed him this way, especially the people from the south, or anyone who believed in slavery. Many americans picture him as a legend, because he brought the whole nation together to abolish slavery and successfully won the war. The memorial doesn’t recognize the harshness of the period of war, however it symbolizes the success, and victory of the north.
The site emphasizes that all men are created equal, regardless of class, race, gender, or sexuality etc. Lincoln fought, and devoted his life to ensuring that african americans were given equal opportunities to whites, and he didn’t let the hate from the south throw him off his goal. Therefore, his memorial emphasizes these goals, and how this was history but it was still happening today. I think for different people this site can represent totally different things. It all depends on your family and how you were raised, or what you were taught in school.
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