The Lincoln Memorial (Essay Sample)

The Lincoln Memorial
Name
Institution
The Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is one of the most significant historical locations in the USA, with its cultural and political importance remaining relevant even today. The Memorial was dedicated in 1922 as a monument built in honor of Abraham Lincoln (National Park Services, 2013). The historical significance of the location arises from the events that have been held at the monument, mainly relating to the Civil Rights movement and its highpoints such as Marian Anderson’s performance, the March on Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech.
The Lincoln Memorial is situated in the Washington Mall, Washington D. C., proximal to the Washington Monument. The Memorial consists of building designed by Henry Bacon, Abraham Lincoln’s sculpture done by Daniel C. French, interior murals painted by Jules Guerin, and several inscribed speeches (National Park Services, 2013). Bacon’s design followed a Greek temple structure evident from the use of columns and interior space allowing for sculpture. Other standout aspects of the Memorial include its heavy symbolism, with the 36 columns representing the number of U.S. states at the time of Lincoln’s death and 48 stones representing the number of states at the time of the building’s dedication. Further, the mural paintings represent various governance principles including liberty, freedom, justice, unity, charity, the law, and fraternity (National Park Services, 2013).
Besides capturing historical themes such as Lincoln’s leadership principles, Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, and his second inaugural address, a number of events that have taken place at the Memorial also contribute to its historical significance (Thomas, 2002). In particular, the Memorial has become synonymous with the 20th century Civil Rights movement (Thomas, 2002). An early example was Marian Anderson’s classical performance at the site in 1939 following refusal by the Daughters of the American Revolution to let her perform at their Constitution Hall because she was African American. Under the influence of the First Lady at the time, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson performed at the steps of the memorial to an audience of about 70,000 while the controversy surrounding the issue helped bring segregation laws under more scrutiny (Arsenault, 2009).
However, the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom during the peak of the American Civil Rights movement in the 1960s is perhaps a more significant event that took place at the Lincoln Memorial (Thomas, 2002). The March brought about 250,000 people together to agitate for civil rights, attracting hallmark performances and speeches from civil rights activists and religious leaders. The Memorial is memorable as the site at which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his soaring speech, “I Have a Dream.” During the 40th anniversary of the March in 2003, this standout speech was engraved on the Memorial at the site where King stood, underpinning the historical importance of the movement and the role played by the Memor...