Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial, on the extended axis of the National Mall in Washington, DC, is a memorial to United States President Abraham Lincoln. The building is in the form of a Greek Doric temple, and contains a large seated sculpture of Lincoln. The memorial has been the site of many speeches, including Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream", delivered on August 28, 1963, during the rally at the end of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Other Lincoln memorials in Washington, D.C.

The Lincoln Memorial was preceded by three earlier remarkable memorials to Lincoln in the capital.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first Lincoln statue in the US, in front of what was the first City Hall (D street) was unveiled on April 15, 1868, the third anniversary of Lincoln's death, by his successor, Andrew Johnson. It was paid for by the citizens of Washington, D.C. Lot Flannery, the Irish sculptor, claimed he knew Lincoln and was present at the theatre when Lincoln was assassinated. The memorial was meant not only to commemorate Lincoln but remind the public of his authorization of up to $1 million to pay loyal D.C. slaveholders for their human property. This initiative reflected Lincoln's need to balance the drive towards the end of slavery with his dependency on the loyalty of the citizens of D.C. to the Union. The statue was taken down in 1919, but was restored to its original location after considerable controversy in 1923.

Related Topics:
April 15 - 1868 - Andrew Johnson - Slavery

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Lincoln statue was dedicated inside the Rotunda of the Capitol on January 25, 1871, in the presence of Ulysses S. Grant. While still a teenager, sculptress Vinnie Ream began preliminary sketches of Lincoln during the last five months of his life. She became the first woman to receive a commission from Congress to create a statue for the Rotunda. To accurately render the statue's garments, she borrowed the clothes Lincoln wore the night of his assassination.

Related Topics:
Rotunda - Capitol - January 25 - 1871 - Ulysses S. Grant - Vinnie Ream

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The "Emancipation Memorial" (1876) in Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill portrays a kneeling man representing the last man captured under the Fugitive Slave Law, who snaps slavery's chains as Lincoln proffers the Emancipation Proclamation. Freed black slaves raised all the funds to erect it. The initiative came from Charlotte Scott, of Virginia, who donated the first $5 she earned as a free American.

Related Topics:
1876 - Capitol Hill - Fugitive Slave Law - Emancipation Proclamation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~