Abraham Lincoln is one of our most beloved Presidents, known for leading the country through the Civil War and reuniting the North and South. The country and the world were shocked and saddened when he was assassinated five days after the war ended.

After Lincoln’s death, leaders wanted to build a memorial to honor him, but the war had left the country with little money. Finally, in February of 1914, work began on the memorial. It was completed on May 30, 1922. 50,000 people attended the memorial service, including a few Civil War veterans.

Fun Facts

• The memorial is almost 80 feet tall and 188 feet long. The building has thirty six columns to represent the states that were part of the Union during the Civil War.
• Inside the memorial is divided into three parts. The main chamber holds a 19-foot tall statue of Abraham Lincoln. Daniel Chester French sculpted the statue out of white Georgia marble.
• Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is engraved on the north wall. A mural of an angel granting freedom to a slave is also displayed.
• The building’s south side contains photos and paintings of Abraham Lincoln.
• Look on the back of a five-dollar bill. You’ll see a picture of the Lincoln Memorial.
• On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., led a March on Washington. The march ended at the Lincoln Memorial, where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Vocabulary

1.  Reunite: join again
2.  Assassinate: to kill an important leader or celebrity in a surprise attack.
3.  Mural: a large painting which often spans an entire wall or more

Questions and Answers

Question:  Why does the Lincoln Memorial have so many columns?

Answer:  The design for the Lincoln Memorial was based on the ancient Greek temple, the Parthenon. Democracy was first established in Greece. The designers of the Lincoln Memorial felt that a tribute to Greece would be appropriate for an American memorial celebrating freedom for all men.

Learn More

Visit Enchanted Learning for games and activities about the Lincoln Memorial.