The work was exciting, but dangerous. 90% of the mountain was carved using dynamite . The powdermen would cut and set charges of dynamite of specific sizes to remove precise amounts of rock. Before the dynamite charges could be set off, the workers would have to be cleared from the mountain.
How Did They Make Mount Rushmore?
Mount Rushmore is one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. It is a granite mountain carving located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The monument was constructed between 1927 and 1941 and features the faces of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
The idea for Mount Rushmore first came from historian Doane Robinson in 1923. He wanted to create a monument to the spirit of the West and promote tourism in South Dakota. Robinson suggested a sculpture of the Great Sioux Chief, Red Cloud, but sculptor Gutzon Borglum had a different vision. He proposed a sculpture of four of the most influential presidents in U.S. history.
Borglum began work on the mountain in 1927. To begin the project, he and the 400 workers he hired had to blast away the top of the mountain. They used dynamite and jackhammers to remove 450,000 tons of rock from the mountain.
The carving of the four presidents began in 1927. Borglum and his team used a variety of tools to carve out the 60-foot-high faces, including pneumatic drills, chisels, and hammers. To ensure accuracy, Borglum and
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