How Was Mount Rushmore Made?

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 Was Mount Rushmore Made?

Mount Rushmore is one of the most iconic monuments in the United States, adorning the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. It has become a symbol of national pride, representing the important figures of United States history: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. But what many people don’t know is how this amazing monument was made.

The project began in 1927, when the sculptor Gutzon Borglum was commissioned by the South Dakota state legislature to create a large sculpture in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Borglum chose Mount Rushmore as the location for the sculpture due to its remarkable visage and strategic location. The mountain was also chosen for its geological stability, allowing Borglum to create a sculpture that would last for centuries.

The first step of the project was to create a model of the monument. Borglum and his team used explosives to remove the excess stone from the mountain, leaving only the faces of the four presidents. The model was then used to create a template for the sculptors to follow.

Once the template was created, the next step was to carve the faces of the presidents into the mountain. This was a long and difficult process, involving hundreds of laborers and engineers