Liberty For All

by Jessi Winchester, author of From Bordello to Ballot Box and America: The Final Chapter

“A man’s worth is estimated in this world according to his conduct”

- Jean de La Bruyere, French Author; 1645-1696

I stood in awe before our most anticipated vacation destination.  Before me, in massive grandeur, were four presidential faces deemed important enough in our nation’s history to receive a place of honor on Mt. Rushmore … Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln.  All four were, after all, only human beings with all the virtuous as well as flawed traits of any man, yet each of the easily recognized likenesses before me had accomplished something extraordinary that made them stand out from others.  I contemplated the characteristics that made them human but was most interested in the principal achievements each had accomplished to be honored in such an impressive manner.

The somber face of George Washington seemed to convey the heavy burden he shouldered as the first leader of the new Republic.  A celebrated war hero who presided over the Constitutional Convention, he took on the difficult task of forging a blueprint for the Office of President of a new nation.  Despite evidence Washington allowed elitist Alexander Hamilton to have too large an influence on decisions Washington made as president, the mere fact Washington was the first to occupy the top office of the land makes him a natural choice for residency on the mountain.

Thomas Jefferson earned the honor of having his likeness engraved on Mt. Rushmore due to his passionate advocacy on behalf of liberty and the every day citizen for whom the U.S. Constitution was designed.  He drafted the Declaration of Independence and became a staunch defender of states’ rights, fiercely opposing a controlling centralized government which made him a respected patriot and ally of the common citizen.  His professional record is so unblemished that one of the few damaging pieces of information appears to be personal rather than professional.  Jefferson believed slavery was morally wrong, yet DNA research shows he fathered several children by one of his slaves.  By today’s standards, that is a shocking revelation but for that time period it was not so unusual.  Regardless of his personal decisions, Jefferson still remains one of the most ardent defenders of personal freedom and limited federal government and as the author of the Declaration of Independence, he fully deserves his place among the presidents.

Theodore Roosevelt had youth and a zest for life that energized the Presidency and made him a charismatic favorite.  Despite being born into wealth, he was committed to safeguarding the rights of the common American and striking an equal balance between the classes.  Raised in the East, he nevertheless spent a great deal of time on his beloved ranch in the Badlands of the Dakota Territory so his likeness is right at home overlooking the land he worked as a cowboy.  Roosevelt’s appetite to propel the U.S. into a position of world power sometimes took an unorthodox path, however.  One example was his determination to build a strategic waterway to create a shortcut that could quickly transport the American Navy between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  Achieving that goal meant going to war with Spain in order to secure the Caribbean and establish military control over the region in which he wanted to build the Panama Canal.  Some feel he crossed over the line by promoting the Spanish-American War in order to achieve his own agenda.  Nevertheless, his primary accomplishments as president rest in the areas of strong foreign policy, progressive reform, conservation, construction of the Panama Canal, and promoting American involvement in world politics.

Abraham Lincoln has undoubtedly received the most hype of the four faces etched in granite and was the most controversial inclusion.  He is considered the “Father of the Republican Party” and his humble beginnings inspire those who pursue grand purpose.  As a person, however, Lincoln was complex and little understood.  The Civil War period was the most destructive in American history and Lincoln has been criticized for approving General Sherman’s plan to wipe out southern cities despite civilian casualties which included women and children in an effort to attain victory for his cause.  This forever divided the country rather than uniting it.  Lincoln may have grown up poor but he became an elitist who felt he had the right to circumvent the Constitution by centralizing power within the federal government at the expense of Tenth Amendment states’ rights.  For these reasons there was considerable opposition from the public regarding the inclusion of Lincoln on Mt. Rushmore.  Recent books such as ‘The Real Lincoln,’ by Thomas J. DiLorenzo reveal a dark side of his presidency seldom acknowledged by historians.

Even in stone, the presidents continue to protectively look out over the land for which each had their own unique brand of impact.  Regardless of the positives and negatives associated with the four faces on Mt. Rushmore, one can’t help but be awestruck by the sheer majesty of the monument, the history of what it took to bring it to reality, and the feeling of pride as one looks upon the faces that helped shape America - the land we love.

Copyright © Jessi Winchester 2004 All Rights Reserved