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The five curiosities you may not know about the Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is a monument built in honor of Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States, and stands on the National Mall in Washington, DC. It is one of the most visited monuments in Washington, D.C. along with the Washington Obelisk, which stands directly across the street.

The initial design of the structure was due to architect Henry Bacon. The statue of the U.S. President, on the other hand, was built by the artistry of sculptor Daniel Chester French, while painter and decorator Jules Guerin handled the pictorial decoration of the walls.

Like most U.S. monuments, the Lincoln Memorial has secrets and mysteries in it, despite being precisely one of the most famous and studied buildings in the world.

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Lincoln Memorial: five things you may not know
The Lincoln Memorial is a monument built in honour of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, and stands on the National Mall in Washington, DC. It is one of the most visited monuments in Washington D.C. along with the Washington Obelisk, which stands directly across the street. The initial design of the structure was by architect Henry Bacon. The statue of the American President, on the other hand, was built by the mastery of sculptor Daniel Chester French, while painter and decorator Jules Guerin handled the pictorial decoration of the walls. Like most American monuments, the Lincoln Memorial holds secrets and mysteries, despite being one of the most famous and studied buildings in the world.
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During its inauguration there was racial segregation
In 1865, the United States passed the 13th Amendment making slavery unconstitutional. Lincoln was one of the most important promoters of this reform, but despite this, on the day of the unveiling of his memorial 57 years after his death, the United States was still in the grip of racial hatred. Indeed, on Memorial Day, 30 May 1922, over 50,000 people attended the dedication ceremony, which, despite Lincoln's struggles, was characterised by racial segregation, with black spectators separated from white ones.
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The details of the construction
The construction consists of 36 columns (one for each State of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death in 1865). Higher up, the names of the 48 states in the Union are inscribed at the dedication of the monument. Twenty-eight blocks of marble were carved to mould the seated figure. The former President's face and hands are lifelike, as they were based on casts made when he was still alive: in particular, the statue's left hand is clenched to symbolise strength and determination, while the right hand is open to symbolise charity and compassion.
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The concert of African-American lyricist Marian Anderson
In 1939, the African-American opera singer Marian Anderson was not allowed to sing at Constitution Hall (obviously because of her skin colour). Thanks to the initiative and advice of Eleanor Roosevelt (wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt), Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes decided to organise a concert by the artist on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The result was an audience of over 70,000 people and a live national radio broadcast.
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I Have a Dream
On 28 August 1963, the Lincoln Memorial hosted one of the largest political demonstrations in American history, the March on Washington. This episode was the high point of the 1960s civil rights struggle in America. Right in front of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King delivered his very famous 'I Have a Dream' speech.
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The Gettysburg Address
On the left of the statue is engraved the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous in US history (delivered on the afternoon of 19 November 1863, during the War of Secession, at the dedication ceremony of the Gettysburg Military Cemetery, which took place four and a half months after the bloody battle of the same name), while on the right is the entire second inaugural address, delivered in March 1865, a few months before Lincoln's death.
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