Lincoln Memorial

Although the Lincoln Memorial is just one of the District's many monuments, the larger-than-life Honest Abe is also among travelers' favorites. History buffs might enjoy the man of few word's (albeit powerful words) two famous speeches, the second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address, which are all etched into the memorial's opposing walls.
The Lincoln Memorial is free and can be viewed 24 hours a day, but experts say the most ambient (and less crowded) time to visit is after dark. Travelers should note that it's only staffed until midnight. You'll find it at the eastern end of the National Mall. One TripAdvisor traveler describes her experience like this, "It is so spectacular and moving to approach this memorial in the dark, all lit up, to walk the stairs and get your first glimpse of the massive, seated Lincoln beyond the columns."

The Lincoln memorial is a monument honoring the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

Soon after Lincoln became president, seven southern states seceded in response to the president's condemnation of slavery.
One year later, four more states seceded and in April 1861 the Civil War started. During the war, Congress approved the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in the United States. The Civil War ended in April 1865 with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee. Six days later, Abraham Lincoln was shot by an assassin in Ford's Theatre.

Lincoln Memorial Monument Association

Two years after his assassination, Congress formed the Lincoln Monument Association. Its task was to build a memorial dedicated to Abraham Lincoln. It would take until 1901 before a site for the memorial was chosen. In 1911 the Lincoln Memorial Bill was signed by President Taft, providing $2 million funds for the memorial.

Construction

Construction started in 1914. The design by the New York architect Henry Bacon was based on a greek temple with 36 doric columns. Each column represents one state of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. When the memorial was completed in May 1922, the Union had expanded with 12 more states, so the names of the 48 states were carved on the outside of the memorial's walls. After the admission of Alaska and Hawaii, a plaque was added with the names of the new states.

Interior

Inside the 99ft/30m tall marble temple is a large sculpture of Abraham Lincoln seated in a chair. The sculpture, designed by Daniel Chester French, was originally intended to be 10ft/3m tall. Henry Bacon realized the statue would be dwarfed inside the large building so the size was almost doubled to 19ft/5.8m.

President Lincoln Statue

The northern wall contains an inscription of Lincoln's second inaugural speech, the southern wall has the Gettysburg address inscribed, considered one of the most important speeches in American history. Above the inscription is a mural depicting the angel of truth freeing a slave.

Protest marches

The memorial is often used as a gathering place for protests and political rallies. The most famous was the March of Washington in 1963, when Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech 'I have a dream' from the Lincoln Memorial.

Location

The Lincoln Memorial is located at the west end of the National Mall. From the top of the stairs in front of the memorial, you have a great view of the Washington Monument and the US Capitol.