H) Jefferson Memorial |
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Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia in 1743, and served his country as president, public official, philosopher, and historian for over five decades. As a member of the Continental Congress, he was chosen in 1776 to draft the Declaration of Independence, which has been regarded ever since as a charter of American and universal liberties. The document proclaims that all men are equal in rights, regardless of birth, wealth, or status, and that the government is the servant, not the master, of the people. After Jefferson left Congress in 1776, he returned to Virginia and served in the legislature and was elected governor from 1779 to 1781. In 1784, he entered public service again, in France, first as trade commissioner and then as Benjamin Franklin's successor as minister. In 1790, he accepted the post of secretary of state under his friend George Washington. His tenure was marked by his opposition to the pro-British policies of Alexander Hamilton. In 1796, as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Republicans, he became vice-president after losing to John Adams by three electoral votes. Four years later, he defeated Adams and became president, the first peaceful transfer of authority from one party to another in the history of the young nation. In 1934 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, initiated the actions, that, with the help of Congressmen John J. Boylan of New York, resulted in the creation of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission. John Russell Pope was awarded the architectural design contract. His design of an enormous pantheon-like building, 21' taller than the Lincoln Memorial generated many comments and criticisms and was widely debated. Pope died in 1937 and his remaining partners completed a modified design and ground was broken for construction in 1938. The Memorial was completed and opened to the public lacking only the statue of Jefferson. Rudolph Evans was selected to design the statue and it was formally dedicated on April 13, 1943, the 200th Anniversary of Jefferson's birth. As completed, the Jefferson Memorial takes the form of a colonnaded, circular roman ionic temple with a portico on the north side. One of Washington's largest and most famous memorials, this structure serves as the southern anchor of the city's monumental plan, the other elements being the Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the White House. Title : Jefferson Memorial, East Potomac Park, Washington, District of Columbia Medium : Measured drawings Created/Published : 1994 Creator : National Park Service Part of The Historic American Building Survey Collection housed in the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress Price: $130.00 Availability: Usually ships in one week Product #: FR0071 |
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