Dedication of Lincoln Memorial
Event # 9
The Lincoln Memorial was built to help heal the national pain and divisions caused by the Civil War. Lincoln’s promise of freedom was still not shared by all members of American society. The Memorial is a symbol of the hope of an American society free from prejudice. On May 30, 1922 a large crowd attended the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. Among the many dignitaries in attendance were U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Howard Taft, and U.S. President Warren G. Harding. Also in attendance was Lincoln’s only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln. The keynote speaker was an African-
American named Robert Russo Morton, the President of Tuskegee Institute. He challenged the mostly white audience to remember Lincoln’s call for freedom. The Lincoln Memorial has become a meeting place for demonstrations calling for peace and rational harmony.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all we dedicate ourselves and our posterity, with you and yours, to finish the work which he so nobly began, to make America an example for all the world of equal justice and equal opportunity for all.” – Robert Russo Moton
Want to Learn More? Check This Out!
http://www.c-span.org/video/?286716-1/lincoln-memorial-dedication
Highlights of 1922 