Abraham Lincoln was credited during his Presidency for preserving the Union during the Civil War (1860-1865) and for his role in ending slavery in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation.

Over time, the Lincoln Memorial’s significance has shifted. Its most recent historical event was when it held the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, where he called for civil and economic rights, along with an end to legalized racism in the United States. In March of 1867, Congress incorporated the Lincoln Monument Association to honor the former President. The monument took decades of planning and debate, well before construction began. It was designed by architect Henry Bacon in the style of a Greek Doric temple, which symbolized the ideals that Lincoln championed. Inside the temple, the statue of him was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, but the entire project was built by the Lincoln Memorial Commission.

Overall, the Lincoln Memorial stands as a powerful reminder of his legacy and the ongoing struggle for equality in America.