The Jefferson Memorial, located in West Potomac Park on the shore of the Tidal Basin, the third president and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. The neoclassical monument was built between 1939 and 1943; a statue of Thomas Jefferson was added in 1947. The American Institute of Architects in 2007 ranked the Jefferson Memorial No. 4 on its List of America’s Favorite Architecture. Jefferson quotes included in the memorial have been criticized for being taken out of context.
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The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors those who fought in one of the nation’s forgotten wars and one that has ramifications still felt today. The memorial features statues of 19 soldiers representing a patrol squad. The 19 soldiers reflect in a granite wall, giving the illusion of 38 soldiers, representing the 38th parallel that divides North and South Korea. The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1995 on the 42nd anniversary of the deal ending the war.
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The Lincoln Memorial is Washington is perhaps the most recognizable of all American monuments. This shrine to the nation’s 16th president, situated on the western end of the National Mall, was built between 1914 and 1922; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Oct. 15, 1966. Demands for a tribute to the murdered president date to the years just after his assassination, and the first monument in Washington, D.C., to Lincoln was erected in 1868. Over the years, the Lincoln Memorial has been the site a number of major speeches, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, situated north of the Lincoln Memorial, is a powerful tribute to those who gave their lives during the Vietnam War. The wall includes the names of over 58,000 servicemen and women. The memorial also includes “The Three Servicemen” statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.
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The Washington Monument is perhaps the most immediately recognizable monument in Washington, D.C. Construction on the monument, honoring the first president of the United States, started in 1848, but was halted from 1854 to 1877 due to a lack of funding. Its capstone was set on Dec. 6, 1884, and the monument officially opened on Oct. 9, 1888. It was the tallest structure in the world from 1884 to 1889.
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