8 American Monuments That Tell a Story You Didn’t Learn in School

2. Mount Rushmore: Faces Carved in Controversy

Mount Rushmore is celebrated for its monumental depiction of four American presidents, but beneath its iconic façade lies a contentious history. Carved into the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, this site is a point of deep cultural significance to the Lakota Sioux. The monument's creation involved complex negotiations and broken treaties, highlighting the tensions between progress and preservation. Beyond its surface, Mount Rushmore serves as a canvas for dialogue about American expansionism, indigenous rights, and the selective memory of history. It challenges us to consider whose stories are immortalized and whose are left in the shadows.