All Americans think of this image when considering his firm resolve and undying dedication to his most noble cause. The South Wall is decorated with a sixty-foot mural of the chains of slavery being broken. Beneath, the text of his famous Gettysburg Address is engraved into the wall. On the North Wall, there is another, similar mural depicting the rejoining of the North and the South under Lincoln's watchful eye. Beneath it, the text from his equally brief Second Inauguration Address is carved into three panels.
Marble is the dominant form of stone as several states' contributions meld together in perfect form.
The interior of the memorial may be daunting, but the view from the recently renovated steps is one in which most visitors must simply seat themselves and take a moment to reflect and relax. Arguably, the sight on a clear, brisk night of the lighted monuments and the Washington Monument in the Reflecting Pool is one of the most exciting that this city has to offer its visitors. To be sure, no visit to Washington is complete without a trip to the Lincoln Memorial. A little over a month later, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse formally ending the Civil War after four years and more than a half a million deaths. Top Related Books for Sale at Two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author, David Herbert Donald provides the most profound scholarly work done on Lincoln in over fifty years.