Mount Rushmore (Modern Marvels)

Towering over the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore attracts more than 2.5 million visitors per year. The monument was the vision of Gutzon Borglum, a fiercely talented young sculptor, and its origins are as fascinating as the nascent nation it represents. Over 15 years, 350 men poured their sweat into Borglum's dream, using drills and explosives to chisel Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt into a massive granite cliff. MODERN MARVELS presents the controversial history of this unorthodox tour de force, including the remarkable design specifications, the tragedies and setbacks that marred its construction, and the awe it inspires still today. It is a monument to the visionaries of a young nation, an attempt to forge a new national identity, and a tribute to democracy carved out of solid stone. This is the extraordinary story of majestic MOUNT RUSHMORE, national treasure and American masterpiece.