As I was giving a group of young students from New York city a tour of the Lincoln Memorial I realized they had very little interest in what they were seeing or what history had taken place there. One of the most important speeches in American history was made on the steps of a memorial to a man who keep the union together. The step on which the speech was given is engraed in the mable steps. As the group stood over the engraving it seem to me most of the students had little excitement at what they were looking at.We walked up a few more stairs weaving between the 36 colums each 44 feet high. As the group walked into the chamber they saw the 19 foot statue of our 16th president. Lincoln statue has the american flag drapped over the the left side of the chair Lincoln is sitting in.
As the group faced the southern wall of the chamber the students had an opportunity to read one of the greatest 100 speeches in American history, the Gettysburgh Address. Above the speech the group noticed the Mural of Truth. The Mural of Truth on the southern wall depicts the freeing of the slaves by President Lincoln. On the northern wall written in stone Lincoln's second inaraugal address plus the Mural of Angels of truth. The second inaraugal address has been high rated as one of the best speeches in American history
