Skip to main content

The dark history of Mount Rushmore - Ned Blackhawk and Jeffrey D. Means

796,171 Views

3,770 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Between 1927 and 1941, workers blasted 450,000 tons of rock from a mountainside using chisels, jackhammers, and dynamite. Gradually, they carved out Mount Rushmore. Today, the monument draws nearly 3 million people to South Dakota’s Black Hills every year. But its façade belies a dark history. Ned Blackhawk and Jeffrey D. Means explore the destruction of the sacred Six Grandfathers Mountain.

What should be the future of Mt. Rushmore?

Sign in to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Ned Blackhawk, Jeffrey D. Means
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Narrator Jake Hart
  • Composer Cem Misirlioglu, Greg Chudzik
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Content Associate Abdallah Ewis
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam

More from Things They Don't Teach in School But Should