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The majestic monument to the president who preserved America’s unity and began the long process of ending slavery is built in the form of a Greek temple. Daniel Chester French designed the enormous statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln in 1915, and it is among America’s most inspiring sites, especially for its association with African-Americans’ struggle for equality and opportunity.

This spire is the dominant feature on the city skyline, 555 ft (170 m) high and gleaming in its marble cladding. One of the tallest freestanding masonry constructions in the world, built between 1848 and 1884, it offers stunning views from the observation platform.

One of Jefferson’s favorite Classical designs, the Pantheon in Rome, inspired this graceful monument. Dedicated in 1943 on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birth, it houses a 19-ft (6-m) bronze statue of the president by Rudolph Evans. It is especially enchanting when floodlit at night.

This popular memorial has four outdoor rooms, representing Roosevelt’s four terms as president. Each is a composition of statues, water, plants, and engraved quotations of the president. The memorial has provided a focus for activists for disabled citizens – Roosevelt was partially paralyzed by polio.

This simple structure – a V-shaped black granite wall on which are carved the names of those who died in this divisive war – has moved millions of visitors. The memorial, built in 1982, is the work of Maya Lin, at the time a 21-year-old architecture student at Yale.

Nineteen exhausted foot soldiers plod forward, determined on their goal. These 7-ft (2-m) steel statues are the dominant element in a memorial to the Americans who died in the UN’s “police action” in Korea. A wall is etched with faces of actual soldiers. A circular pool invites quiet reflection.

Marines struggling to erect the Stars and Stripes on a ridge at Iwo Jima serves as a memorial to all marines who have fought for their country. The small Pacific island was the site of fierce fighting, resulting in nearly 7,000 American deaths, during World War II.

This 7.5-acre memorial, built to honor US veteran soldiers and civilians of World War II, includes commemorative columns, a Freedom Wall, landscaping, and fountains.

“The Spirit of Freedom,” a 1996 sculpture by Ed Hamilton, depicts African-American Union soldiers facing their enemies.

The fountains that surround this plaza contain recirculated water from all the seven seas. Flagstaffs suggest the rigging of a tall ship.