Build Your Own Adventure: Wait and See

About This Activity

Build Your Own Adventure: Washington Monument is an fun, online activity to learn more about what it took to build the Washington Monument. You choose what to do at each stage and discover the fascinating real-life twists and turns in the history of building this iconic monument to George Washington. 

Start at the beginning or continue with your adventure on this page. 

Fundraising appeal from the Washington National Monument Society, 1854

You Chose: Wait and See

From the very beginning, the Washington National Monument Society did everything they could to raise money. They placed collection boxes in post offices, hotels, government buildings and churches. They offered souvenirs and certificates signed by the President. They even lifted the $1 limit, hoping that large donations might come in. But nothing worked. Eventually the society agreed to turn the unfinished monument over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers so that money from the federal government could finish the Washington Monument.

Activity

As hard as they tried, the Washington National Monument Society was not successful in raising money to finish the monument. Can you help? Create a flyer, meme, or web post to convince people to give money for the Washington Monument. Can you come up with a slogan for the campaign? Will your fundraising campaign be succesful?

Continue the Adventure

Your fundraising campaign was brilliant, but it looks like the best option for finishing the Washington Monument is to hand the job over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Army Corp of Engineers