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 51st           591,833  District Flower  District Tree  District Motto Justia Omnibus   Justice for All  Although New York City and Philadelphia each served briefly as the capital of the United States, on July 16, 1790, Congress chose the District of Columbia as the permanent seat of government. George Washington helped select the site for the city. Situated on the Potomac River, Washington, D.C., was originally carved out of land transferred from Maryland and Virginia (Virginia's portion south of the river was returned to that state in 1846).  Congress first met in Washington in 1800, although construction of the first phase of the Capitol was not completed until 1826. Today, millions come to Washington, D.C. each year to see the Capitol, the White House, the Library of Congress, and the city's many museums and monuments. The flower is the American beauty rose.  President George Washington commissioned French engineer Pierre-Charles L'Enfant to create a plan for the city. What did L'Enfant do to make the new capital different from other cities?  L'Enfant designed wide avenues radiating from the Capitol building through a grid of streets with numerous circles and parks with open spaces so that the capital would not become a city of crowded buildings. He knew that people would need parks where they could walk and relax. The streets of the capital were oriented in a north, south, east, and west grid pattern. K,  Because of L'Enfant's careful planning, when you stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol today you can look down the mall and see all the way to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. When you see the beautiful views and dramatic landscapes of your nation's capital you can thank Pierre-Charles L'Enfant.  Born: February 22, 1732 Died: December 14, 1799 The first president of the United States, George Washington, is often referred to as the Father of Our Country. He was known for his love of the land and farming, and his dislike of war.  He was a distinguished general and commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution. He married a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, and they lived at Mount Vernon, Washington's plantation in Virginia on the Potomac River.  Thomas Jefferson and the Library of Congress During the War of 1812 the British invaded Washington and burned the Capitol building in 1814. They also burned the 3,000 volumes in the Library of Congress, which was then housed in the Capitol.  While Jefferson was president from 1801 until 1809, he took a strong interest in the Library of Congress and its collection, personally recommending books and appointing the first two Librarians of Congress. In fact, he said, "I cannot live without books." By the time the war happened, Jefferson was retired and living at his home in Monticello. There he had his own private library, known as the largest and finest in the country. What do you think Jefferson decided to do for Congress?  Who was the first president to live in the White House? Although George Washington helped to choose the site for the residence while he was president, he never lived at the famous house. Philadelphia had been the country's capital before Congress declared the city of Washington the permanent capital of the United States in 1790.  The cornerstone of the White House was laid on October 13, 1792. Eight years later, John Adams, the second president, and his wife Abigail, moved into the mansion. A competition had been held to design the presidential residence. Can you guess which future president participated in the competition?  Thomas Jefferson was among the many people who submitted a plan for the White House. His design, however, was not chosen. Instead, James Hoban, an Irish immigrant architect living in Charleston, South Carolina, won the competition and a $500 prize, with a design modeled after Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland.  Constructed of white-gray sandstone, the presidential mansion was called the White House as early as 1809. President Theodore Roosevelt officially adopted the term in 1902. Over the years, the original building has been expanded, reinforced, set on fire, and rebuilt.  British troops burned the White House during the War of 1812. The structure was rebuilt, enlarged, and readied for President James Monroe by 1817. While President and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and their six children lived at the White House, the second-floor rooms were converted into living quarters. The West Wing was also built during this period to house the presidential staff.  Today the White House has more than 130 rooms. The presidential family lives in the main building, and the president's office is in the West Wing. Did you know that the White House also has a swimming pool, a gym, and a movie theater? About 1.5 million people tour the White House every year. Have you visited this house where the president lives?  What do you know about the structure in this photo? In a city of monuments, it is referred to as "The Monument." It is, of course, the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., completed on December 6, 1884. The focal point of the National Mall, it is the background for concerts and fireworks and dominates the capital's skyline.  How long did it take to complete the 555-foot Egyptian obelisk, topped with a 3,300-pound marble capstone and a 9-inch pyramid of cast aluminum? That question is harder than it may seem.  The Washington National Monument Society laid the monument's cornerstone on Independence Day, 1848, 36 years before completion. But when the obelisk was a height of about 156 feet, the Society lost support and funding. The monument stood incomplete and untouched for 20 years.  That 9-inch aluminum pyramid, which completes the top of the structure as it narrows to a point, is 100-ounces of solid aluminum, part of the monument's lightning protection system. In the 1880s, aluminum was a rare metal, selling for $1.10 per ounce and used primarily for jewelry.  The pyramid was the largest piece of aluminum of its day and was such a novelty that it was displayed at Tiffany's jewelry store in New York before it was placed at the top. Last, if you go to visit the Washington Monument, you will have a spectacular panoramic view from the observation deck because, by government mandate, it will always be the tallest structure in Washington. Now that's some monumental trivia!  Finally, in 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to finish the project. When fully constructed, it was the world's tallest structure. Today, the approximately 36,000-stacked blocks of granite and marble compose the world's tallest freestanding masonry structure. But there's even more trivia to top that!  How do you honor the people and events in your life that are important to you? The United States has many monuments and sacred sites to honor people, ideas, things, and events that have left their mark on American history. Arlington National Cemetery is one of those sites. Have you been there? It is located in Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.  On May 13, 1864, a Confederate prisoner of war, who had died at a local hospital, was the first soldier buried at Arlington. The cemetery now contains the graves of soldiers from every war in which the United States has participated, including the American Revolution. What day do you think is most honored at Arlington National Cemetery?  Each year, Memorial Day is honored at Arlington by placing a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns. The Tomb houses the remains of unknown servicemen from World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam War. Not all of the 240,000 people buried at Arlington are soldiers. You can also find the graves of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The location itself is full of fascinating stories from the past.  The grounds used to be part of Arlington House, where General Robert E. Lee and his wife Mary Anna married and lived until 1861. When Lee left to take command of the Confederate troops, the Union Army turned his old home into a military headquarters and the land around it into a camp.  The Arlington House has now been restored to its pre-Civil War condition and is a memorial to Robert E. Lee. You can visit it and imagine yourself traveling back in time to the 1830s. If you could build a monument or memorial, what or whom would you honor?  Even if you have not visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., you've probably seen pictures of the colossal statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting in a chair in the center of the memorial. American sculptor Daniel Chester French created that famous statue of Lincoln. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, on April 20, 1850, French made many other monumental statues too.  Brought up in Cambridge and Concord, Massachusetts, French met fellow Concord resident Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women), who encouraged young French to pursue a career as an artist. He studied in Boston and New York before receiving his first commission for the 1875 statue The Minute Man. It stands on the "green" in Concord, Massachusetts, to commemorate the battle of Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War. A famous symbol of America, images of The Minute Man appeared on defense bonds, stamps, and posters during World War II.  After studying art in Europe, French returned to Washington, D.C., where he opened his own studio. There, he created more ambitious work such as the impressive General Lewis Cass for the U.S. Capitol in 1888. By the turn of the 20th century, French was America's leading monumental sculptor. Next time you see the statue in the Lincoln Memorial or The Minute Man, you'll know who created those famous American artworks. Share your new knowledge with your family.  14th Amendment to the Constitution Was Ratified On July 28, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. The amendment grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" which included former slaves who had just been freed after the Civil War.  The amendment had been rejected by most Southern states but was ratified by the required three-fourths of the states. Known as the "Reconstruction Amendment," it forbids any state to deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws."  Other groups tried to use the 14th Amendment to further their causes. Women attempted to use it to proclaim their right to vote, and African Americans tried to use it as well. On May 18, 1896, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson that "separate but equal" facilities were considered sufficient to satisfy the 14th Amendment. It wasn't until May 17, 1954, however, that the Court reversed the Plessy decision, bringing the era of government-sanctioned segregation to an end.  It was the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, which finally gave African Americans the right to vote. It states that "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."  In practice, however, it took almost 100 more years and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to remove barriers such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation that prevented African Americans and other people of color from freely exercising their right to vote. Note that the 15th amendment makes no mention of sex. It was not until the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 that women were explicitly given the vote.  The Cherry Trees of Washington, D.C. When you think about the things that attract millions of visitors to Washington, D.C., each year, you probably think about the monuments, the White House, the Capitol, the Library of Congress. But have you ever thought about the living things that are also a major tourist attraction?  Many Americans and international tourists make a special visit to Washington, D.C., in the spring to see the blooming pink and white Japanese cherry trees that circle the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial.  The trees were originally planted as a gift from the people of Tokyo, Japan, in 1912. In 1910, a previous donation of 2,000 cherry trees had to be destroyed after they were infested with insects. Each spring, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, a two-week-long celebration, attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the world to see the magnificent trees in full bloom. Have you ever seen these magnificent blossoms?  |
