Washington D.C.

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Foundation

Washington D.C. was founded in 1791, and named after George Washington George Washington, the guy on the dollar bill for those who don't know, was the first president of the United States of America. Through his leadership the new colonies won the war against Great Britain.

He was elected the first President of the United States by unanimous decision. The rest, as they say, is history . In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which approved the creation of a national capital. The area would be selected by President Washington.



On August 25, 1814, during the War of 1812, the British armies invaded D.C. and burned the Capitol, Treasury and the White House.

Don't Worry! Everything turned out alright.

U.S. Capitol

In Session

The Capitol Building is home to Congress and the House of Representatives. This is where laws get made. The building sits atop a hill which gives it the name Capitol Hill. Here are some things you should stop by to see when you get to the Capitol.

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Washington Monument

The Great Obelisk

The Washington Monument is an obeliska stone pillar, typically having a square or rectangular cross section and a pyramidal top, set up as a monument or landmark. near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble and granite is both the world's tallest stone structure and the D.C's tallest structure measuring 555 feet.

There are 50 flags representing the 50 states surrounding the Monument. Currently, the Monument is closed due to cracks found in it after 2011's earthquake.

View from the top of Washington MonumentView from the top of The Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

Four Score

The Lincoln Memorial occupies a prominent space on the National Mall in Washington, DC and is a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln. He was a really tall man who liked the theater. It was during one of those theater visits that he was assassinated. Lincoln was known for many other things other than his assassination, like the fact that he fought for the freedom of the slaves and gave an awesome speech at Gettysburg.

His speech at Gettysburg is a long one, enjoy reading...

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Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and

so dedicated, can long endure. We met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives so that our nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

Lincoln only spoke for a few minutes and said only ten sentences. Those ten sentences summarized the war and made history.

Visit our contact page for more on Lincoln and other resources.

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Jefferson Memorial

We The People

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president of the United States and Declarer of Independence. This memorial was built in honor of him. It sits near the tidal basin and Potomac River. The design for the memorial was entered into an architectural competition back in the 1930's.

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That is how Thomas Jefferson began his declaration of independence. He would go on to speak about freedom of other things as well. For more information, visit the U.S. Capitol on your trip to Washington to read it for yourself.

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Information

Thank you for visiting. Some information taken from Wikipedia. Photography and images taken from Getty Images and Stock Exchange.