Washington, d.C.

Until the late 18^th century, America was under the rule of the British Crown. When the colonists declared their independence from Great Britain, the Revolutionary War began. After a long and hard struggle, the British finally granted America its freedom to be an independent nation.

George Washington was named the nation’s first president. Under a new government, there was a task to decide on a site for a national capital. The site was determined to be an area along the Potomac River, and the new federal city was named the District of Columbia, in honor of Christopher Columbus. The next step was to design the city and its buildings. President George Washington had seen the work of Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant in Paris and commissioned him to design the District of Columbia.

L’Enfant chose the site for the Capitol building atop a small hill, later called Jenkins Hill and made it the central point of a checkerboard layout of wide streets and avenues. In addition to the checkerboard system of streets, L’Enfant added wide avenues running at diagonals like the spokes of a wheel. One of these wide avenues connects the Capitol Building and the White House – Pennsylvania Avenue.

Shortly after the death of President George Washington, Congress elected to rename the capital Washington, D.C. in honor of their first president.

Today’s Washington is only 69 square miles in area. The federal government is Washington’s largest employer, with tourism the second largest. Millions of people visit Washington annually, from pleasure travelers to government officials, to foreign diplomats and world leaders. The capital city, so filled with culture and history, has something to interest visitors from all walks of life and from any age.

U.S. Capitol Building. Since its beginning, the American government has been divided into three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. In planning the city the Congress House (Capitol Building) and the President’s Palace (White House) were placed at opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, as physical symbols of the separation of the legislative and executive branches of the government. The members of Congress meet in the Capitol Building to decide what laws are needed to protect the nation. Each state has elected officials in the Capitol to represent its people. There are 100 Senators and 435 members of the House of Representatives. In addition to being one of the most important buildings in today’s federal government, the Capitol building is one of the most impressive buildings in Washington. It is easy recognizable because of its large dome, the fourth largest dome in the world, rising 180 feet above the floor. There are no skyscrapers in Washington, D.C. because no one building can be higher than the Capitol Building.

The White House. The most famous address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue because this is the address of the President of the United States. The cornerstone of the White House was laid on October 13, 1792, making it the oldest government building in Washington. The White House serves not only as a residence for the President but also as the official office for the Executive Branch of American government. The job of the Executive Branch of government is to execute or carry out the laws of the nation. The President is the Head of this branch and works from his Oval office to help make the decisions that govern and protect nation.

The White House has 132 rooms and 20 bathrooms. The President and his family live on the upper floors but the public can visit the White House and see several of the famous rooms such as the State Dining Room, the Blue Room and the Red room.

The Supreme Court. Built under the direction of David Lynn, architect of the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court building was completed in 1935. The Supreme court is the highest court in the land, and as a Judicial Branch of American government, its main purpose is to interpret the laws and Constitution of the United States. The nine justices or judges are appointed by the president of the United States and will serve on the Supreme Court for the life or until they decide to retire. A visitor to this historic building can see the courtroom where Supreme Court cases are heard.