Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. symbolizes both the high ideals of the American nation, and the depths to which it can think. E.g. in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol lies on one of the most crimeridden slums in the country.

In Washington history is everywhere, p.e. the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court buildings stand as majestic reminders in democratic government. And its museums cover everything from the beginnings of the world to the area of space travel.

In 1790, 14 years after the Declaration of Independence, Washington was founded and it has become the permanent home of the Congress. Bevor the Congress agreed to put George Washington in charge of selecting a location for the new capitol. George Washington founded Washington and hired the well known architect Charles Pier L´Enfant to design the capitol.

In 1800 when the Congress came to the new capitol, was Washington more a collection of big buildings surrounded by dirt, with large arrears of marshland. During the Civil War, Washington’s southern location made it vulnerable to attack by the Confederacy. So thousands of soldiers poured in from all over the Union to defend the city. Alexander Shepherd had the city’s streets paved, avenues straightened, thousands of trees planted and miles of gas pipes laid.But there was still one problem the emergence of slums in the inner city

Washington’s terrible social problems have carried over into this day. Blacks make up 67% of the city’s population and they are statistically far more likely to live in a crimeridden area. These depressing statistics were made worse by the automobile. Accordingly, in the morning rush hour, workers from all suburbs pour into the city and a mass exodus takes place in the late afternoon. Legendary are Washington’s potholes, caused by poor road quality, lack of maintenance and extreme weather conditions. The weather in D.C. could be called ”capricious”. There are very hot summers but also very cold winters, and snow in common.

THE MALL: Is the green strip between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol. Most of the representational buildings are situated here.

THE CAPITOL: Congress moved into the Capitol in 1800.During the war, Union troops were housed in the building, and wounded soldiers were cared for there.

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: It was destroyed in 1814. Thomas Jefferson gave 6.000 books from his personal library to start a new collection. Now housed in 3 buildings, the library has a copy of every book published in the USA.

THE CASTLE: James Smithson left $ 500.000 to the U.S. government for ”an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge”.20 years later the Smithsonian Institute opened its doors in the multitowered building called the Castle.

THE WHITE HOUSE: ”May none but wise men ever rule under this roof,” wrote John Adams, the first inhabitant of the famous building, in 1800. It was not always as heavily guarded as it is now. When Thomas Jefferson was president, visitors could just walk in off the street.

THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT: The obelisk was begun in 1848, but the project was interrupted by financial troubles, political sabotage and civil war. The structure was completed in 1885, but the government was unable to find marble of the same colour.

THE JEFERSON MEMORIAL: The memorial, dedicated to the third president, overlooks the Tidal basin, which is surrounded by hundreds of cherry trees.

THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL: It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that Martin Luther King Jr., gave his famous ”I have a dream” speech in 1963.

THE PENTAGON: It is one of the largest office buildings in the world and it is the headquarter of the U.S. Armed Services.

ARLINGTON HOUSE (LEE MANSION): The house of Lee was, during the civil war, confiscated by the government, and all Union soldiers were buried on his property. This was the beginning of Arlington Cemetery, where you can visit John F. Kennedy’s grave.

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL: It bears the name of all Americans who died in the Vietnam war.

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL: The newest memorial in D.C. is a tribute to the president who saw the nation through the Great Depression and the Second World War.

UNION STATION: Architecturally impressive and offering a good mix of shops and services it is the most frequently visited site in Washington.

MOUNT VERNON: It offers a unique insight into the lifestyle of the rich Virginia landowner and Revolutionary War leader.

NATIONAL AIR AND SPACEMUSEUM: It is the most popular museum in D.C. It shows the development of manned flight to the space age.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY: It shows the development from the earliest beginnings to the area of TV.