Building America's Main Seats of Power: The Construction History of the White House and U.S. Capitol

Name: Building America's Main Seats of Power: The Construction History of the White House and U.S. Capitol
Brand: Charles River Editors
SKU: 41332762017962
Price: 9.99 USD
Availability: InStock

By: Charles River Editors

ISBN: 9781508622857

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Description

*Includes pictures
*Includes accounts of the construction of both buildings during the 19th century
*Includes bibliographies for further reading
*Includes a table of contents

“The cornerstone was laid by Washington in 1793; the terrace was finished nearly a hundred years later, in 1891; and yet the Capitol will never be complete while the nation lasts. The impress of each succeeding generation will be found upon its walls, marking the intellectual, artistic and governmental advancement of the age. The great pile is national, American, human. On its walls is written the nation's history. Its corridors resound to the footsteps of her living heroes and sages; its every stone echoes the departed voices of her greatest dead.” – George Hazelton

For over two centuries, the capital of America has been located in Washington, D.C., and among all the iconic landmarks and monuments associated with the city, nothing is as conspicuous as the Capitol, the magnificent building that houses Congress and sits on Capitol Hill at the epicenter of the city. At the same time, even though the Capitol is now one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, the image everyone is familiar with took nearly a century to achieve, indicative of its turbulent history. In fact, the Capitol was partially burned by the British during the War of 1812, and its now famous dome was still under construction while the nation fought itself during the Civil War. Moreover, it’s easy to forget that the expansion of the country resulted in the addition of new Congressmen, requiring the expansion of the Capitol as the seat of the legislative branch.

The history of the Capitol also serves as a reminder that the building, like the nation, both shapes and is shaped by history. There are still singed walls from the War of 1812 under the marble façade, and microscopic examination could no doubt find cracks from the vibration of distant cannon fire during the Civil War. Of course, there is no way to calculate the wear and tear caused by the millions of feet that trudge through the Capitol’s sacred halls each year, but through it all, the Capitol has managed to endure, just like the nation it represents.

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