1.
Washington, D.C.
–
Washington, D. C. formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D. C. is the capital of the United States. The signing of the Residence Act on July 16,1790, Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any state. The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, named in honor of President George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital. In 1846, Congress returned the land ceded by Virginia, in 1871. Washington had an population of 681,170 as of July 2016. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington metropolitan area, of which the District is a part, has a population of over 6 million, the centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups. A locally elected mayor and a 13‑member council have governed the District since 1973, However, the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. D. C. residents elect a non-voting, at-large congressional delegate to the House of Representatives, the District receives three electoral votes in presidential elections as permitted by the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961. Various tribes of the Algonquian-speaking Piscataway people inhabited the lands around the Potomac River when Europeans first visited the area in the early 17th century, One group known as the Nacotchtank maintained settlements around the Anacostia River within the present-day District of Columbia. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes forced the relocation of the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland. 43, published January 23,1788, James Madison argued that the new government would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance. Five years earlier, a band of unpaid soldiers besieged Congress while its members were meeting in Philadelphia, known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, the event emphasized the need for the national government not to rely on any state for its own security. However, the Constitution does not specify a location for the capital, on July 9,1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River. The exact location was to be selected by President George Washington, formed from land donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of the federal district was a square measuring 10 miles on each side, totaling 100 square miles. Two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory, the port of Georgetown, Maryland, founded in 1751, many of the stones are still standing
2.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
3.
President's Park
–
Presidents Park, located in Washington, D. C. encompasses the White House, a visitor center, Lafayette Square, and The Ellipse. Presidents Park was the name of Lafayette Square. The current Presidents Park is administered by the National Park Service, contests were held to solicit designs for both the United States Capitol and the Presidents residence. James Hobans design was selected, and he supervised the construction, later on, the White House was expanded with the West Wing, which now houses the office of the president and staff. The White House grounds include the South Lawn, Rose Garden, Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Lafayette Square is a seven-acre public park located directly north of the White House on H Street, bounded by Jackson Place on the west, Madison Place on the east, and Pennsylvania Avenue. The square and the structures were designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1970. Planned as part of the grounds surrounding the Executive Mansion, this square was originally called Presidents Park. The park was separated from the White House grounds in 1804, in 1824, the park was officially renamed in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the Frenchman who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette Square has been used as a racetrack, a graveyard, a zoo, a market, an encampment for soldiers during the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson Downing landscaped Lafayette Square in 1851 in the picturesque style, Presidents Park South is a 52 acres park located just south of the White House fence. Properly, the Ellipse is the name of the five-furlong circumference street within the park, the entire park is open to the public, and features various monuments. The Ellipse is also the location for a number of annual events, D. C. locals can often be heard to say they are on the Ellipse, which is understood to mean that the individual is on the field that is bounded by Ellipse Road. The Army Corps of Engineers began work on the Ellipse in 1867, the White House Visitor Center is located in the north end of the Herbert C. Hoover Building. Since September 11,2001, the center no longer serves as a starting point for those going on a reserved tour of the White House. The various exhibits provide a visitor experience for those who did not schedule a tour. The themes of the six permanent exhibits are First Families, Symbols & Images, White House Architecture, White House Interiors, Working White House, other exhibits change throughout the year. Washington, U. S. Department of the Interior, official website The White House White House Historical Association The Shape and History of The Ellipse in Washington, D. C. by Clark Kimberling
4.
White House
–
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D. C. It has been the residence of every U. S. president since John Adams in 1800, the term White House is often used to refer to actions of the president and his advisers, as in The White House announced that. The residence was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the Neoclassical style, construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he added low colonnades on each wing that concealed stables and storage. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior, reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. Exterior construction continued with the addition of the semi-circular South portico in 1824, because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901. Eight years later in 1909, President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and created the first Oval Office, in the main mansion, the third-floor attic was converted to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existing hip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructed East Wing was used as an area for social events. East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space, by 1948, the houses load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the rooms were completely dismantled. Once this work was completed, the rooms were rebuilt. The Executive Residence is made up of six stories—the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, the property is a National Heritage Site owned by the National Park Service and is part of the Presidents Park. In 2007, it was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects list of Americas Favorite Architecture, in May 1790, New York began construction of Government House for his official residence, but he never occupied it. The national capital moved to Philadelphia in December 1790, the July 1790 Residence Act named Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the temporary national capital for a 10-year period while the Federal City was under construction. The City of Philadelphia rented Robert Morriss city house at 190 High Street for Washingtons presidential residence, the first president occupied the Market Street mansion from November 1790 to March 1797, and altered it in ways that may have influenced the design of the White House. As part of an effort to have Philadelphia named the permanent national capital, Pennsylvania built a much grander presidential mansion several blocks away. President John Adams also occupied the Market Street mansion from March 1797 to May 1800, on Saturday, November 1,1800, he became the first president to occupy the White House. The Presidents House in Philadelphia became a hotel and was demolished in 1832, the Presidents House was a major feature of Pierre Charles LEnfants plan for the newly established federal city, Washington, D. C
5.
H Street
–
H Street is a set of east-west streets in several of the quadrants of Washington, D. C. It is also used as a name for the Near Northeast neighborhood. The H Street NE/NW neighborhood was one of Washingtons earliest and busiest commercial districts, H Street NE went into decline after World War II and businesses in the corridor were severely damaged during the 1968 riots. This part of the street did not start to recover until the 21st century, in 2002, the District of Columbia Office of Planning initiated a community-based planning effort to help revitalize the H Street NE corridor. In the mid-2000s, the Arts and Entertainment District began to revitalize as a nightlife district, H Street NE rapidly gentrified after 2007. The median sales price of houses on or near H Street NW from July to September 2009 was $417,000, H Street NE was voted the sixth most hipster place in America by Forbes magazine in September 2012. This process of gentrification led to tensions with some previous residents, after this intersection, there is a gap of two blocks where the street is interrupted by Hechinger Mall. H Street continues for a segment between 17th and 24th Streets NE. The road does not continue east of the Anacostia River, in Northwest Washington, H Street is the main street in Chinatown and one of the major east-west streets downtown. When Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was closed to traffic in the 1990s. The street also passes Lafayette Park and through the George Washington University campus, the city plan on which D. C. was laid out provides for a parallel H Street in the southwest and southeast quadrants of the city. Subsequent government actions, most notably the construction of I-395/I-295, disconnected the southern H Street in several places, in its current form, it does not run consecutively for more than two blocks at any point except for its easternmost extremity, near Fort Dupont Park. Notable residents who lived on H Street include, George B, the Statutes at Large of the United States of America From August,1893, to March,1895, and Recent Treaties, Conventions, and Executive Proclamations. | Community Organization H Street NE Strategic Development Plan What H Street Looked Like in 1947
6.
Jackson Place
–
The block is situated on land once owned by the Decatur family, until 1869 when they sold it to Lorenzo Sherwood, who in turn sold the land to John Knower. In 1957, the Federal government acquired the townhouses on Jackson Place, the government had plans to demolish the buildings to make way for construction of a new Federal office building on the land. In 1962, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy intervened and the project was canceled, the block is lined by several townhouses constructed in the late 19th century. 712 Jackson Place was built in 1869 for Admiral James Blair, Rathbone is known for accompanying President Abraham Lincoln to Fords Theatre on the night of the assassination. During World War I, the building was home to the Committee for Public Information, the building at 716 Jackson Place is owned by the U. S. Government and is reserved for the exclusive use by former Presidents when they are in town. Purchased in the late 1950s, it became the Presidential Townhouse in 1969 by President Richard Nixon, the furnishings were very sparse until it was refurbished using private funds by President George W. Bush. The five story building includes two dining rooms, multiple bedrooms, and space for a Secret Service detail in the basement. 726 Jackson Place was used as temporary White House Press Briefing Room from August 2006 to July 2007 during renovations to the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. 736 Jackson Place was originally built around 1870 for Cornelia Knower Marcy, in the 1880s, Michigan Representative John Newberry and Senator James Blaine lived in the house. In 1887, Representative William Scott bought the house, the house was remodeled in 1895 by Carrere and Hastings. The townhouse served as quarters for President Theodore Roosevelt and his staff. Roosevelt only stayed briefly, before heading off to Oyster Bay. On October 3,1902, Roosevelt held a meeting in the house to deal with the coal strike occurring in Pennsylvania. The townhouse was bought in 1919 by the Womens City Club of Washington, the house was then sold to the National Lutheran Council of the United Lutheran Church in America. Today it houses the United States Digital Service Team, Benjamin Henry Latrobe designed the Decatur House, located at 748 Jackson Place. Later residents included Henry Clay, Martin Van Buren, and Judah P. Benjamin, the Decatur House is now used as a museum. The Ewell House, since demolished, was built on Jackson Place in 1819 for Dr. Thomas Ewell, who was a physician in the city, and author of a popular medical book, The History of the Medical Society. For health reasons Ewell left Jackson Place and returned to a farm in Prince William County, Virginia, various government officials lived in the house, including Smith Thompson, Samuel Southard, John Berrien, and Levi Woodbury, Charles Richard Vaughan, John C
7.
Pennsylvania Avenue
–
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D. C. that connects the White House and the United States Capitol. Called Americas Main Street, it is the location of official parades and processions, moreover, Pennsylvania Avenue is an important commuter route and is part of the National Highway System. The avenue runs for a total of 5.8 miles inside Washington and it continues within the city for 3.5 miles, from the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds through the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and over the Anacostia River on the John Philip Sousa Bridge. At this point, as a highway, it becomes Southern Maryland Boulevard. At one point in the century, Pennsylvania Avenue was designated DC4. Northwest of the White House, Pennsylvania Avenue runs for 1.4 miles to its end at M Street NW in Georgetown, from 1862 to 1962, streetcars ran the length of the avenue from Georgetown to the Anacostia River. Although Pennsylvania Avenue extends six miles within Washington, D. C. the expanse between the White House and the Capitol constitutes the heart of the nation. Washington called this stretch most magnificent & most convenient, and it has served the country well, laid out by Pierre Charles LEnfant, Pennsylvania Avenue was one of the earliest streets constructed in the Federal City. The first reference to the street as Pennsylvania Avenue comes in a 1791 letter from Thomas Jefferson, one theory is that the street was named for Pennsylvania as consolation for moving the capital from Philadelphia. Both Jefferson and George Washington considered the avenue an important feature of the new capital, after inspecting LEnfants plan, President Washington referred to the thoroughfare as a Grand Avenue. Jefferson concurred, and while the avenue was little more than a wide dirt road ridiculed as The Great Serbonian Bog. At one time Pennsylvania Avenue provided an unobstructed view between the White House and the Capitol, the construction of an expansion to the Treasury Building blocked this view, and supposedly President Andrew Jackson did this on purpose. In November 2012, as part of preparations for the inauguration of Barack Obama. On September 30,1965, portions of the avenue and surrounding area were designated the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, the National Park Service administers this area which includes the United States Navy Memorial, Old Post Office Tower, and Pershing Park. Congress created the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation on October 27,1972 to rehabilitate the street between the Capitol and the White House, an area seen as blighted. In 2010, the District of Columbia designated Pennsylvania Avenue from the terminus of John Philip Sousa Bridge to the Maryland state line to be a D. C. The city spent $430 million to beautify the street and improve the roadway, ever since an impromptu procession formed around Jeffersons second inauguration, every United States president except Ronald Reagan has paraded down the Avenue after taking the oath of office. From William Henry Harrison to Gerald Ford, the funeral corteges of seven of the eight presidents who died in office, franklin Roosevelt was the only president who died in office whose cortege did not follow this route
8.
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
–
A close friend of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830. Born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France and he followed its martial tradition, and was commissioned an officer at age 13. He became convinced that the American cause in its war was noble. There, he was made a general, however, the 19-year-old was initially not given troops to command. Wounded during the Battle of Brandywine, he managed to organize an orderly retreat. He served with distinction in the Battle of Rhode Island, in the middle of the war, he returned home to lobby for an increase in French support. He again sailed to America in 1780, and was given positions in the Continental Army. In 1781, troops in Virginia under his command blocked forces led by Cornwallis until other American, Lafayette returned to France and, in 1787, was appointed to the Assembly of Notables, which was convened in response to the fiscal crisis. He was elected a member of the Estates-General of 1789, where representatives met from the three orders of French society—the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. He helped write the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, after the storming of the Bastille, Lafayette was appointed commander-in-chief of the National Guard and tried to steer a middle course through the French Revolution. In August 1792, the radical factions ordered his arrest, fleeing through the Austrian Netherlands, he was captured by Austrian troops and spent more than five years in prison. Lafayette returned to France after Napoleon Bonaparte secured his release in 1797, after the Bourbon Restoration of 1814, he became a liberal member of the Chamber of Deputies, a position he held for most of the remainder of his life. During Frances July Revolution of 1830, Lafayette declined an offer to become the French dictator, instead, he supported Louis-Philippe as king, but turned against him when the monarch became autocratic. Lafayette died on 20 May 1834, and is buried in Picpus Cemetery in Paris, for his accomplishments in the service of both France and the United States, he is sometimes known as The Hero of the Two Worlds. Lafayettes lineage was likely one of the oldest and most distinguished in Auvergne and, perhaps, males of the Lafayette family enjoyed a reputation for courage and chivalry and were noted for their contempt for danger. One of Lafayettes early ancestors, Gilbert de Lafayette III, a Marshal of France, had been a companion-at-arms of Joan of Arcs army during the Siege of Orléans in 1429, according to legend, another ancestor acquired the crown of thorns during the Sixth Crusade. Lafayettes father likewise died on the battlefield, on 1 August 1759, Michel de Lafayette was struck by a cannonball while fighting a British-led coalition at the Battle of Minden in Westphalia. Lafayette became marquis and Lord of Chavaniac, but the estate went to his mother, in 1768, when Lafayette was 11, he was summoned to Paris to live with his mother and great-grandfather at the comtes apartments in Luxembourg Palace
9.
American Revolutionary War
–
From about 1765 the American Revolution had led to increasing philosophical and political differences between Great Britain and its American colonies. The war represented a culmination of these differences in armed conflict between Patriots and the authority which they increasingly resisted. This resistance became particularly widespread in the New England Colonies, especially in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. On December 16,1773, Massachusetts members of the Patriot group Sons of Liberty destroyed a shipment of tea in Boston Harbor in an event that became known as the Boston Tea Party. Named the Coercive Acts by Parliament, these became known as the Intolerable Acts in America. The Massachusetts colonists responded with the Suffolk Resolves, establishing a government that removed control of the province from the Crown outside of Boston. Twelve colonies formed a Continental Congress to coordinate their resistance, and established committees, British attempts to seize the munitions of Massachusetts colonists in April 1775 led to the first open combat between Crown forces and Massachusetts militia, the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Militia forces proceeded to besiege the British forces in Boston, forcing them to evacuate the city in March 1776, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington to take command of the militia. Concurrent to the Boston campaign, an American attempt to invade Quebec, on July 2,1776, the Continental Congress formally voted for independence, issuing its Declaration on July 4. Sir William Howe began a British counterattack, focussing on recapturing New York City, Howe outmaneuvered and defeated Washington, leaving American confidence at a low ebb. Washington captured a Hessian force at Trenton and drove the British out of New Jersey, in 1777 the British sent a new army under John Burgoyne to move south from Canada and to isolate the New England colonies. However, instead of assisting Burgoyne, Howe took his army on a campaign against the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia. Burgoyne outran his supplies, was surrounded and surrendered at Saratoga in October 1777, the British defeat in the Saratoga Campaign had drastic consequences. Giving up on the North, the British decided to salvage their former colonies in the South, British forces under Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis seized Georgia and South Carolina, capturing an American army at Charleston, South Carolina. British strategy depended upon an uprising of large numbers of armed Loyalists, in 1779 Spain joined the war as an ally of France under the Pacte de Famille, intending to capture Gibraltar and British colonies in the Caribbean. Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic in December 1780, in 1781, after the British and their allies had suffered two decisive defeats at Kings Mountain and Cowpens, Cornwallis retreated to Virginia, intending on evacuation. A decisive French naval victory in September deprived the British of an escape route, a joint Franco-American army led by Count Rochambeau and Washington, laid siege to the British forces at Yorktown. With no sign of relief and the situation untenable, Cornwallis surrendered in October 1781, Whigs in Britain had long opposed the pro-war Tory majority in Parliament, but the defeat at Yorktown gave the Whigs the upper hand
10.
Andrew Jackson
–
Andrew Jackson was an American soldier and statesman who served as the seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837 and was the founder of the Democratic Party. Before being elected to the presidency, Jackson served in Congress, as president, Jackson sought to advance the rights of the common man against what he saw as a corrupt aristocracy and to preserve the Union. Jackson was born in 1767 somewhere near the border between North and South Carolina, into a recently immigrated Scots-Irish farming family. During the American Revolutionary War, Jackson acted as a courier, at age 13, he was captured and mistreated by the British. He moved to Tennessee and practiced as a lawyer, in 1791, he married Rachel Donelson Robards. The couple later learned that Rachels previous husband had failed to finalize their divorce, Jackson served briefly in the U. S. House of Representatives and the U. S. Senate. Upon returning to Tennessee, he was appointed a judge on the Tennessee Supreme Court, in 1801, Jackson was appointed colonel in the Tennessee militia, and was elected its commander the following year. He built the Hermitage plantation in 1804, in 1806, he killed a man in a duel over a matter of honor regarding his wife. He led Tennessee militia and U. S. Army regulars during the Creek War of 1813-1814, Jackson won a decisive victory in the War of 1812 over the British army at the Battle of New Orleans, making him into a national hero. Because Spanish Florida was a refuge for blacks escaping slavery, who allied with the Seminole Indians, Jackson invaded the territory in 1816 to destroy the Negro Fort. He led an invasion in 1818, as part of the First Seminole War, resulting in the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819. Jackson briefly served as Floridas first Territorial Governor in 1821, Jackson was nominated by several state legislatures to be a candidate for president in 1824. Although he earned a plurality in both the electoral and popular vote against three major candidates, Jackson failed to get a majority and lost in the House of Representatives to John Quincy Adams, Jacksons supporters founded what became the Democratic Party. He ran again for president in 1828 against Adams, building and expanding upon his base of support in the West and South, he won in a landslide. He blamed the death of his wife, Rachel, which occurred after the election, on the Adams campaigners, as president, Jackson faced a threat of secession by South Carolina over the Tariff of Abominations, which Congress had enacted under Adams. In contrast to several of his successors, he denied the right of a state to secede from the union or to nullify federal law. The Nullification Crisis was defused when the tariff was amended and Jackson threatened the use of force if South Carolina attempted to secede. Jackson believed strongly in majority rule and he supported direct election of senators and abolition of the Electoral College, believing that these reforms would provide average citizens with greater power
11.
National Historic Landmark
–
A National Historic Landmark is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Of over 85,000 places listed on the countrys National Register of Historic Places, a National Historic Landmark District may include contributing properties that are buildings, structures, sites or objects, and it may include non-contributing properties. Contributing properties may or may not also be separately listed, prior to 1935, efforts to preserve cultural heritage of national importance were made by piecemeal efforts of the United States Congress. The first National Historic Site designation was made for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site on March 17,1938. In 1960, the National Park Service took on the administration of the data gathered under this legislation. Because listings often triggered local preservation laws, legislation in 1980 amended the procedures to require owner agreement to the designations. On October 9,1960,92 properties were announced as designated NHLs by Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton, more than 2,500 NHLs have been designated. Most, but not all, are in the United States, there are NHLs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Three states account for nearly 25 percent of the nations NHLs, three cities within these states all separately have more NHLs than 40 of the 50 states. In fact, New York City alone has more NHLs than all but five states, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, there are 74 NHLs in the District of Columbia. Some NHLs are in U. S. commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states. There are 15 in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other U. S. commonwealths and territories,5 in U. S. -associated states such as Micronesia, over 100 ships or shipwrecks have been designated as NHLs. About half of the National Historic Landmarks are privately owned, the National Historic Landmarks Program relies on suggestions for new designations from the National Park Service, which also assists in maintaining the landmarks. A friends group of owners and managers, the National Historic Landmark Stewards Association, works to preserve, protect, if not already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, an NHL is automatically added to the Register upon designation. About three percent of Register listings are NHLs, american Water Landmark List of U. S
12.
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
–
Maintained by the General Services Administration, it is occupied by the Executive Office of the President, including the Office of the Vice President of the United States. It was for years the worlds largest office building, with 566 rooms, many White House employees have their offices in the massive edifice. The building—originally called the State, War, and Navy Building because it housed the Departments of State, War, and it was designed by Alfred B. The OEOB was referred to by Mark Twain as the ugliest building in America, President Harry S. Truman called it the greatest monstrosity in America. Historian Henry Adams called it Mulletts “architectural infant asylum, the total cost to construct the building came in at $10,038,482.42 when construction ended in 1888, after 17 years. The original tenants of the building quickly outgrew it and finally vacated it completely in the late 1930s, the building gradually came to be seen as inefficient and was nearly demolished in 1957. In 1969, the received the highest recognition possible, becoming a National Historic Landmark. In 1981, plans began to restore all the secretary of suites, the main office of the Secretary of the Navy was restored in 1987 and is now used as the ceremonial office of the Vice President of the United States. Shortly after September 11,2001, the 17th Street side of the building was vacated and has since been modernized and its most public function is that of the Vice Presidents Ceremonial Office, which is mainly used for special meetings and press conferences. Many celebrated national figures have participated in events that have taken place within the Old Executive Office Building. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Johnson, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush all had offices in this building before becoming President. It has housed 16 Secretaries of the Navy,21 Secretaries of War, sir Winston Churchill once walked its corridors and Japanese emissaries met there with Secretary of State Cordell Hull after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. President Herbert Hoover occupied the Secretary of the Navys office for a few months following a fire in the Oval Office on Christmas Eve 1929, President Eisenhower held the first televised Presidential news conference in the buildings Indian Treaty Room on January 19,1955. In more recent history, Richard Nixon had an office there during his presidency. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was the first in a succession of Vice Presidents who have had offices in the building. The first wife of a Vice President to have an office in the building was Marilyn Quayle, wife of Dan Quayle, Vice President to George H. W. Bush. The Old Executive Office Building was renamed the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building when President Bill Clinton approved legislation changing the name on November 9,1999, President George W. Bush participated in a rededication ceremony on May 7,2002. A small fire on December 19,2007 damaged an office of the vice-presidents staff, according to media reporting, the office of the Vice Presidents Political Director, Amy Whitelaw, was heavily damaged in the fire
13.
Treasury Building (Washington, D.C.)
–
The Treasury Building in Washington, D. C. is a National Historic Landmark building which is the headquarters of the United States Department of the Treasury. An image of the Treasury Building is featured on the back of the United States ten-dollar bill. In the spring of the year 1800, the capital of the United States was preparing to move from the city of Philadelphia to a parcel of tidewater land along the Potomac River. President John Adams issued an Executive Order on May 15th instructing the federal government to move to Washington, arriving in Washington, relocated government employees found only one building completed and ready to be occupied, the Treasury Department building. The building was 147 feet long and 57 feet wide, flanking the south-east end of the White House, within six months of occupying the building, a fire broke out on January 20,1801, nearly destroying the entire structure. The fire started in one of the first floor rooms and burned through to the floor above but was extinguished before any serious damage occurred. The extension of the Treasury building was designed by architect Benjamin Latrobe, the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, never got to see it finished. Treasury offices were relocated to seven buildings along Pennsylvania Avenue between 19th and 20th streets while the Treasury building and White House were reconstructed. The reconstruction took until 1817 to complete, on March 30,1833, the Treasury Building was once again engulfed in flames. Late in the evening, Richard H. White had set fire to the building hoping to destroy incriminating pension records inside the Treasury Building. Volunteers saved records that could be retrieved and the Treasury offices were relocated to a row of buildings on the side of Pennsylvania Avenue. After the fire, architect Robert Mills was asked to prepare a set of drawings of the Treasury Building recording the design of the building before the fire, Construction on the new Treasury building began on September 7,1836. Disagreements over the Treasury building came to a less than two years into the construction of the east wing. In January,1838 a proposal was introduced in Congress to demolish the partially constructed building, the Committee on Public Buildings directed Capitol building architect Thomas U. Walter to inspect and report on the Treasury building. A report on January 29,1838 by Walter critical of the design was rebutted by Mills a few weeks later in February. The bill was narrowly defeated 94-91 and work on the Treasury building was allowed to continue, the Mills wings of the current Treasury building were finally completed in 1842. The massive, 350’ long Greek inspired Ionic colonnade facing 15th street is the most striking feature of Mills design, by 1844, the tan sandstone exterior, including the colonnade, was painted white to protect the integrity of the stone. By the early 1850’s there was a growing need to increase the size of the Treasury building, Mills revised his earlier design and submitted a plan to Treasury Secretary Thomas Corwin
14.
The Ellipse
–
The Ellipse is a 52-acre park located just south of the White House fence. Properly, the Ellipse is the name of the five-furlong circumference street within the park, the entire park is open to the public, and features various monuments. The Ellipse is also the location for a number of annual events, D. C. locals can often be heard to say they are on the Ellipse, which is understood to mean that the individual is on the field that is bounded by Ellipse Road. It is part of the Presidents Park, in 1791, the first plan for the park was drawn up by Pierre Charles LEnfant. The Ellipse was known as the White Lot due to the wooden fence that enclosed the park. During the American Civil War, the grounds of the Ellipse and incomplete Washington Monument were used as corrals for horses, mules, and cattle, and as camp sites for Union troops. In 1860, the Ellipse was the playing field for the DC baseball team the Washington Senators and was the site of the first match between the Senators and the Washington Nationals. In 1865, the Nationals hosted a tournament with the Philadelphia Athletics, for which stands were built. Black baseball teams such as the Washington Mutuals and the Washington Alerts often used the White Lot until Blacks were banned from using the Ellipse in 1874, the Army Corps of Engineers began work on the Ellipse in 1867. The park was landscaped in 1879, and American Elms were planted around the portion of roadway. In 1880, grading was begun and the Ellipse was created from what had been a common dump, in 1894, the Ellipse roadway was lit with electric lamps. In the 1890s, Congress authorized the use of the Ellipse grounds to special groups, including religious meetings, as late as 1990, baseball fields and tennis courts existed in the park. Sporting events and demonstrations are held on the Ellipse. Presidents Park South came under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in 1933, on Christmas Eve 1923, President Calvin Coolidge started an unbroken tradition by lighting the first National Christmas Tree. The first tree, a cut balsam fir, was placed on the Ellipse by the District of Columbia Public Schools, from 1924 to 1953, live trees in various locations around and on the White House grounds were lit on Christmas Eve. In 1954, the returned to the Ellipse and with an expanded focus. From 1954 through 1972, cut trees were used, but in 1973 a Colorado blue spruce from York, a replacement was planted in 1978. Their authority developed through acts of May 1,1802, April 19,1816, March 3,1849, March 2,1867, July 1,1898, February 26,1925, March 3,1933, and Executive Order of June 10,1933
15.
Thomas Jefferson
–
Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and later served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. Previously, he was elected the second Vice President of the United States, Jefferson was primarily of English ancestry, born and educated in colonial Virginia. He graduated from the College of William & Mary and briefly practiced law and he became the United States Minister to France in May 1785, and subsequently the nations first Secretary of State in 1790–1793 under President George Washington. Jefferson and James Madison organized the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose the Federalist Party during the formation of the First Party System, as President, Jefferson pursued the nations shipping and trade interests against Barbary pirates and aggressive British trade policies. He also organized the Louisiana Purchase, almost doubling the countrys territory, as a result of peace negotiations with France, his administration reduced military forces. Jeffersons second term was beset with difficulties at home, including the trial of former Vice President Aaron Burr, American foreign trade was diminished when Jefferson implemented the Embargo Act of 1807, responding to British threats to U. S. shipping. In 1803, Jefferson began a process of Indian tribe removal to the newly organized Louisiana Territory. Jefferson mastered many disciplines, which ranged from surveying and mathematics to horticulture and he was a proven architect in the classical tradition. Jeffersons keen interest in religion and philosophy earned him the presidency of the American Philosophical Society and he shunned organized religion, but was influenced by both Christianity and deism. He was well versed in linguistics and spoke several languages and he founded the University of Virginia after retiring from public office. He was a letter writer and corresponded with many prominent and important people throughout his adult life. His only full-length book is Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson owned several plantations which were worked by hundreds of slaves. Most historians now believe that, after the death of his wife in 1782, he had a relationship with his slave Sally Hemings and fathered at least one of her children. Various modern scholars are more critical of Jeffersons private life, pointing out the discrepancy between his ownership of slaves and his political principles, for example. Presidential scholars, however, consistently rank Jefferson among the greatest presidents, Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13,1743, at the family home in Shadwell in the Colony of Virginia, the third of ten children. He was of English and possibly Welsh descent and was born a British subject and his father Peter Jefferson was a planter and surveyor who died when Jefferson was fourteen, his mother was Jane Randolph. Peter Jefferson moved his family to Tuckahoe Plantation in 1745 upon the death of a friend who had named him guardian of his children, the Jeffersons returned to Shadwell in 1752, where Peter died in 1757, his estate was divided between his sons Thomas and Randolph. Thomas inherited approximately 5,000 acres of land, including Monticello and he assumed full authority over his property at age 21
16.
War of 1812
–
Historians in the United States and Canada see it as a war in its own right, but the British often see it as a minor theatre of the Napoleonic Wars. By the wars end in early 1815, the key issues had been resolved, the view was shared in much of New England and for that reason the war was widely referred to there as Mr. Madison’s War. As a result, the primary British war goal was to defend their North American colonies, the war was fought in three theatres. Second, land and naval battles were fought on the U. S. –Canadian frontier, Third, large-scale battles were fought in the Southern United States and Gulf Coast. With the majority of its land and naval forces tied down in Europe fighting the Napoleonic Wars, early victories over poorly-led U. S. armies demonstrated that the conquest of the Canadas would prove more difficult than anticipated. Despite this, the U. S. was able to inflict serious defeats on Britains Native American allies, both governments were eager for a return to normality and peace negotiations began in Ghent in August 1814. This brought an Era of Good Feelings in which partisan animosity nearly vanished in the face of strengthened American nationalism, the war was also a major turning point in the development of the U. S. military, with militia being increasingly replaced by a more professional force. The U. S. also acquired permanent ownership of Spains Mobile District, the government of Canada declared a three-year commemoration of the War of 1812 in 2012, intended to offer historical lessons and celebrate 200 years of peace across the border. At the conclusion of the commemorations in 2014, a new national War of 1812 Monument was unveiled in Ottawa. The war is remembered in Britain primarily as a footnote in the much larger Napoleonic Wars occurring in Europe, historians have long debated the relative weight of the multiple reasons underlying the origins of the War of 1812. This section summarizes several contributing factors which resulted in the declaration of war by the United States, as Risjord notes, a powerful motivation for the Americans was the desire to uphold national honour in the face of what they considered to be British insults such as the Chesapeake–Leopard Affair. The approaching conflict was about violations of American rights, but it was also vindication of American identity. Americans at the time and historians since often called it the United States Second War of Independence, in 1807, Britain introduced a series of trade restrictions via a series of Orders in Council to impede neutral trade with France, with which Britain was at war. The United States contested these restrictions as illegal under international law, the American merchant marine had come close to doubling between 1802 and 1810, making it by far the largest neutral fleet. Britain was the largest trading partner, receiving 80% of U. S. cotton, the British public and press were resentful of the growing mercantile and commercial competition. The United States view was that Britains restrictions violated its right to trade with others, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy expanded to 176 ships of the line and 600 ships overall, requiring 140,000 sailors to man. The United States believed that British deserters had a right to become U. S. citizens and this meant that in addition to recovering naval deserters, it considered any United States citizens who were born British liable for impressment. Aggravating the situation was the reluctance of the United States to issue formal naturalization papers and it was estimated by the Admiralty that there were 11,000 naturalized sailors on United States ships in 1805
17.
Andrew Jackson Downing
–
Andrew Jackson Downing was an American landscape designer, horticulturalist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival in the United States, and editor of The Horticulturist magazine. Downing is considered to be a founder of American landscape architecture, Downing was born in Newburgh, New York, United States, to Samuel Downing and Eunice Bridge. After finishing his schooling at 16, he worked in his fathers nursery in the Town of Newburgh and he began writing on botany and landscape gardening and then undertook to educate himself thoroughly in these subjects. He married Caroline DeWint in 1838 and his official writing career started when he began writing articles for various newspapers and horticultural journals in the 1830s. The book was read and consulted, doing much to spread the so-called Carpenter Gothic and Hudson River Bracketed architectural styles among Victorian builders. With his brother Charles, he wrote Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, in the early 1850s, Downing called the Jonathans Fine Winter apple the Imperial of Keepers, which led to it being renamed the York Imperial apple. This was followed by The Architecture of Country Houses, another influential pattern book, by the mid-1840s Downings reputation was impeccable and he was, in a way, a celebrity of his day. This afforded him a friendship with Luther Tucker— publisher and printer of Albany, the Horticulturist, and Journal of Rural Art and Rural Taste was first published under Downings editorship in the summer of 1846, he remained editor of this journal until his death in 1852. It was in this journal that Downing first argued for a New York Park and it was in this publication that Downing argued for state agricultural schools, which eventually gave rise. And it was here that Downing worked diligently to educate and influence his readers on refined tastes regarding architecture, landscape design, in 1850, as Downing traveled in Europe, an exhibition of continental landscape watercolors by Englishman Calvert Vaux captured his attention. He encouraged Vaux to emigrate to the United States, and opened what was to be a practice in Newburgh. Frederick Clarke Withers joined the firm during its second year, Downing and Vaux worked together for two years, and during those two years, he made Vaux a partner. Together they designed many significant projects, including the grounds in the White House, vauxs work on the Smithsonian inspired an article he wrote for The Horticulturist, in which he stated his view that it was time the government should recognize and support the arts. In 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was established, and soon a building to house the new institution was started on the Mall, james Renwicks Norman-style building stimulated a move to landscape the Mall in a manner consistent with the romantic character of the Smithsonians building. President Millard Fillmore commissioned Downing to create a plan that would redeem the Mall from its physical neglect, Downings plan was a radical departure from the geometric, classical design of Pierre Charles LEnfants. Instead of one Grand Avenue, Downing envisioned four individual parks, with connecting curvilinear walks, president Fillmore endorsed two-thirds of Downings plan in 1851, but Congress found it to be too expensive and released only enough funds to develop the area around the Smithsonian. In 1853, Congress eventually cut off all funds so that the plan was never entirely completed, in 1845, Downing was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Honorary Academician. Peoples pride in their country is connected to pride in their home, if they can decorate and build their homes to symbolize the values they hope to embody, such as prosperity, education and patriotism, they will be happier people and better citizens
18.
Daniel Sickles
–
Daniel Edgar Sickles was an American politician, soldier, and diplomat. Born to a family in New York City, Sickles was involved in a number of public scandals, most notably the killing of his wifes lover, Philip Barton Key II. He was acquitted after using temporary insanity as a defense for the first time in United States history. This became an associated with crimes of passion. Despite his lack of experience, he served as a brigade, division. His military career ended at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 and he was wounded by cannon fire and had to have his leg amputated. He was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, after the war, Sickles was appointed as a commander for military districts in the South during Reconstruction. Later he was re-elected to Congress, where he helped pass legislation to preserve the Gettysburg Battlefield, in 1819, Sickles was born in New York City to Susan Marsh Sickles and George Garrett Sickles, a patent lawyer and politician. He learned the trade and studied at the University of the City of New York. He studied law in the office of Benjamin Butler, was admitted to the bar in 1846, on September 27,1852, Sickles married Teresa Bagioli against the wishes of both families—he was 33, she about 15 or 16. She was reported as sophisticated for her age, speaking five languages and he returned to the United States in 1855, when he was elected as a member of the New York State Senate in 1856. He was re-elected to the 1857, in 1856 he was elected as a Democrat to the 35th, and held office from March 4,1857, to March 3,1861, a total of two terms. Sickles was censured by the New York State Assembly for escorting a known prostitute, Fanny White and he also reportedly took her to England, while leaving his pregnant wife at home. He presented White to Queen Victoria, using as her alias the surname of a New York political opponent, Sickles had discovered that Philip Key was having an affair with his young wife. Sickles surrendered at Attorney General Jeremiah Blacks house, a few blocks away on Franklin Square, after a visit to his home, accompanied by a constable, Sickles was taken to jail. He was able to receive visitors, and so many came that he was granted the use of the head jailers apartment to receive them and he received numerous perquisites, including being allowed to retain his personal weapon, and receive numerous visitors. They included many congressmen, senators, and other leading members of Washington society, President James Buchanan sent Sickles a personal note. Harpers Magazine reported that the visits of his wifes mother and her clergyman were painful for Sickles, both told him that Teresa was distracted with grief, shame, and sorrow, and that the loss of her wedding ring was more than Teresa could bear
19.
Philip Barton Key II
–
Philip Barton Key was an American lawyer who served as U. S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. He is most famous for his affair with Teresa Bagioli Sickles. Sickles defended himself by adopting a defense of insanity, the first time the defense had been used in the United States. Key was the son of Francis Scott Key and the great-nephew of Philip Barton Key and he was also a nephew of Chief Justice Roger B. He married Ellen Swan, the daughter of a Baltimore attorney, allegedly the handsomest man in Washington and by 1859 a widower with four children, Key was known to be flirtatious with many women. Some time in the spring of 1858, Teresa Sickles began an affair with Key, dan Sickles, though a serial adulterer himself, had accused his much-younger wife of adultery several times during their five-year marriage, but she had repeatedly denied it to his satisfaction. But then Sickles received a poison pen letter informing him of his wifes affair with Key and he confronted his wife, who confessed to the affair. Sickles then made his wife write out her confession on paper, Sickles saw Key sitting on a bench outside the Sickles home on February 27,1859, signalling to Teresa, and confronted him. Sickles rushed outside into Lafayette Square, cried Key, you scoundrel, you have dishonored my home, you must die, Key was taken into the nearby Benjamin Ogle Tayloe House, where he died some time later. Sickles was acquitted on the basis of insanity, a crime of passion. It was the first successful use of the defense in the United States, one of Sickles attorneys, Edwin Stanton, later became the Secretary of War. Newspapers declared Sickles a hero for saving women from Key, years later, while attending the theater in New York City, Sickles became aware of the presence of Keys son James Key in the audience, both men watched each other throughout the performance. Key is buried in his son-in-laws family plot in Westminster Hall and his first cousin once removed, also named Philip Barton Key, Jr. left Annapolis in 1835 to become a planter and state legislator in Louisiana. Philip Barton Key II at Find a Grave The Political Graveyard
20.
Clark Mills (sculptor)
–
Clark Mills was an American sculptor, best known for four versions of an equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, located in Washington, D. C. Nashville, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana and he had a studio, in Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D. C. at 15th Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue. He had three sons, he remarried and had a step-daughter, there was some dispute over his will. He was interred at Glenwood Cemetery in Washington, D. C, in 1865 Mills made a life-cast of Abraham Lincolns head. It is generally felt to be inferior in quality to the 1860 cast made by Leonard Volk. One of Mills works is located in Presidents Park, also known as Lafayette Square, the statue of Andrew Jackson was unveiled January 8,1853. It was a Saturday on the 38th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, senator Stephen A. Douglas was the keynote speaker at the unveiling. There are three other castings in New Orleans, Jacksonville, Florida, and Nashville, Tennessee. Beginning in 1860, the Statue of Freedom, which sits atop the United States Capitol, was cast in five sections by Mills. Mills also captured a tense and crucial moment in the Revolutionary War with the creation of a statue of Lieutenant General George Washington in 1860. Congress commissioned this statue in 1853 because of the popularity of Millss equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson. In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS Clark Mills was named in his honor, American Lion, Andrew Jackson in the White House. Charles Colbert, Clark Mills and the Phrenologist, The Art Bulletin, Vol.70, No
21.
Andrew Jackson (Mills)
–
Andrew Jackson refers to an equestrian statue by Clark Mills in Lafayette Square, Washington, D. C. It was commissioned in May 1847, cast in 1852, and dedicated on January 8,1853 and it was the first equestrian statue made in America. Jacksons horse at the Battle of New Orleans was named Duke, Mills trained his horse to pose on its haunches. He completed a model, and started a foundry to produce the casting. He produced six castings until the one was completed, with ten pieces. The statue was restored, and spurs added. Vol. 71/72, pp. 289–313 Waymarking Wikimapia
22.
Brigadier General Thaddeus Kosciuszko
–
Brigadier General Thaddeus Kosciuszko is a bronze statue by Antoni Popiel. It was dedicated by William Howard Taft, on May 11,1910 and it is located in Lafayette Park, Washington, D. C. A copy of the monument was unveiled in Warsaw, Poland in 2010, the statue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as a part of American Revolution Statuary in Washington, D. C
23.
Poland
–
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, situated between the Baltic Sea in the north and two mountain ranges in the south. Bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, the total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres, making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. With a population of over 38.5 million people, Poland is the 34th most populous country in the world, the 8th most populous country in Europe, Poland is a unitary state divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, and its capital and largest city is Warsaw. Other metropolises include Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk and Szczecin, the establishment of a Polish state can be traced back to 966, when Mieszko I, ruler of a territory roughly coextensive with that of present-day Poland, converted to Christianity. The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin. This union formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe, Poland regained its independence in 1918 at the end of World War I, reconstituting much of its historical territory as the Second Polish Republic. In September 1939, World War II started with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, followed thereafter by invasion by the Soviet Union. More than six million Polish citizens died in the war, after the war, Polands borders were shifted westwards under the terms of the Potsdam Conference. With the backing of the Soviet Union, a communist puppet government was formed, and after a referendum in 1946. During the Revolutions of 1989 Polands Communist government was overthrown and Poland adopted a new constitution establishing itself as a democracy, informally called the Third Polish Republic. Since the early 1990s, when the transition to a primarily market-based economy began, Poland has achieved a high ranking on the Human Development Index. Poland is a country, which was categorised by the World Bank as having a high-income economy. Furthermore, it is visited by approximately 16 million tourists every year, Poland is the eighth largest economy in the European Union and was the 6th fastest growing economy on the continent between 2010 and 2015. According to the Global Peace Index for 2014, Poland is ranked 19th in the list of the safest countries in the world to live in. The origin of the name Poland derives from a West Slavic tribe of Polans that inhabited the Warta River basin of the historic Greater Poland region in the 8th century, the origin of the name Polanie itself derives from the western Slavic word pole. In some foreign languages such as Hungarian, Lithuanian, Persian and Turkish the exonym for Poland is Lechites, historians have postulated that throughout Late Antiquity, many distinct ethnic groups populated the regions of what is now Poland. The most famous archaeological find from the prehistory and protohistory of Poland is the Biskupin fortified settlement, dating from the Lusatian culture of the early Iron Age, the Slavic groups who would form Poland migrated to these areas in the second half of the 5th century AD. With the Baptism of Poland the Polish rulers accepted Christianity and the authority of the Roman Church
24.
Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
–
Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben is a bronze statue, by Albert Jaegers. It was dedicated on December 7,1910, the inscription reads, Albert Jaegers, sculptor ERECTED. BY. THE. CONGRESS OF. THE. VNITED. STATES
25.
Prussia
–
Prussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg, and centred on the region of Prussia. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organised, Prussia, with its capital in Königsberg and from 1701 in Berlin, shaped the history of Germany. In 1871, German states united to create the German Empire under Prussian leadership, in November 1918, the monarchies were abolished and the nobility lost its political power during the German Revolution of 1918–19. The Kingdom of Prussia was thus abolished in favour of a republic—the Free State of Prussia, from 1933, Prussia lost its independence as a result of the Prussian coup, when the Nazi regime was successfully establishing its Gleichschaltung laws in pursuit of a unitary state. Prussia existed de jure until its liquidation by the Allied Control Council Enactment No.46 of 25 February 1947. The name Prussia derives from the Old Prussians, in the 13th century, the Teutonic Knights—an organized Catholic medieval military order of German crusaders—conquered the lands inhabited by them. In 1308, the Teutonic Knights conquered the region of Pomerelia with Gdańsk and their monastic state was mostly Germanised through immigration from central and western Germany and in the south, it was Polonised by settlers from Masovia. The Second Peace of Thorn split Prussia into the western Royal Prussia, a province of Poland, and the part, from 1525 called the Duchy of Prussia. The union of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 led to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701, Prussia entered the ranks of the great powers shortly after becoming a kingdom, and exercised most influence in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the 18th century it had a say in many international affairs under the reign of Frederick the Great. During the 19th century, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck united the German principalities into a Lesser Germany which excluded the Austrian Empire. At the Congress of Vienna, which redrew the map of Europe following Napoleons defeat, Prussia acquired a section of north western Germany. The country then grew rapidly in influence economically and politically, and became the core of the North German Confederation in 1867, and then of the German Empire in 1871. The Kingdom of Prussia was now so large and so dominant in the new Germany that Junkers and other Prussian élites identified more and more as Germans and less as Prussians. In the Weimar Republic, the state of Prussia lost nearly all of its legal and political importance following the 1932 coup led by Franz von Papen. East Prussia lost all of its German population after 1945, as Poland, the main coat of arms of Prussia, as well as the flag of Prussia, depicted a black eagle on a white background. The black and white colours were already used by the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Order wore a white coat embroidered with a cross with gold insert
26.
Thomas (activist)
–
William Thomas Hallenback, Jr. Thomas was born in Tarrytown, New York and became a truck driver, jewelry maker and carpenter. Inspired by the Sermon on the Mount, he became a pilgrim, in 1978, having tried to swim across the Suez Canal on his way to Israel, Thomas spent eight months in an Egyptian prison. Later, in response to United States foreign policy, he destroyed his passport while trying to renounce his American citizenship in London, the British authorities returned him to the United States in 1980. In 1981, Thomas traveled to Washington, D. C. on June 3, he launched the White House Peace Vigil in Lafayette Square. A couple of later, in August 1981, he was joined by Concepcion Picciotto and then, in April 1984. The following month, on May 6,1984, Thomas, during the first three years of the vigil, the Park Police had arrested Thomas sixteen times. The charges ranged from illegal camping to disorderly conduct, in subsequent years, Thomas and Ellen protested with numerous other activists, including representatives from the Catholic Worker and Plowshares movements. Thomas died on January 23,2009, aged 61, of pulmonary disease, Thomas and the White House Peace Vigil inspired Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to introduce the Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act to Congress in 1994. Since 1994, Norton has continued to introduce revised or renewed versions of the bill, in March 2011, for example, following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, it was reintroduced under the name of the Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act. The Oracles of Pennsylvania Avenue, a 2012 TV documentary commissioned by the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, recounts the lives of Thomas, Ellen, Concepcion Picciotto and Norman Mayer. Brian Haw Christian anarchism Christian pacifism Ed Grothus List of peace activists Thomas explaining his protest on YouTube, Peace Park Website The Oracles of Pennsylvania Avenue
27.
Concepcion Picciotto
–
Concepcion Picciotto, also known as Conchita or Connie, was a Spanish-born, United States-based peace activist. She lived in Lafayette Square, Washington, D. C. on the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, in a camp across from the White House. Picciotto carried on the longest continuous act of political protest in the United States, Picciotto claimed to have been orphaned in Spain and raised by a grandmother. After arriving in the United States in 1960, she worked as a receptionist for a Spanish government commercial attaché in New York and she married an Italian immigrant and lived in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, New York. She reportedly adopted an infant daughter, Olga, in Argentina in 1973, Picciotto was inspired by fellow activist William Thomas, who originally began the White House Peace Vigil on 3 June 1981. They began protesting on the sidewalk by the White House fence, national Park Service rules moved them across Pennsylvania Avenue. She was sentenced to 90 days for violating rules and they are moved for inaugural parades. During her life she was assisted by members of Occupy Peace House where she resided. She was reported to be in discussions with Ellen Thomas to remain in the Peace House and she died on 25 January 2016,10 days after her 80th birthday, at N Street Village, a non-profit organisation that supports homeless women in Washington. The cause of death was not immediately known but she had experienced a fall. Picciotto was featured in Michael Moores 2004 film, Fahrenheit 9/11, Connie Picciotto has kept vigil near the White House for 32 years
28.
White House Peace Vigil
–
The White House Peace Vigil is an anti-nuclear weapons peace vigil started by William Thomas in 1981. Thomas believed it to be the longest running uninterrupted anti-war protest in U. S. history, after Thomas death in 2009, it was maintained around-the-clock by Concepcion Picciotto until her death in 2016, and also by other volunteers to prevent the vigil from being dismantled by authorities. Thomas launched the anti-nuclear vigil outside the White House in Lafayette Square, Washington and he was later joined by Concepcion Picciotto in August 1981 and Ellen Benjamin in April 1984. Over the years various other activists have joined them, including those from the Catholic Worker Movement, Plowshares Movement and it continued to be staffed by activists during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Thomas and the White House Peace Vigil inspired U. S, the Congresswoman has been introducing a version of the bill since 1994. Countdown to Zero Parliament Square Peace Campaign Brian Haw List of peace activists Proposition One website The Oracles of Pennsylvania Avenue
29.
Anti-nuclear movement
–
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental groups, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, national, the initial objective of the movement was nuclear disarmament, though since the late 1960s opposition has included the use of nuclear power. Many anti-nuclear groups oppose nuclear power and nuclear weapons. The formation of parties in the 1970s and 1980s was often a direct result of anti-nuclear politics. Scientists and diplomats have debated nuclear weapons policy since before the bombings of Hiroshima. The public became concerned about nuclear testing from about 1954. In 1963, many countries ratified the Partial Test Ban Treaty which prohibited atmospheric nuclear testing, some local opposition to nuclear power emerged in the early 1960s, and in the late 1960s some members of the scientific community began to express their concerns. In the early 1970s, there were protests about a proposed nuclear power plant in Wyhl. The project was cancelled in 1975 and anti-nuclear success at Wyhl inspired opposition to power in other parts of Europe. Nuclear power became an issue of public protest in the 1970s. A protest against nuclear power occurred in July 1977 in Bilbao, Spain, following the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, an anti-nuclear protest was held in New York City, involving 200,000 people. The largest protest was held on June 12,1982, when one million people demonstrated in New York City against nuclear weapons, a 1983 nuclear weapons protest in West Berlin had about 600,000 participants. In May 1986, following the Chernobyl disaster, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people marched in Rome to protest against the Italian nuclear program. In the US, public opposition preceded the shutdown of the Shoreham, Yankee Rowe, Millstone 1, Rancho Seco, Maine Yankee, and many other nuclear power plants. For many years after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster nuclear power was off the agenda in most countries. The 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents undermined the nuclear power industrys proposed renaissance and revived nuclear opposition worldwide. As of 2016, countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Malaysia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland are phasing-out nuclear power. Globally, more nuclear reactors have closed than opened in recent years
30.
Vigil
–
A vigil, from the Latin vigilia meaning wakefulness, is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word vigilia has become generalized in this sense and means eve, a vigil may be held on the eve of a major religious festival, observed by remaining awake—watchful—as a devotional exercise or ritual observance on the eve of a holy day. Such liturgical vigils usually consist of psalms, prayers and hymns, possibly a sermon or readings from the Holy Fathers, the term morning means that the observance begins on the evening before. Most likely the best known vigil is the Easter Vigil held at night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, the Midnight Mass held on Christmas Eve is a remnant of this practice. Christmas Eve is a time of reflection for Christians all over the world, in the Eastern Orthodox Church an All-Night Vigil is held on the eves of Sundays and all Major Feast Days during the liturgical year. Vigils are also observed on Holy Days in the Anglican, Lutheran. When a Jewish person dies, a watch is kept over the body and Tehillim are recited constantly, in Christianity, especially the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, a vigil is often held when someone is gravely ill or mourning. Prayers are said and votives are often made, Vigils extend from eventual death to burial, ritualistically to pray for a loved one, but more so their body is never left alone. All-night vigil Candlelight vigil Christian burial Pannikhida Vigils Wake
31.
Colman McCarthy
–
Colman McCarthy, an American journalist, teacher, lecturer, pacifist, progressive, an anarchist, and long-time peace activist, directs the Center for Teaching Peace in Washington, D. C. From 1969 to 1997, he wrote columns for The Washington Post and his topics ranged from politics, religion, health, and sports to education, poverty, and peacemaking. Washingtonian magazine called him the liberal conscience of The Washington Post, smithsonian magazine said he is a man of profound spiritual awareness. He has written for The New Yorker, The Nation, The Progressive, The Atlantic, The New York Times, since 1999, he has written biweekly columns for National Catholic Reporter. Since 1982, he has been teaching courses on nonviolence and the literature of peace, in 25 years, he has had more than 7,000 students in his classes. In 1985, he founded the Center for Teaching Peace, a nonprofit that helps schools begin or expand academic programs in Peace studies. He is a speaker at U. S. colleges, prep schools, high schools, and peace conferences. The titles of his lectures range from How To Be a Peacemaker to Nonviolence In a Time of War, including lectures and interviews, McCarthy has had more than 30 appearances on C-SPAN. For his courses on nonviolence and the literature of peace, McCarthys course texts include Solutions To Violence and Strength Through Peace, both books are anthologies of peace essays edited by McCarthy and published by the Center for Teaching Peace. The purpose of the courses is to expose students to the philosophy of pacifism and the methods of nonviolent conflict resolution. The advisory board of the Center for Teaching Peace includes Robert Coles, Joan Baez, Arun Gandhi, Muhammad Yunus, Sen. Ron Wyden, Marian Wright Edelman, Jack Olender, Sydney Wolfe and Ronald Dellums. McCarthys classes are discussion-based and well known for lively debates and challenges that McCarthy issues to his students, on many Friday mornings since 1991, he and his Peace Studies students at Bethesda-Chevy High School have taken to the highway fronting the campus to protest the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Students wield signs, from “Bring “Em Home” to “Honk for Peace. ”An avid teetotaler, McCarthy often challenges his students to stop drinking alcohol for the semester and document their experiences and he also lectures at many universities and institutes. In October 2009, McCarthy lectured The Politics of Peace at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College and his December 30,2010, op-ed in The Washington Post titled Dont ask, dont tell has been repealed. Over the years, hundreds of guest speakers have spoken in his classes, in 2009, McCarthy wrote an article in The Washington Post about the life of Thomas, a peace activist, who undertook a 27-year antinuclear vigil in front of the White House. As a pacifist, journalist, and ethical vegetarian, he was awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in Sherborn, Massachusetts for his nationally syndicated column in The Washington Post. McCarthy also won an Alicia Patterson Journalism Fellowship in 1998 to research and write about mentoring, tutoring, in 2010 he was awarded the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize. The film contains a variety of interviews Colman did that centered on his views on pacifism
32.
The Washington Post
–
The Washington Post is an American daily newspaper. It is the most widely circulated newspaper published in Washington, D. C. and was founded on December 6,1877 and its current slogan is Democracy Dies in Darkness. Located in the city of the United States, the newspaper has a particular emphasis on national politics. Daily editions are printed for the District of Columbia, Maryland, the newspaper is published as a broadsheet, with photographs printed both in color and in black and white. The newspaper has won 47 Pulitzer Prizes and this includes six separate Pulitzers awarded in 2008, the second-highest number ever awarded to a single newspaper in one year, second only to The New York Times seven awards in 2002. Post journalists have also received 18 Nieman Fellowships and 368 White House News Photographers Association awards, in years since, its investigations have led to increased review of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In 2013, its owners, the Graham family, sold the newspaper to billionaire entrepreneur. The newspaper is owned by Nash Holdings LLC, a holding company Bezos created for the acquisition, the Washington Post is generally regarded as one of the leading daily American newspapers, along with The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The Post has distinguished itself through its reporting on the workings of the White House, Congress. It is one of the two daily broadsheets published in Washington D. C. the other being its smaller rival The Washington Times, unlike The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post does not print an edition for distribution away from the East Coast. In 2009, the newspaper ceased publication of its National Weekly Edition, the majority of its newsprint readership is in District of Columbia and its suburbs in Maryland and Northern Virginia. The Sunday Style section differs slightly from the weekday Style section, it is in a tabloid format, and it houses the reader-written humor contest The Style Invitational. Additional weekly sections appear on weekdays, Health & Science on Tuesday, Food on Wednesday, Local Living on Thursday, the latter two are in a tabloid format. In November 2009, it announced the closure of its U. S. regional bureaus—Chicago, Los Angeles and New York—as part of a focus on. political stories. The newspaper has bureaus in Maryland and Virginia. While its circulation has been slipping, it has one of the highest market-penetration rates of any metropolitan news daily, for many decades, the Post had its main office at 1150 15th Street NW. This real estate remained with Graham Holdings when the newspaper was sold to Jeff Bezos Nash Holdings in 2013, Graham Holdings sold 1150 15th Street for US$159 million in November 2013. The Washington Post continued to lease space at 1150 L Street NW, in May 2014, The Washington Post leased the west tower of One Franklin Square, a high-rise building at 1301 K Street NW in Washington, D. C
33.
Executive Residence
–
The Executive Residence is the central building of the White House complex located between the East Wing and West Wing. It is the most recognizable part of the complex, being the house part of the White House. This central building, first constructed from 1792 to 1800, is home to the President of the United States, the Executive Residence primarily occupies four floors, the Ground Floor, the State Floor, the Second Floor, and the Third Floor. A two-story sub-basement with mezzanine, created during the 1948–to-1952 Truman reconstruction, is used for HVAC and mechanical systems, storage and this level was added during the 1948-to-1952 renovation, and contains the air conditioning and water softening equipment. The Ground Floor of the White House originally contained service rooms, the White House is built on a slight hill that slopes to the south. Architect James Hoban designed the Ground Floor so that the kitchen was directly beneath the Entrance Hall, storerooms were east of the kitchen, while a toilet and dishwashing room were to the west. The kitchen was relocated into the two rooms in the northwest corner of the Ground Floor by 1846, while the old kitchen space as transformed into an informal sitting room/reception space. As of 2010, this central space originally occupied by the kitchen in the early 1800s had been subdivided into offices for the White House Curator. The kitchen, too, continues to occupy the three rooms in the northwest corner of the Ground Floor. The storeroom to the east of the kitchen became a pantry in 1809, a locker in 1825. This area remains unchanged as of 2010, with the exception of the narrowing of the stairs in 1952 to create an elevator shaft. The storeroom in the northeast corner of the Ground Floor remained in use as storage space only until 1809, in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt hired the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White to renovate the White House. They turned the room into a gentlemans anteroom and this room became the White House Library in 1935. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy radically transformed the room in 1961, Kennedy consulted initially with a group consisting of members of the United States Commission of Fine Arts, designers from the American Institute of Interior Designers, and historians. The AIID agreed to take on the job of refurbishing the room, Lenygon designed an early American library room in the Federal style. Except for minor changes, the White House Library remains the same as of 2010. The toilet and laundry room west of the kitchen became general-use work areas by 1809, and a pantry, small kitchen, by 1946, these had become general workrooms, with a narrow, winding staircase inserted into the room closest to the former kitchen. The 1952 renovation turned the winding staircase into a steep, straight stairs, as of 2010, a pantry-sized refrigerator also occupied a portion of this space
34.
White House basement
–
The basement of the White House, the Washington, D. C. The White House Situation Room is located in the basement beneath the West Wing, during World War II, a bomb shelter was constructed under the East Wing, later converted into the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. The sub-basement was added during the reconstruction of the White House under Harry S. Truman and it contains storage space, the laundry, elevator control machinery, the water softener, and incinerator, as well as dressing rooms for White House performers. Dwight Eisenhower made the first White House television broadcast from a room in the basement in 1953. A bowling alley was added by Richard Nixon in 1969, a bowling alley was installed in the White House for which U. S. President. Basement and Sub-basement from whitehousemuseum. org, a website about the White House
35.
White House Chief Floral Designer
–
The current Chief Floral Designer is Hedieh Ghaffarian. The Chief Floral Designer heads the White House Flower Shop located in the basement of the White House, the Chief Floral Designer serves at the presidents pleasure and may be appointed, or reappointed, by each administration. The most recent Chief Floral Designer is Laura Dowling, Nancy Clarke served six First Families during her 31 years at the White House. She retired on May 31,2009 and was an author, during the early republic, the White House used flowers sparingly, at first only in the summer months when in season. Wax fruit as well as wax, silk and paste porcelain flowers were displayed in the French porcelain, the greenhouses allowed year-round use of potted plants and cut flowers in the White House. At their zenith, the White House greenhouses supplied thousands of potted plants to the White House, the 1902 renovations of the White House removed the greenhouses, and constructed the West Wing and East Wing. Flowers were brought from nearby government greenhouses, with the advent of plane transportation, flowers began to arrive from distant destinations, Florida, Colorado for First Lady Mamie Eisenhowers favored pink carnations, and southern California. Until the administration of John F. Kennedy, floral arrangements at the White House had been extremely formal in style, china dishes from previous administrations were used as vases, including two 18th-century dessert coolers used by the Madisons. The White House collection of tableware, previously only on display in the Vermeil Room, was also utilised for arrangements. The position of Chief Floral Designer was established, and Rusty Young was the first to occupy the position, in addition to the ongoing production of fresh-cut floral displays for the White House, the Chief Floral Designer oversees the annual holiday decoration of the house. An Invitation to the White House, At Home with History, flowers, White House Style, With 100 Original Designs by the Former White House Chief Floral Decorator. The White House Gardens Concepts and Design of the Rose Garden, flowers at the White House, An informal tour of the home of the President of the United States. M. Barrows and Company, Inc.1967 and my First Ladies, Twenty-Five Years as the White House Chief Floral Designer. White House website page showing Chief Floral designer Nancy Clarke White House website page on decorating the house for Christmas
36.
China Room
–
The China Room is one of the rooms on the Ground Floor of the White House, the home of the President of the United States. The White Houses collection of china is displayed there. The collection ranges from George Washingtons Chinese export china to Bill Clintons ivory, yellow, the room is primarily used by the first lady for teas, meetings, and smaller receptions. McKim rebuilt the room with details from the late Georgian period including robust cove moldings and this relocation of the china collection represented a burgeoning recognition of and appreciation for the historic artifacts associated with the American Presidency. In 1917, First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson acknowledged the need for space for displaying the collection through the suggestions of both Mrs. Baker and White House Chief-Usher Irwin Hood Hoover. Baker had continued to research the history of the mansion—and particularly that of its celebrated tableware—and argued that the history of the house would slip away without official intervention and she also approved its outfitting with built-in cabinetry for the display of the china. Above each of the three bays of built-in wall cabinets was raised lettering identifying the holdings as CHINA USED BY THE PRESIDENTS, during the Truman renovation, 1948–1952, the rooms walls were paneled in salvaged pine timbers from the house. Architect William Adams Delano detailed the room with bracket molding of mid-Georgian style, the interiors of the display cabinets were lined with red cotton velvet, and the floor was covered with a similarly hued Snowflake-pattern carpet manufactured by Stark Carpet Corporation. At the single window, gray velvet draperies, trimmed in red, an early-19th century classical marble mantel with female supports replaced the Truman Georgian surround. The room was redecorated in 1970 by First Lady Pat Nixon, with the assistance of White House Curator Clement Conger. The Truman-era bracketed molding was removed and replaced with a Federal period cove molding, the walls were painted a uniform off-white. The existing red accent color, determined by the red gown in Howard Chandler Christys 1924 portrait of First Lady Grace Coolidge, was retained, the vitrine shelves remained lined with red velvet. The collection is arranged chronologically beginning to the right of the fireplace on the east wall, while not every administration created its own service, at least minimal amounts of all china services created for the White House are now in the collection. Sizable amounts of some services going back to the nineteenth century exist and are sometimes used for small dinners in the Presidents Dining Room on the Second Floor. The Carters favored using pieces of the Lincolns solferino china for special occasions, the Reagans, though famous for their red and gold service, also enjoyed using the Lincoln china. The Clintons did not take delivery of their service until near the end of President Clintons second term. They used the Reagan and Truman services extensively for state dinners, the rug is an Indo-Ispahan carpet from the early twentieth century. A cut-glass Regency-style chandelier hangs in the China Room, a pair of late eighteenth century tureens on the mantel are glazed in red and green slip, and are the source for the green and red striped silk taffeta draperies
37.
White House china
–
The White House china refers to the various patterns of china used for serving and eating food in the White House, home of the president of the United States. Different china services have been ordered and used by different presidential administrations, the White House collection of china is housed in the White House China Room. Not every administration created its own service, but portions of all china services created for the White House are now in the China Room collection, some of the older china services are used for small private dinners in the Presidents Dining Room on the Second Floor. In 1817 in Paris, Dagoty-Honoré manufactured the china of James Monroe, the first White House china solely for presidential use, a dinner service of thirty place-settings and a matching dessert service were purchased for US$1,167.23. A Napoleonic eagle was in the center of the plates, which was popular at the time in both France and America, the eagle carried a red, white, and blue banner reading E Pluribus Unum, the national motto. There are five vignettes inside the red border, representing agriculture, strength, commerce, science. The china was criticized by the press at the time for being foreign goods, the White House needed a new china service by the time the Polks took up residence in 1845. The same company produced the Monroe china service, Dagoty-Honoré of Paris. The dinner and dessert services were ordered in 1846,400 pieces cost US$979.40, the service included a plain white design and gold trim, which made it a popular service with later administrations. The simplicity of the china made it well suited to mix with other depleted services when the occasion arose, the dessert service, rather than being plain, features a soft green border and polychrome flowers. The Lincoln china is the first service that was entirely by a First Lady. Mary Todd Lincoln felt that it was important to maintain an appearance in the White House so that foreigners would perceive America as strong. As a result, the Lincoln administration was socially active amid the Civil War, Mrs. Lincoln personally selected china with a purple-red border called Solferino, later known as the Royal Purple set, in 1861 from E. V. Haughwout and Company in New York City. The service had been produced by Haviland and Company in Limoges, the American bald eagle is above a shield with the national motto spread throughout clouds. The Coat of Arms of the United States is centered in the service, the order of the Hayes china service came about by chance. First Lady Lucy Hayes met with artist Theodore R. Davis, while in the White House conservatory with Mrs. Hayes, Davis suggested that the china include the flora and fauna of North America as decoration. Davis produced 130 designs for Mrs. Hayes, many unique and it was first used during a dinner for incoming President James A. Garfield and his family. The service design was liked by the public and reproduced
38.
White House Office of the Curator
–
The office began in 1961 during the administration of President John F. Kennedy while First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the restoration of the White House. The office is located in the floor of the White House Executive Residence. The office, headed by the Curator of the White House, includes an Associate Curator, an Assistant Curator, the office works with the Chief Usher, the Committee for the Preservation of the White House and the White House Historical Association. The position was begun during the administration of President John F. Kennedy while First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the restoration of the White House, the first Curator of the White House was Lorraine Waxman Pearce who was appointed in March 1961. Pearce was a graduate of the program at the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum. Monkman, 1997–2002 William G. Allman, 2002–present Committee for the Preservation of the White House White House Historical Association Abbott James A. designing Camelot, The Kennedy White House Restoration. The White House, The Historic Furnishing & First Families, the White House, An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society,2001, White House website biography of curator William G. Allman
39.
Diplomatic Reception Room (White House)
–
The Diplomatic Reception Room is one of three oval rooms in the residence of the White House, the official home of the President of the United States. The room is the point of entry to the White House for a head of state following the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The room has four doors, which lead to the Map Room, the Center Hall, the China Room, for its first hundred years, the ground floor of the White House was used as a service and work area. Domestic staff used it for storage, kitchens, and maintenance, White House domestic staff gathered in this room to do mending and to polish silver. In 1837, the Van Buren administration installed a furnace here for the White Houses first central heating system, later steam boilers replaced the gravity system, remaining until the 1902 renovation by McKim, Mead, and White. The 1902 renovation during the Theodore Roosevelt administration dramatically reconfigured the ground floor, multiple layers of rotting floor boards were removed and new flooring installed. Several new rooms were framed and finished with a plaster coat. A gentlemens and ladies lounge and guest bathrooms were created, charles Follen McKim admired James Hobans groin vault ceilings in the center hall. The hall was refurbished and the hall served to connect the new East and West wings. Though the ground floor room was much improved and now a part of the finished living space in the house. In 1935, Franklin Roosevelt had a chimney opened so he could conduct his fireside chats, White House architect Lorenzo Winslow designed a new chimney breast and mantel that, though intended to appear traditional, subtly evokes Art Moderne in its ribbed curved sides. The sweeping panorama on the elliptical walls provide a sense of space negating the lack of windows, additional Federal-era furniture was acquired, and upholsteries and the carpet furthered a soft gold and blue decor. A labeled mahogany bookcase-desk by John Shaw was made in Annapolis in 1797, a suite of lancet-arched side chairs and a pair of sofas with splayed legs are attributed to the workshop of New York cabinetmakers Abraham Slover and Jacob Taylor. Furniture is upholstered in a yellow silk damask, a rug in shades of blue and gold and incorporating the seals or coats of arms of the fifty United States in an elliptical border was specially made for the room in 1983. An English Regency chandelier of cut glass and bronze three-armed crystal sconces with glass chimneys illuminate the room, in March 2014, President Barack Obama was interviewed on Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis. Towards the end of the video the room becomes the subject of conversation, abbott, James A. Rice, Elaine M. Designing Camelot, The Kennedy White House Restoration. An Invitation to the White House, At Home with History, mcKellar, Kenneth, Douglas W. Orr, Edward Martin, et al. Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Government Printing Office,1952
40.
Library (White House)
–
The White House Library is on the Ground Floor of the White House, the official home of the President of the United States. The room is approximately 27 by 23 feet and is in the northeast of the ground floor, the Library is used for teas and meetings hosted by the President and First Lady. During the 1950s reconstruction of the White House, old building lumber from the house was salvaged, several basement rooms in the White House are paneled with salvaged building materials from the pre-reconstructed White House. During Millard Fillmores presidency, Congressional funding was requested to establish a White House library, the library was established during the Fillmore presidency, spearheaded by the First Lady, Abigail Fillmore. This library was originally in the Yellow Oval Room and was maintained there until 1929 when it was moved to its current location by the Hoover administration. By the time of this there were almost no books remaining in the mansion, so the American Booksellers Association donated books. The room saw slight modifications until the Truman reconstruction in 1952 and these were left unpainted until the administration of John F. Kennedy, when decorator Stéphane Boudin recreated the room as a painted Federal style parlor. To stand out, an unusual lighthouse clock was made by Simon Willard to commemorate the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States in 1824–1825, a likeness of Lafayette appears in a medallion on its base. The Library provides access to a lounge and restroom. Abbott James A. and Elaine M. Rice, designing Camelot, The Kennedy White House Restoration. McKellar, Kenneth, Douglas W. Orr, Edward Martin, report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion. Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Government Printing Office,1952, the White House, The Historic Furnishing & First Families. The First White House Library, A History and Annotated Catalogue, pennsylvania State University Press for the Bibliographical Society of America and the National First Ladies Library,2010. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society,1986, seale, William, The White House, The History of an American Idea. White House Historical Association,1992,2001, west, J. B. with Mary Lynn Kotz. Upstairs at the White House, My Life with the First Ladies, exhibition Catalogue, Sale 6834, The Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis April 23–26,1996. The White House, An Historic Guide, White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society,2001. Records of the White House Library, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library White House Museum page
41.
Map Room (White House)
–
The Map Room is a room on the ground floor of the White House, the official home of the President of the United States. The Map Room takes its name from its use during World War II, in the Truman reconstruction of the White House, the room was paneled in the late Georgian style with wood sawn from the 1816 load-bearing timbers of the house. In the Kennedy administration the room was used by the newly created Curator of the White House as an office, used to catalog donations of furniture and objects. Under the leadership of First Lady Pat Nixon, working with Curator Clement Conger, the room was redecorated again in 1994. The Map Room is furnished in the style of English cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale, today the room is used for television interviews, small teas, and social gatherings. On August 17,1998, Bill Clinton gave testimony to Independent Counsel Ken Starr and his deputies and this was taped via closed circuit television and later aired on national television. Clinton was the first sitting President to testify under oath, when he was the subject of the investigation, on January 21,2009, the day after the inauguration of Barack Obama, Chief Justice John Roberts re-administered the constitutional oath of office to Obama in the Map Room. On February 18,2010, Barack Obama met with the 14th Dalai Lama in the Map Room and this differs from how the Obama administration generally meets foreign dignitaries and VIPs, as they usually meet in the Oval Office. Abbott James A. and Elaine M. Rice, designing Camelot, The Kennedy White House Restoration. McKellar, Kenneth, Douglas W. Orr, Edward Martin, report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion. Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Government Printing Office,1952, the White House, The Historic Furnishing & First Families. The White House, An Historic Guide, White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society,2001. White House Historical Association, Residence second floor White House Museum, Map Room
42.
Vermeil Room
–
The Vermeil Room is located on the ground floor of the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. The room houses a collection of silver-gilt or vermeil tableware, a 1956 bequest to the White House by Margaret Thompson Biddle, portraits of American First Ladies hang in the room. The Vermeil Room was originally a work room used for storage. Theodore Roosevelts 1902 renovation of the White House by architect Charles Follen McKim reconfigured the use of the house, when first furnished for public use the room was termed the Social Room, because it served as a lounge adjacent to a womens rest room. McKim provided the room with late Georgian style cove moldings and panelled wainscot, the Truman reconstruction of the White House in 1952 replaced the 1815 pine beams installed during the reconstruction of the house after its burning by the British in 1814. President Truman had the ancient beams sawn and installed as paneling in the Vermeil Room, China Room, the style of wall paneling and bracketed molding installed during the Truman reconstruction were based on a Georgian period model, contemporary with the design of the White House exterior. They were originally left unpainted, showing their grain and knots, Margaret Thompson Biddles collection was significant and ranges from Renaissance to 19th-century French and English pieces. The collection includes work by English Regency silversmith Paul Storr and French Empire silversmiths Pierre-Philippe Thomire, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower had the collection displayed in the rooms glass-enclosed vitrines. Biddle was the daughter of William Boyce Thompson and the wife of A. J. Drexel Biddle, during the Kennedy White House restoration, interior designer Stéphane Boudin proposed painting the room in a style used in 17th and 18th century England and Normandy. Boudin had used a treatment in the Blue Bedroom at Leeds Castle in Kent. Rather than attempting to putty and polish the rough sawn timbers he chose to highlight the porous texture of the paneling, the walls were first rubbed down with wire brushes to bring up the grain and create an aged surface. Next a solid coat of paint was applied, and that was followed by a dragged coating of blue paint. This was sealed using a bar of wax dabbed in pure dry blue pigment, the interior of the shelves displaying the vermeil were covered in white velvet. One of two neoclassical caryatid mantels was installed, White damask drapes were made with blue and off-white fringe trim. A finely patterned blue and white carpet was installed, and a center table was created with a custom dyed blue velvet cloth not delivered until the Johnson years. A gilded chandelier, making reference to the collection was installed. The result was a room, not a sitting room. The 1964 White House guide, the White House, shows an architectural cross-section with Boudins blue Vermeil Room, in 1971 First Lady Pat Nixon, working with White House Curator Clement Conger, refurbished the Vermeil Room adopting a Federal style for the rooms decoration
43.
Blue Room (White House)
–
The Blue Room is one of three state parlors on the first floor in the White House, the residence of the President of the United States. It is distinct for its oval shape, the room is used for receptions and receiving lines, and is occasionally set for small dinners. President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the room on June 2,1886, the room is traditionally decorated in shades of blue. With the Yellow Oval Room above it and the Diplomatic Reception Room below it, the room is approximately 30 by 40 feet. It has six doors, which open into the Cross Hall, Green Room, Red Room, the three windows look out upon the South Lawn. The Blue Room is furnished in the French Empire style, a series of redecoratings through the 19th century caused most of the original pieces to be sold or lost. Today much of the furniture is original to the room, eight pieces of gilded European beech furniture purchased during the administration of James Monroe furnish the room, including a bergère and several fauteuils. A marble-top center table has been in the White House since it was purchased by Monroe in 1817, a c.1817 ormolu French Empire mantel clock with a figure of Hannibal, by Denière et Matelin, sits on the mantel. The early 19th-century French chandelier is made of gilded-wood and cut glass, acquired during the Kennedy Administration, it previously hung in the Presidents Dining Room on the second floor. George Peter Alexander Healys 1859 portrait of John Tyler hangs on the west wall above the Monroe sofa, the sapphire-blue silk fabric used for the draperies and furniture upholstery was chosen by Mrs. Clinton. The silk lampas upholstery fabric retains the gold medallion on the chair backs which was adapted from the depiction of one of the Monroe-era chairs in a portrait of James Monroe. The painting however depicts the chair upholstered in crimson, not blue, design of the blue satin draperies is derived from early 19th-century French patterns. The present drapery design is similar to those installed during the administration of Richard Nixon, the walls are hung with a chamois-colored wallpaper imprinted with medallions of burnished gold. It is adapted from an early 19th-century American Empire wallpaper having French influences, the upper border is a faux printed blue fabric drapery swag. The faux fabric border is similar in effect to an actual fabric border installed during the administration of John F. Kennedy, the printed dado border along the chair rail is blue and gold with rosettes. Installation of a new carpet, based on early 19th-century designs. The design was adapted from a design for a neoclassical English carpet from about 1815. During the administration of John Adams, the Blue Room served as the entrance hall
44.
Cross Hall
–
The Cross Hall is a broad hallway on the first floor in the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. It runs east to west connecting the State Dining Room with the East Room, the room is used for receiving lines following a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn, or a procession of the President and a visiting head of state and their spouses. The space measures just under 18 by 80 feet and it allows access to the elevator vestibule, Entrance Hall, East Room, Blue Room, Green Room, Red Room, and State Dining Room. The Grand Staircase is visible from an opening directly across from the Green Room, the current architectural appearance dates to the 1952 Truman reconstruction, which recreated much of the 1902 renovation by the firm of McKim, Mead and White. The Truman reconstruction replaced the golden-hued Joliet stone floors, columns, plaster walls divided by a dado and painted cream and gold were also replaced with marble. McKim employed Roman doric columns based directly on the work of the sixteenth-century Italian architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola for the screen separating the cross hall, James Hobans niches in the south wall were retained although their exterior trim was made less overt. Although Hoban had urn-shaped cast-iron stoves placed in them, the current niches contain busts of Presidents George Washington, during the Kennedy Administration restoration, interior decorator Stéphane Boudin arranged the furnishings to more closely resemble the cross hall at Malmaison. While a red carpet has traditionally been in the Cross Hall since the early 1960s, the carpet has, over time, become more detailed, the current carpet, manufactured during the Clinton Administration, was designed to be more graphic, and to appear attractively in television broadcasts. The tradition of hanging presidential portraits in this hall dates to President Ulysses S. Grant, the Buchanan administration first began the tradition of keeping paintings of presidents for the White House collection. The Grants added to collection, and hung portraits of presidents from Washington to Lincoln in the Cross Hall behind a glass screen. At that time, visitors could come to the White House on weekdays, enter through the north doors, with a note from a congressman, visitors could view the other State Floor rooms, such as the Red Room, where they could see the large Grant family portrait. A Frenchman in Camelot, The Decoration of the Kennedy White House by Stéphane Boudin, abbott James A. and Elaine M. Rice. Designing Camelot, The Kennedy White House Restoration, an Invitation to the White House, At Home with History. The White House, The Historic Furnishing & First Families, White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society,1986. Seale, William, The White House, The History of an American Idea, White House Historical Association,1992,2001. West, J. B. with Mary Lynn Kotz, upstairs at the White House, My Life with the First Ladies. A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy, the White House, An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society,2001, the Official website of the White House
45.
East Room
–
The East Room is an event and reception room in the White House, the home of the President of the United States. The East Room is the largest room in the Executive Mansion, it is used for dances, receptions, press conferences, ceremonies, concerts, and banquets. The East Room was one of the last rooms to be finished and decorated, the White House was designed by architect James Hoban. Leinster House in Ireland was the inspiration for the White House. But the newly added Large Dining Room at Mount Vernon may also have been a source for the design of the East Room, as his drawings of the second and third floor do not exist, it is unclear what use Hoban intended for the room. It is possible that Hoban intended it for use as a gallery for the family. It was the largest room in the White House, however, the middle window in the north wall was designed to provide access to a terrace. The East Room was first assigned a purpose in 1807, architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe had been brought to the capital by Thomas Jefferson, who made him commissioner of public buildings. Latrobe surveyed the White House in 1803, and architectural drawings of the building are the earliest extant plans now known, on his sketches, Latrobe comments Public Audience chamber entirely unfinished, the ceiling has given way. Latrobe also proposed sealing the windows on the east side of the based on an architectural theory about natural light. But this change was not made, the East Room was among the last rooms on the State Floor to be completed and used. The White House was unfinished when President John Adams occupied it between 1797 and 1801 and his wife, Abigail Adams, hung laundry in the bare East Room to dry. Although much of the White House was finished and decorated during Adams administration, the rooms lone artwork was a copy of the Lansdowne portrait depicting George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1797. It was purchased by the White House in 1800, and hung in the East Room, during the Jefferson administration,38 gold-and-black painted chairs were purchased and placed in the room, but little else is known of the rooms furnishings prior to 1814. Jefferson also had the East Room partitioned and the end used for a bedroom. Jeffersons successor, James Madison, sought to make the permanent and asked Latrobe to design bedrooms. But these changes were not made, either, Madison did use a portion of the East Room, however, for Cabinet meetings. The East Room, along with the rest of the White House, was burned in 1814 during the Burning of Washington in the War of 1812, the interior was gutted, and most of the exterior sandstone walls remained standing
_-_DSC01016.JPG)
