Author: Holly Karapetkova
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Karapetkova, Holly. The United States Capitol / Holly Karapetkova. p. cm. -- (American symbols and landmarks) ISBN 978-1-60472-347-2 1. United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.)--Juvenile literature. F204.C2 K196 2008 975.3 22 2008014139 Printed in the USA IG/IG
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The United States Capitol: A Symbol of Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Capitol: From 1793 Until the Present . . . . . 6 A Tour of the Capitol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Small City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Capitol Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Capitol Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Visit the Capitol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
The United States Capitol Building is located in America’s capital city,Washington, D.C.The magnificent domed building is known around the world as a symbol of American government and democracy. It is the place where the Legislative Branch, the Senators and Representatives elected by the American people, works to make the country’s laws. It is also a museum where the nation’s art, architecture, and history are on display. The Capitol Complex includes the Capitol, the Office Buildings of the Senate and House of Representatives, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court Building, and other buildings and grounds. 4
Millions of tourists visit the Capitol Complex each year to see this important part of American history firsthand. 5
The history of the Capitol is closely connected to the history of the United States itself.The Capitol has been part of some of the most important events in American history, like the War of 1812 and The Civil War. It has also grown and expanded with the country. Its changes over the years reflect the changing nature of the nation. America’s first president, George Washington, began constructing the capital in 1793. He held a contest to see who could come up with the best Capitol design and William Thornton, a physician and amateur architect, won.
Dr.William Thornton
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President Washington selected Thornton’s design for its “grandeur, simplicity, and convenience.”
This painting of the Capitol’s North Wing was completed by William Birch in 1803.
The North Wing was ready in 1800, and both Houses of Congress met in this same wing for a while.The South Wing was finished several years later. 7
Disaster struck the Capitol during the War of 1812. In 1814, the British set the Capitol on fire. Most of the inside of the building was destroyed, but a rainstorm put the fire out and saved some of its outer walls. Many people felt the Capitol should be rebuilt in a new location, but others felt that rebuilding the Capitol from the surviving walls would prove that the nation itself had survived and was standing strong.
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During the War of 1812, the British burnt the Capitol, along with many other important buildings, including the White House, the Library of Congress, and the Treasury.
The government decided to use the old walls and reconstruct the Capitol on its original spot. In 1819, it was ready for the Congress to move back in.The central dome (also called the Rotunda) was completed in 1824.
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America grew rapidly over the next few decades.The population increased and new states joined the Union. This meant that more representatives and senators were becoming part of Congress.The Capitol was too small to hold all of them, so in 1850 the government decided to expand the two wings on either side of the building.The government also decided to raise the central dome, making it larger and more noticeable. The new dome was made of iron and was lifted into place by steam-powered machines called derricks.
The dome was still under construction during President Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861.
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Thomas Walter, an architect from Philadelphia, designed a new elevated dome for the Capitol.
The continued construction of the Capitol’s dome was a sign that the United States would survive the Civil War.
The new construction was going well until 1861 when the Civil War began. For a time, the Capitol became a military barracks and a hospital for wounded soldiers. At one point, as many as 4,000 soldiers slept in the Capitol. Money and labor were scarce, but President Lincoln insisted that the construction of the Capitol go on. He wanted people to know that the United States was strong and would persevere. “If the people see the Capitol going on,” he said, “it is a sign that we intend the Union shall go on.” 11
In 1863, the new dome was completed and American artist Thomas Crawford’s statue was raised piece by piece to the top. The statue, named Freedom, symbolized the strength of the country and the freedom of all people living within it.
The Statue of Freedom
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The statue Freedom is a reminder of the freedom Americans hold dear. It also reminds us of America’s unique form of government and of the way the Legislative Branch functions. At the base of the statue, the words E Pluribus Unum are inscribed.This Latin phrase means Out of Many, One. It describes how the original 13 colonies came together to make one nation, the United States of America. It also defines our representative form of government where groups made up of many citizens choose one Senator and one Representative to speak for them in Congress.
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Millions of visitors tour the Capitol every year.The tour begins in the Rotunda, the large circular room at the center of the Capitol beneath its great dome.The Rotunda is filled with paintings of important moments in the nation’s history, including the reading of the Declaration of Independence and scenes from the American Revolution.These paintings were created by John Trumbull, a famous American painter.
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One of the paintings on display in the Rotunda is John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence.
At the very top of the dome, visitors can gaze up at a fresco called The Apotheosis of George Washington, created by Constantino Brumidi.
The walls of the Rotunda contain a frieze depicting events in American history from The Landing of Columbus to The Birth of Aviation.
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The Statuary Hall is another important part of the Capitol. It contains bronze and marble statues of important figures in the history and culture of the fifty states.The statues donated by individual states represent political and military heroes, religious leaders, and even popular icons.
Will Rogers
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A statue of Esther Hobart Morris, the world’s first woman justice of the peace, represents Wyoming; the famous cowboy Will Rogers represents Oklahoma; and Brigham Young, the founder of the Mormon faith, Esther Hobart Morris represents Utah.The hall also has amazing acoustics. A whisper on one end of the hall can be clearly heard all the way on the other side of the room! 17
The House Chamber is where our 435 Representatives meet to make our nation’s laws.The House of Representatives is one of the two Chambers of Congress. The number of Representatives each state has depends upon the number of people living in that state. States are divided into districts, and citizens in each district vote to decide who they want to represent them in the House.
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There are a total of 435 representatives in the House of Representatives. How many come from your state?
Representatives suggest ideas for new laws, then they vote to decide whether those ideas will be sent along to the Senate. If the Senate also approves of an idea for a law, it becomes a bill.The Congress then sends the bill along to the President, who has the final say on whether a bill will 19 become a law that everyone must follow.
Many Americans see the House Chamber on television each year when the President gives his State of the Union Address.The tradition of the State of the Union Address comes from the U.S. Constitution, which declares that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union.” Presidents use this opportunity once a year to tell Congress and the American people about their plans and goals for the country. You might also see the House Chamber during a televised House session. You can make arrangements through your Representative to visit a House session in person.
President George W. Bush gave his 2007 State of the Union Address in the House Chamber with Vice President Dick Cheney (left) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (right) standing behind him.
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The leader of the House of Representatives is called the Speaker of the House and represents the political party with the majority of Representatives. On January 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi from California became the first woman Speaker in the history Nancy Pelosi of our country. The House also has a Minority Leader representing the political party with fewer Representatives.The House Minority Leader serving with Pelosi is John Boehner from Ohio.
Senator John Boehner Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets with American citizens to discuss important issues.
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The Senate Chamber is where our Senators meet to make laws. Each state has two Senators, and the citizens of each state get to vote to decide who will represent them in the Senate. Like the House of Representatives, the Senate votes on whether ideas for new laws should become bills. Bills are then sent along to the President, who has the final say on whether the bill will become a law.
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The Senate Chamber is located in the Senate (or North) Wing of the Capitol.
The Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate.There are also two other leaders in the Senate.The Senate Majority Leader represents the political party with the most senators.The Senate Minority Leader represents the party with fewer senators. Vice President Cheney Vice Presidents also serve as President of the Senate while they are in office.
Members sit for a group photo in the United States Senate Session Chamber 2007.
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In 1800, Congress decided to establish a reference library with books on all sorts of subjects. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “there is, in fact, no subject to which a Member of Congress may not have occasion to refer.” The Library grew so rapidly that by 1867 the shelves were full, and books were stacked on the floor. In 1897, the Library moved into its own building.Today, the Library of Congress takes up three huge buildings. 24
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. It contains 530 miles of bookshelves! It also holds large collections The interior of the Library of of newspapers, films, maps, Congress is richly decorated. and other resources. Members of Congress can use the Congressional Research Service of the Library in order to find information about almost any topic.The Library is also open to the public.
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Many people work in the Capitol.There are 535 members of Congress in both chambers combined, but these 535 people do not perform their jobs alone.They have tens of thousands of staff members and other workers who help keep Congress running smoothly. In addition, the Capitol does not just provide members of Congress and their staff with a place to conduct business. It provides them with many types of services and support.The Capitol contains a post office, souvenir shops, snack bars, restaurants, barbershops, and banks. A first-aid room and a Capitol Prayer Room are also available. Television studios and control rooms monitor sessions of Congress and provide spaces for interviews with members of Congress. All of these operations make the Capitol seem like a small city in itself. 26
The Capitol Grounds cover over 274 acres and contain numerous buildings, gardens, and streets.
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Total area of the Capitol Grounds: 274 acres Area inside the Capitol Building: 175,170 square feet, or about 4 acres Height to the top of the Statue of Freedom: 288 feet (88 m) Floor space of the Capitol Building: 16.5 acres Length from north to south: 751 feet 4 inches (229 m) Greatest width: 350 feet (107 m) Total number of rooms: approximately 540 Total number of windows: 658 Total number of doorways: 850 Total number of levels: 5
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Plans begin for a U.S. capital city in Washington, D.C.
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William Thornton submits his winning design for the Capitol to George Washington
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Construction of the Capitol Building begins
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North Wing of the Capitol completed; Congress meets for the first time in the new building
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South Wing of the Capitol completed
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Capitol and other important buildings burnt by the British in the War of 1812 (1812-1814)
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Rotunda completed
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New raised dome completed and crowned with the Statue of Freedom
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U.S. Supreme Court moves out of the Capitol and into the Supreme Court Building
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Capitol Visitor Center scheduled to open
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The Capitol is open to the public, and visitors can gain free passes on the Capitol Grounds.Visitors can also contact their Senator’s or Representative’s office at www.senate.gov or www.house.gov if they want to visit the House and Senate Chambers and watch our members of Congress at work.
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acoustics (uh-KOO-stiks): the way sound travels in a room or other enclosed space apotheosis (uh-PAH-thee-OH-sis): from the Greek word meaning the process of becoming a god bill (BIL): a plan for a law being considered by a legislature Chambers (CHAYM-burz): official meeting halls Congress (KON-gres): the legislative branch of the U.S. government that includes the Senate and the House of Representatives dome (DOHM): a large round roof on a building House of Representatives (HOUSS UHV rep-ri-ZEN-tuh-tivz): one of the two houses of U.S. Congress Legislative Branch (LE-jih-SLAY-tiv BRANCH): the branch of U.S. government involved in making and passing laws majority (muh-JOR-uh-tee): the group with the greater number military barracks (MIL-uh-ter-ee BA-ruhks): building where soldiers live minority (mye-NOR-uh-tee): group with the smaller number Representative (rep-ri-ZEN-tuh-tiv): a member of the House of Representatives
Curlee, Lynne. Capital. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002. Hempstead, Anne. The U.S. Capitol. Heinemann Library, 2006. Tenzer, Ruth Feldman. How Congress Works: A Look at the Legislative Branch. Lerner Publications, 2004.
www.aoc.gov/ www.uschs.org/ clerkkids.house.gov/
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Boehner, John 21 Brumidi, Constantino 15 Civil War 6, 11 Congressional Research Service 25 Crawford, Thomas 12 Declaration of Independence 14 House Minority Leader 21 Jefferson, Thomas 24 Legislative Branch 4
Library of Congress, The 4, 24-25 Lincoln, Abraham 11 Pelosi, Nancy 21 Speaker of the House 21 State of the Union Address 20 Thornton, William 6 Trumbull, John 14 War of 1812 6, 8 Washington, George 6
Holly Karapetkova, Ph. D, loves writing books and poems for kids and adults. She teaches at Marymount University and lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband, her son K.J., and her two dogs, Muffy and Attila.
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See the United States through the most well-known symbols and landmarks. The American Symbols and Landmarks series teaches readers about U.S. history, great leaders, and special buildings that symbolize freedom and liberty. Titles In This Series: The American Flag The Bald Eagle Mount Rushmore The Statue of Liberty The United States Capitol The White House
