This is the week of JULY 4, the week of American Independence. Its the 234th birthday of USA. Americans celebrate July 4 with barbecues, picnics, family gatherings and so on. National Anthem will be played all over the country and the Independence Day parades will be a feature themed with the colors red, white and blue to show patriotism. Amazing fireworks displays can be seen throughout the country during nights.
I would like to dedicate some of my photos to my friends in the US and wish them a VERY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY. Let me share some photos taken by me in the US Capital, Washington DC.
Ill start with the tall Washington Monument.
George Washington led the Continental Army to victory in the War for Independence against Great Britain in 1789. He was conferred with the title ‘Father of the Country’ and was also unanimously elected as the first president of the United States of America.
The Washington Monument was created with the concept of thanking George Washington for helping carve a new kind of a republic country where all men were treated as equal.
Here are some interesting facts about the Washington Monument:
- The corner stone was laid on July 4, 1848. The same trowel was used that George Washington used to lay the cornerstone of the Capitol way back in 1793. Thousands gathered around the construction site to celebrate the moment.
- The walls of the monument are 15 feet thick at the bottom and 18 inches at the top.
- The walls are covered with white marble that was brought in from Maryland.
- While the monument is hollow on the inside, the inner walls are set with 189 memorial stones that are carved and were presented by individuals, cities, states, societies and other countries.
- The point at which construction was stopped in 1858 can be identified as the stones used above 152 feet have a darker tone of color when compared to the original ones.
- The Washington Monument is surrounded by flagpoles, each flag representing a flag of the state.
- The total cost of building the monument was $1,817,710.
- The construction of the monument was completed 30 years after the death of its architect, Robert Mills.
Content Source: Buzzle
Next let us see about the Jefferson Memorial.
Thomas Jefferson is one of the greatest figures in the history of the nation. The author of the Declaration of Independence was one of the founding fathers of the United States. A firm believer in equal rights, democracy, education available to all, freedom of religion and separation between church and state, he gave form to the nascent nation still searching for its identity. Besides being a politician, Jefferson was also an architect, a writer, musician, scientist and inventor.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt felt that a person of such magnitude deserved a memorial, similar to the Lincoln memorial and the Washington monument. A commission was installed in 1934 to choose a design and location for the memorial. It took until 1936 before a design by John Russel Pope was chosen. He had opted for a neo-classical dome with a portico based on the Pantheon in Rome. Since Jefferson was a supporter of classical architecture this seemed to be a fitting tribute.
Construction started in 1939 and it was dedicated four years later, in 1943. Since metal was being rationed during the Second World War, a plaster statue of Jefferson was created instead. After the war, the plaster statue was replaced by a 19ft / 6m tall statue in bronze, sculpted by Rudulph Evans. The interior walls are engraved with inscriptions taken from the Declaration of Independence and from other writings.
The Jefferson Memorial is located at the south side of the Tidal Basin. The manmade inlet is surrounded by cherry trees. The trees were a gift from the city of Tokyo to the city of Washington in 1912. It is one of the most photographed sights in Washington, especially during the two weeks when the trees bloom.
Content Source: AViewOnCities
Next comes the beautiful Capitol Hill Building.
The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., is a symbol of the American people and their government, the meeting place of the nation’s legislature. The Capitol also houses an important collection of American art, and it is an architectural achievement in its own right. It is a working office building as well as a tourist attraction visited by millions every year.
Construction of the U.S. Capitol began in 1793. In November 1800, the U.S. Congress met in the first completed portion, the north wing. In the 1850s, major extensions to the North and South ends of the Capitol were authorized because of the great westward expansion of our nation and the resultant growth of Congress. Since that time, the U.S. Capitol and its stately dome have become international symbols of our representative democracy.
The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is the newest addition to this historic complex. At nearly 580,000 square feet, the Visitor Center is the largest project in the Capitol’s more than two-century history and is approximately three quarters the size of the Capitol itself. The entire facility is located underground on the east side of the Capitol so as not to detract from the appearance of the Capitol and the grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1874.
See Evolution of the Capitol Hill
Content Source: VisitTheCapitol.gov
Finally its the Presidents Home, The White House
For more than 200 years, the White House has been more than just the home of the Presidents and their families. Throughout the world, it is recognized as the symbol of the President, of the President’s administration, and of the United States.
The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President. Throughout much of Harry S. Truman’s presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the Trumans lived at Blair House, right across Pennsylvania Avenue. Nonetheless, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the White House was constructed two centuries ago.
Some facts about The White House:
- There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
- At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace,” the “President’s House,” and the “Executive Mansion.” President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
- Presidential Firsts while in office… President James Polk (1845-49) was the first President to have his photograph taken… President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) was not only the first President to ride in an automobile, but also the first President to travel outside the country when he visited Panama… President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45) was the first President to ride in an airplane.
- With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000.
- The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
- For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its residents, including a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling lane.
Content Source: www.whitehouse.gov
My Week of July 4 Series ends here. I hope you like all my photos in this series. I know i have left out the Lincoln’s memorial but it became too dark before i reached there and since i had to return to New York the next day, i couldn’t go back and take some snaps.
Thanks All!!!
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