Information about Washington DC Preface: I hope each of you are looking forward to the Washington, D. C. trip as much as I am. Mr. Fifer and I have prepared this pamphlet in order you may get the most of your trip. The preparation prior to the trip is what sets your trip apart from many other so that you may reflect, enjoy, and experience our nation's capital. The City Today: The city of Washington takes up the entire District of Columbia, so they are essentially the same thing. DC is not state so it does not to send any Representatives or Senators to Congress, but it is worth three Electoral votes in the Presidential election. Washington, DC has a population of approximately 560,000 people, making it smaller than Columbus, Ohio. This is very misleading however. Counting the suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, DC has a metropolitan area of over 5 Million, fifth largest in the country, compared to 1.5 million for Columbus. You won't see any skyscrapers in DC, although you will see them across the Potomac River in Virginia. There is a height restriction in DC so that the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument are never overshadowed by other buildings. You will see statues; hundreds of statues of famous people are all over the city. History of DC: A site on the Potomac River for a new capital city was selected in 1788 as a compromise between the Northern and Southern states. The site was picked because it was on the "fall line" of the Potomac. Ships from the sea could get to DC on the wide, slow river, but just upstream there are rapids and the Great Falls of the Potomac that block water transportation. A small town called Georgetown, named after the King of England, not George Washington, already existed when DC was established. Georgetown was several miles away from the new White House. Today, Georgetown, better known for its shops, restaurants, and townhouses, has been absorbed into Washington, DC. It is also the home of Georgetown University which was founded in 1789, and is the oldest Jesuit and Catholic University in the United States Another town, Alexandria, was a thriving port on the Virginia side of the river. It is also known for fine shops and restaurants in old, restored buildings. Alexandria was once part of DC, but it was returned to Virginia in 1846. In the beginning, around d 1800, Washington Dc was a swampy area with a few farms, lots of mosquitoes and snakes, and sweltering summertime heat. Even as late as the Civil War, our 165th President, Abe Lincoln, reported that the city had only 60,000 people, unpaved streets that were either too muddy or dusty, and farm animals running around everywhere. In 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces captured Washington, DC and burned the Capitol Building and the White House. Only the stone walls were left standing. Both, of course, were rebuilt. The Potomac River used to be wider, with a lot of mud flats. When it was first built, the Washington Monument was actually right next to the Potomac River. The river has been filled in to create a lot of new land. The Lincoln Memorial would have been far out into the river originally. The land around the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial is all manmade. Arlington National Cemetery: Directly across the Potomac River from Washington, Dc is the Curtis-Lee Mansion on 210 acres owned by Robert E. Lee and his wife, Mary Anna (Custis) Lee, a great grand-daughter of Martha Washington. He was the most respected officer in the US Army when the Civil War started, and he was offered command o fall the Union (Northern) forces. However, Lee was a native Virginian, so he resigned from the US Army and became a genera in the Confederate (Southern) Army. Lee's house was confiscated by the Union. In 1864 a union general had his men bury dead soldiers nest to the house. This was the beginning of Arlington National Cemetery, named for a nearby town. Today, nearly 200,000 American military men and women and their families are buried here. Only a special act of congress can permit a non-veteran to be buried at Arlington. John F. Kennedy is buried here not because he was a President, but because he was a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II. Medal of Honor winners have gold lettering on their gravestones with an emblem of the medal. Confederate soldiers have pyramids on top of their gravestones. In addition to the thousands of simple graves, there are numerous monuments and memorials. Arlington National Cemetery is a place for quiet, respectful behavior. During the daytime, there is almost always a funeral in process. Keep your eyes open for signs of one. Only two presidents are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. One is William Howard Taft of Ohio, who was also Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The other is John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Kennedy's grave is marked by an Eternal Flame fueled by gas. other family members are buried alongside, including a baby who did not live long. Near the graves you will find a curved wall overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington. On this wall are famous quotes from some of Kennedy's speeches. About 100 feet away from John Kennedy's grave you will find the simple, white cross of Robert Kennedy's resting place, the brother of the president. Robert was running for president and probably would have won when he too was assassinated in 1968. He wanted to help the poor people of our nation, so his family chose a simple, but beautiful white cross. The youngest of the Kennedy brothers, Edward "Ted" Kennedy, who served in the senate for nearly 47 years is also buried On the hill directly above the Kennedy graves is the Custis-lee Mansion once lived in by Robert E. lee. It is open to tourists. In front of this house is the grave of Pierre L'Enfant, the architect who designed the layout of Washington, DC. He was placed on this hill so his remains could overlook his city. This a great view of all of DC; you will probably want to take pictures at this location. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Located at Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is marked by a fifty ton block of white marble on which are carved the words, "Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God." An unidentified soldier from World War I was brought home from France and buried here. Later, unknown soldiers from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam were added. A few years ago, using DNA testing, the Vietnam War soldier was identified. His remains were removed from the Tomb and returned to his family, who made their own burial arrangements. Look for the three rectangular stone slabs in form of the main Tomb; this where the other soldiers were laid to rest. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is very symbolic. It really represents all the military men and women, known and unknown, who have ever given their lives fighting for the freedoms we Americans enjoy. The Tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by specially selected soldiers who feel it is a great honor to be assigned to this duty. A Changing of the Guard Ceremony occurs every hour during the daytime. At night, the soldier on duty is replaced every two hours. The Ceremony is very impressive. A Sergeant instructs the crowd to be silent and respectful and for men to remove their hats in respect. You may take pictures and video. He then brings out a fresh soldier and carries out a very thorough inspection. This soldier then replaces the one who has been on duty. In an hour, he will march past the Tomb 42 times, using 27 steps of exactly 30 inches each. The pauses before turning around are precisely timed to represent a 21 gun salute, a high military honor. The soldier's rifle, with bayonet attached, is always carried on the shoulder away from the Tomb. Often, wreath laying ceremonies arranged by school groups or other organizations are carried out, with the playing of Taps, between the Changing o the Guard Ceremonies. Behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a 4,000 seat amphitheater. Special ceremonies occur here on Memorial day and veterans day. Mr. fifer was able to attend a veterans day ceremony here in 1989 that featured very patriotic music played by military musicians. Colin Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walked right past Mr. fifer and placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Near the amphitheater is the tall, white mast of the Battleship USS Maine, which mysteriously blew up in Havana, Cuba in 1898 and trigger the Spanish-American War. Also nearby is a small monument that marks the braves of seven astronauts who died in 1986 when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. This a special place for Mr. fifer because he was involved in the NASA Teacher Program and he met Christa McAuliffe, the Teacher in Space whose remains are here. The Mall: This is not a shopping mall. The National Mall is a long, grassy, park area in the heart of the city. It was designed by Pierre L'Enfant to be a focal point. On either side of the Mall are the Smithsonian and other important buildings.