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"

The U.S. Capitol Building"

" Freedom and justice: these simple and concise terms that define the ultimate standpoint

of life, is what The United States of America builds on; it is what we, as living beings, are

granted; and turns into what Americans live on. To date, many U.S. Citizens have constantly

been known for promoting human rights, inventing technology, generating a robust government

system, and embracing an extensive history left from our ancestors; and all of these wouldn't

have been possible without the vision and considerations our founding fathers have given us.

More than 200 years ago, America was at war. Shotguns and rifles boomed, cannons

shattered settlements, marching rattled the land, and spies slathered through cities and towns.

The unstable thirteen colonies continued to rumble until Americans gained victory in the year of

1777, when The United States finally became independent. After days and nights of debating

and deciding, the founding fathers set the government by signing the United States Constitution,

and the dream of patriots had finally come true. Now, in the year of 2015, after development

and innovation in the United States, we remain in a strongly bonded nation. Over the past two

hundred years, our nation has been built in a systematic way, following the "centerpiece" our

founders have established. From the struggle over independence in the 1700's to the growth of

industry and economy in the 2000's, citizens of the United States have always recognized the

Constitution of the United States as a just and fair compromise for a Union. Furthermore, law

has been enforced by the Senate system, or the senior law-making committee and the House of

Representatives system, the young, citizen-respected decision committee. Both of these

committees collaborate and connect to host the Congress, a subcommittee of the Legislative

Branch. This high, respected, and honorable system is currently housed in one of the pinnacles

Christopher Yang"Sue Bayer"History 3"9 April 2015

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of the U.S., the United States of America Capitol Building ("Why We Have a House and

Senate")."

" The U.S. Capitol Building is the home of the Senate and House of Representatives. It

has 600 rooms, covers 1.5 million square feet of area, and was selected as the U.S. Capitol by

our founding father, George Washington. When you think of a building, you'd probably imagine

blueprints, workers, cranes, trucks, and movers. But the story of the U.S. Capitol Building

extends way beyond the barriers of your mind. It has never been considered a regular house or

building because of its rare significance—every block and piece represents a deep and long

story that many do not know ("ABOUT THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING")."

" The peaceful, powerful U.S. Capitol continues to stand today as a prestigious building in

our nation. From the Statue of Freedom to the steps on the front porch, our Capitol Building has

gone through some of the roughest and toughest obstacles a building can have. Its importance

and value has been widely recognized

since the proposal of its plan. In the late

1700's when the U.S. Capitol was first

considered, an argument between the

Northern and Southern states arose

relating whether the Capitol should be

located in the North or South. Some

people believed that the Capitol should be

built on Southern state's land while others believed otherwise. Both sides of the nation

continued fighting over accessibility to the important building. It was a continual argument that

The U.S. Capitol at night

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just went on and on and took longer and longer. At last, it took some sacrifice in the North to

settle the case--the compromise in 1790."

" A few years after gaining

independence, the U.S. government

started suffering from debts. During the

American Revolutionary War, the

government sold bonds, or borrowed

money, from colonists in the thirteen

colonies in order to support fees for the

war. Distrust in the government spread

throughout the country after the government struggled to return money. Many bond owners,

watching their bond's value dwindle, quickly sold their bonds by marking down the original price

to avoid large money loss. In the later 1700's, a man named Alexander Hamilton believed that

the inability to return money would cause citizens to lose confidence in both the government and

the government-made national bank, resulting in a separating state-federal nation. Hamilton,

Secretary of Treasury, still believed that the government should pay bonds back as soon as

possible to earn trust and connect closer with the citizens of the United States ("The

Compromise That Created Our Capitol"). However, the Southern states strongly opposed the

idea: they believed that the plan would be unfair to the original bond owners who sold their

bonds for a lower price. At the same time, the South already had a terrible debt. Thus, paying

back bonds would be a much greater challenge for them than the North. Understanding the

Southern states' dilemma, Hamilton offered a deal called the Residence Act of 1790. He said

that the government would accept the South's plan--having the U.S. Capitol in the South of the

thirteen colonies-- if they agreed to his proposal. The South gave up their original argument and

Revolutionary War bond"earlyamerican.com

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adopted Hamilton's ideas. George Washington acted quickly by looking for a Southern city for

the Capitol to reunite the divided nation once again."

" President Washington traveled with a designer named Pierre Charles L'Enfant to a city

near the Potomac River where a hill called Jenkins Hill stood. A mysterious man named

Thomas Jenkins who historians don't know very much about owned this 1.1 square mile hill in

the middle of the city that used to be his own regular plantation ("The Mysterious Mr. Jenkins of

Jenkins Hill: The Early History of the Capitol Site")("Google Maps"). Surrounded by a

luxurious landscape, George Washington was almost immediately attracted to this land and

chose Jenkins Hill (renamed Capitol Hill) to be the U.S. Capitol's location. At first, L'Enfant

wasn't expected to design anything related to the city. Thomas Jefferson, president of the

United States at the time, made a simple plan for the city. But L'Enfant, who later designed one

by himself, soon had a plan that dominated Thomas Jefferson's by impressing many with its

strategy in elevation and location of important buildings, and thus he gained the opportunity to

build the city. Since then, L'Enfant continued to construct the United States' capitol city,

presently known as Washington D.C.; he made Washington D.C. luxurious and far different from

other cities at the time. At first, L'Enfant was supposed to be the designer of the Capitol as well,

but didn't communicate to Commissioners of the Federal Buildings well, concluding his job when

he was dismissed in 1792: yet again leaving the government dubious about the Capitol's design

("George Washington's Vision of his City on the Potomac") ("A Brief History of Pierre L'Enfant

and Washington D.C.")("U.S. Capitol")"

" In 1792, the U.S. government had land, but didn't have any designs for the Capitol after

L'Enfant's dismissal. They decided to hold a contest, putting up posters to encourage people to

design the Capitol. Selected ones would be awarded with five-hundred dollars, currently

calculated as $12,195.12 in 2014 U.S. Dollars ("Inflation Calculator"). Unfortunately, the

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organized contest soon turned out to crazy ("The Most Approved Plan: The Competition for the

Capitol Design"). Designers fought for the designing job of the Capitol Building, submitting

many plans that were soon rejected—some of which were complicated and unsuitable to be the

U.S. Capitol. For example, one design had a huge, disproportionate weathervane atop the

dome, supposedly bigger than the size of the dome itself. Some were fine, but could be better,

still disappointing to the judges. Judges

at the time felt nearly hopeless about the

designs previously submitted. A while

later, the contest ended without a final

decision. All the government was left with

was a pile of rejected blueprints, delaying

the construction of the Capitol once again

(The Story of the CAPITOL, 6, 7)."

" There was a medical doctor named

William Thornton who tried designing the

capitol just for his own personal interest. His design was a symmetrical two-wing building with a

main dome in the middle. Thornton sent out the proposal three months after the contest, and

didn't expect much to happen. It turned out that George Washington and the judges loved the

idea. They complimented the blueprint for its "simplicity and convenience", finally discovering

the golden proposal. President Washington selected the design, gave the award to Thornton,

and hired Thornton to oversee construction processes as well. On September 18, 1793,

President Washington laid the cornerstone, or first piece of the building, and the construction of

the Capitol began (The Story of the CAPITOL, 6,7). During the following few decades, the

Rejected disproportionate design "i.dailymail.co.uk

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Capitol encountered harsh, burdensome difficulties, many of which temporarily weakened the

structure, but forever strengthened the nation."

" The first difficulty emerged almost instantly after everything was settled. George

Washington's decision to hire the non-professional, medical Dr. William Thornton became a

question. Since architects and designers are usually extremely experienced in construction and

architectural principles, would William Thornton, a doctor with no architectural background, work

just as well as a professional architect? For a while, the construction seemed smooth under

Thornton's leadership. But later on, problems arose. First, workers protested about the

workplace, complaining that it was too harsh, tiring, and the terrain was too muddy.

Furthermore, construction money problems rolled in. Over time, construction processes

became extremely slow. With the help of two hired designers, James Hobax and Benjamin

Henry Latrobe, William Thornton was able to achieve his first milestone, completing the

southern wing. However, shortly after completion, the whole construction came to an end.

Seeing a significant dip in Thornton's performance, a designer named James Hoban was hired

to replace the position. Hoban expedited the process of construction and completed the long-

awaited north Senate wing in the year of 1800 (The Capitol). Meanwhile, builders constructed a

temporary wooden passage between the northern and southern wing, later to be replaced with a

dome and a grand front entrance (The History of the United States Capitol). Although William

Thornton wasn't able to complete the U.S. Capitol, he is still known for being the father of our

capitol's design and being the miracle medical doctor who once served as an architect, we

continue to honor him for his accomplishments."

" The near-finished Capitol Building worked well and functioned nearly flawlessly for a little

more than a decade. Although the dome was left unbuilt, the U.S. Capitol still worked as the

nation's home seamlessly. But the Capitol's resilience was tested once again in 1812 when it

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was almost ruined. It started with the War of 1812, an incredibly horrific war with Britain. One

day, a meeting came to an ominous conclusion that the British might attack the new U.S.

Capitol. They suggested that the U.S. Capitol should be protected from the British attacks.

However, John Amptrary, Secretary of War, opposed the prediction, arguing that the British were

targeting Baltimore, not Washington D.C. Unfortunately, he was wrong. "

" One night, the British surprisingly turned to D.C., planning to attack the Capitol and

White House. British soldiers gallantly entered the White House, allowed some generals to

enjoy leftover food on the table, and burned the building down. They turned to the Capitol

Building and also set the structure on fire. At the same time, they were burning Americans'

home. As the people watched the building burn, the original cloudy sky became dark as clouds

emerged. It was an absolutely fortunate coincidence when a big rainstorm suddenly poured

tons of water on the fire. Just before the building was completely destroyed, the big rainstorm

stopped the fire; while many parts of the

Capitol were destroyed, some structures

were preserved. This is why we can still

see a few of the original parts of the

Capitol Building in present-day America

("On This Day: British Troops Burn White

House and Capitol"). "

" Benjamin Henry Latrobe, one of

Dr. William Thornton's helpers, soon

returned to restore the Capitol structure. From 1815 through 1817, under Latrobe, cost and

construction problems led to his unfortunate resignation. For a replacement, a man named

Charles Bulfinch took over and restored the building, slightly changing the interior design and

Capitol in 1846"yesterdaysnewstodayhistory.files.wordpress.com

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completing the middle dome that wasn't finished for almost twenty years ("US Capitol"),

("Evolution of the Capitol") (The History of the United States Capitol)."

" A while after the end of the War of 1812, the United States started to experience a major

technological improvement period of time—The Industrial Revolution—and an extremely

important expansion of the U.S. territory—the expansion of the U.S. to Oregon Country. Since

that period of time, from 1829 to 1850, the House of Representatives (the House) became about

four times bigger and the Senate's size doubled. Both of their sizes became directly

proportionate with the growing nation. The government soon realized that the groups were

becoming so big that the Capitol Building couldn't hold the members, which forced the

government to expand the building. Architects decided that the Library of Congress should be

moved out and the Supreme Court should move to its own individual building nearby, both of

which cleared space for new chambers. Furthermore, the government decided to expand both

wings to accommodate needs. Expansion on both wings of the capitol soon began under

Thomas U. Walter's leadership. Meanwhile, the original Senate chamber—used from 1810 to

the year of 1859, also known for being a main chamber for debating slavery issues, territory

expansions, state vs. state problems, the Missouri Compromise, and the Compromise of 1850—

retired after architects built and opened a new senate chamber on January 4, 1869. Designers

also decided that the original sandy,

deteriorating sandstone structure of the

U.S. Capitol should be replaced with

marble blocks and the original fire-

vulnerable dome should be replaced with

a cast-iron fireproof and taller "rotunda,"

or dome, to maintain a satisfying Proportionate, taller dome later called a rotunda"

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proportion with the widely expanded building ("US Capitol"), ("Evolution of the Capitol") (The

History of the United States Capitol). "

" Peace, unity, justice, and freedom—the words that once described the nation, shattered

shortly after the mid-1800s: a civil war was running along. Once again, rifles and shotguns

ruined houses and districts while the internal war of the United States, the Civil War, proceeded.

In response to the cruel situations during the Civil War, designers hired a painter named

Constantino Brumidi to paint a rounded painting for the rotunda of the capitol after the cast-iron

replacement was put. This painting eventually made George Washington part of the center of

focus. Brumidi was challenged to make the painting viewable in 360 degrees around the dome

after the first draft was a painting heavily designed on one side, resulting a rotunda painting that

couldn't be seen from different angles. The second painting showed the head of George

Washington in the middle of the sky, but it was changed from the "head of a protagonist" to "a

brilliant, golden sky" in the third version. This third and last version was symmetrical and bright;

it was used as the center-point of the Capitol, preserving the U.S. Motto: "E Pluribus Unum",

"Many uniting into one" during the harsh Civil War ("Painting The Apotheosis of Washington").

Statue of Freedom recreation at the Capitol Visitor Center"

thirdeyemom.com

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Positioned 180 feet above the floor ground and having a diameter of 96 feet, the rotunda has

"six groups of figures": war, science, marine, commerce, mechanics, and agriculture circling the

circumference of the dome ("Evolution of

the Capitol"). It is called the "Apotheosis

of Washington", since the word

"apotheosis" is defined as

"climax" ("Metaphor Alert: The U.S.

Capitol Dome is Cracked 1,300 Times,

Needs Repair"). Constantino Brumidi, at

the same time, was also asked to

decorate the Capitol Building with his

techniques. He created a decorated corridor hall called the Brumidi Corridors. To acknowledge

the leaders of the American Revolutionary War, images of those leaders were painted on these

corridors. The corridors were left unfinished when money problems arose, but those blank

patches were filled in with paintings such as "The Moon Landing" by Allyn Cox in 1975 and

"Challenger" by Charles Schmidt in 1987, representing important events in our U.S. history

("Brumidi Corridor"). As the Civil War hit its apex, the Capitol was used for hospitalizing soldiers

and storing food as the Apotheosis of Washington remained on the center point of the Capitol,

keeping the spirits of Americans altogether."

" Above and outside of the rotunda stands a statue called the Statue of Freedom created

by a man named Thomas Crawford. It is about 15,000 pounds heavy, 19 feet and 6 inches tall,

made of ponderous (heavy) bronze, and is worth $23,796.82 (current money). She holds a

shield with thirteen stripes and stands on a cast-iron rounded block with "E Pluribus Unum"

carved on it ("ABOUT THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING"). "

Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol"readpure.com

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" From the start of the thirteen colonies to our current 50 state nation, the Capitol Building

stood strong, holding some of the most important systems in the United States. Originally, the

Capitol was designed to have a room called the Crypt that stores thirteen statues from the

original thirteen colonies. Now, accommodating the growing number of states, the Capitol has a

room called The Statuary Hall. This room

holds 100 donated statues from the

states. Each state donates two statues

made from marble or bronze ("Statuary

Hall"). The original Crypt still exists below

the rotunda. It was originally planned to

be George Washington's burial site, but

was left empty after President Washington

decided to be buried on his plantation

instead. You can still see the planned tomb

behind gates in the Capitol Building today ("Capitol Crypt")."

" The older senate chamber, once used by the Supreme court from 1860 through 1935,

has been opened as a historic site since the year of 1976, now called the "Old Senate

Chamber", after being preserved since the expansion of the Capitol. The "new" Senate

Chamber, used on January 4, 1869 for the first time, was remodeled and completed in 1951,

and is now in formal use. The House Chamber, found on the south side of the Capitol Building,

experienced somewhat similar construction processes compared to the Senate Chamber's.

First used on December 16, 1857, it was remodeled in 1951 and has changed from tables and

chairs to a theater seating style with rows in a semi-circle pattern accompanied by a ceiling that

shows states' seals ("The Old Senate Chamber") ("The Senate Chamber")."

Puerto Rican terrorists"graphics8.nytimes.com

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" Every day, our laws and regulations, keeping us safe from criminal cases and

destruction of human rights, starts from the U.S. Capitol. Over years and years of wear and

tear, the 200 year U.S. Capitol currently has custodians taking care of the cosmetics on both the

interior and exterior of the structure. But as of 2013, it has been more than 50 years since the

last repair of the Capitol's dome. Since 1960, moisture and cracks have damaged the exterior,

constantly threatening the inside paintings, such as the Apotheosis of Washington; structures,

such as statues; and visitors, like us. After the fall of 2013, the Capitol Building has started its

restoration. Restoration is currently being done to the exterior of the dome, filling and repairing

the cracks level by level. Inside, a doughnut shaped balloon will prevent objects from falling

down on visitors and objects, but will not interfere with the appearance of the Apotheosis of

Washington. Restoration is scheduled for completion before 2017, the United States' next

important presidential inauguration. This process is done at night and during weekends to

minimize the disturbance to sessions within the building (Capitol Dome Restoration)."

" The U.S. Capitol has always been a powerful structural and spiritual building to the U.S.,

but there were some situations in which it was exposed to danger, including terrorism. In the

mid 1900's, Puerto Rico was taken over by the United States. Many Puerto Ricans were forced

through law to separate from the previous government, banning them from raising and showing

the earlier Puerto Rican flag. Conflicts with the U.S. rose, exposing the Capitol to terrorism. On

March 1, 1954, four patriots to the earlier Puerto Rican government and a fashionable "beauty

queen" approached the U.S. Capitol. Entering the chambers, they shot Congressmen with

shotguns and hurt 4 people. The criminals were jailed for about 25 years until the U.S. had a

prisoner-swap with Cuba ("Puerto Rican nationalists wound five representatives")."

" On March 1, 1971, a mysterious group named "Weather Underground" sent out a threat

warning that they were going to bomb places in the United States. Due to the warning, people

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avoided being next to the U.S. Capitol Building that day so that no one was hurt. Weather

Underground terrorism group (not to be confused with the current weather station) bombed the

U.S. Capitol causing about $300,000 of damage. This attack happened as a rebellion of the

U.S. moves during the Vietnam War that stirred up controversy ("Bomb explodes in Capitol

Building")."

" On November 7, 1983, another attack broke chandeliers in the Capitol Building,

damaging furnitures and 5 paintings. This resulted in a damage of about $250,000. After this,

metal detectors were added to prevent bombing and terrorism acts, officially upgrading the

security system in the building ("Bomb Explodes in Capitol on Nov. 7, 1893"). In addition to

these upgrades, the U.S. Capitol made a huge improvement to the overall safety and visitor

experience by building the Capitol Visitor Center in 2008. About 3/4 the size of the Capitol

Building, the visitor center is underground and does not harm or detract from the original Capitol

Building structure and arrangement. It is used to prevent visitors from bringing in prohibited

items and allows visitors to understand the U.S. Capitol history better before entering the

building (The History of the United States Capitol)."

" Since Andrew Jackson's inauguration, presidential inaugurations were held in the U.S.

Capitol. Every time, huge wooden platforms are built approximately 3 months in preparation for

the Inauguration Day. Over years of Inauguration Days, platforms have expanded to hold more

people. Wood has been constantly used to prevent damages to the building. In return, the

Capitol has been stable enough to continue providing a location for Inauguration Days every

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four years. After Inauguration Day, the wood is donated to charity to be reused in a helpful way

(Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol)."

" You can visit the U.S. Capitol from

Monday through Saturday, 8:30 A.M. to

4:30 P.M. Tickets are required for

entrance. To see in-session Senate or

House of Representatives meetings, you

must visit the Senate Appointment Desks

that can be found above the Capitol

Visitor Center. You are not allowed to

bring the following items: liquid, water, food, fruits, pressure-spray containers, sharp objects,

excluding pencils and pens, bags greater than 18 inches wide and 4 inches high and 8.5 inches

deep, guns, weapons, devices for weapons, fireworks, bullets, replicas of guns, pepper spray,

and cutters ("Evolution of the "

Capitol"). "

" Today, the U.S. Capitol continues to hold some of the most important stories of our

nation. It has watched the nation grow and develop, and will continue to do so generation after

generation. George Washington never disregarded people who didn't show skills on their

exterior, but instead respected and appreciated people that had passion in their heart. For

example, William Thornton may have been inexperienced, but could never be ignored. Instead

of working for the 500 dollars, Thornton aimed to help the nation. As we walk deeper into the

21st century, the U.S. Capitol will bring history we leave to our posterity, ensuring justice,

freedom, democracy, and many more in the lives of all Americans, "E Pluribus Unum".

Presidential Inauguration"glaad.org

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Works Cited Page"""A Brief History of Pierre L’Enfant and Washington, D.C.". smithsonianmag.com. Smithsonian.com. March 2015"""ABOUT THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING". aoc.gov. ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL. February 2015."""Bomb explodes in Capitol building". history.com. HISTORY. March 2015"""Bomb explodes in Capitol on Nov. 7, 1983". politico.com. POLITICO. March 2015"""Brumidi Corridor". uschs.org. THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY. March 2015"""Capitol Crypt". abrihamlincolnonline.org. AbrihamLincolnOnline.Org. March 2015"""Evolution of the Capitol". visitthecapitol.gov. U.S. CAPITOL Visitor Center. March 2015."""George Washington’s Vision of His City on the Potomac". ourwhitehouse.org. Our White House LOOKING IN, LOOKING OUT. March 2015"""Google Search-Area of Capitol Hill". google.com. Google Maps. March 2015."""Inflation Calculator". davemanuel.com. Dave Manuel.com. March 2015"""Metaphor Alert: The U.S. Capitol Dome Is Cracked 1,300 Times, Needs Repair". swampland.time.com. TIME. March 2015"""On This Day: British Troops Burn White House and Capitol". findingdulcinea.com. finding Dulcinea Librarian of the Internet. March 2015"""Painting The Apotheosis of Washington". gpo.gov. U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE. March 2015."""Puerto Rican nationalists wound five representatives". history.com. HISTORY. March 2015"""Statuary Hall". uschs.org. THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY. March 2015"""The Compromise That Created Our Capitol". teachingamericanhistory.org. TeachingAmericanHistory.org. March 2015."""The House Chamber". uschs.org. THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY. March 2015""

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"The Most Approved Plan: The Competition for the Capitol's Design". loc.gov. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. March 2015"""The Mysterious Mr. Jenkins of Jenkins Hill: The Early History of the Capitol Site". capitolhillhistory.org. THE RUTH ANN OVERBECK CAPITOL HILL HISTORY PROJECT. March 2015."""The Old Senate Chamber". uschs.org. THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY. March 2015"""The Senate Chamber". uschs.org. THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY. March 2015"""US Capitol". nps.gov. National Park Service. February 2015."""Why We Have a House and Senate". usgovinfo.about.com. about news. March 2015.""Prolman, Marilyn. The Story of the CAPITOL.""Terry Allan, Hicks. The Capitol.""The History of the United States Capitol. 2010. Education Film.