DC History

During the British invasion of Washington D.C.

Interesting life events led these poets to live or spend extended periods of time in Washington.

The 15th Amendment to the Constitution gave African Americans the right to vote in 1870, stating the right could not be denied “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

In 1852, Clara Barton resigned from teaching when she discovered the school hired a man at twice her salary.

In 1891, the Terrells were among the first Black families to move into LeDroit Park, an all-white suburb.

The nation’s capital dates back to 1791, when President George Washington declared 100 square miles of Maryland and Virginia as the capital.

Hidden behind a tall hedge, the White House Children’s Garden was the final gift from President Lyndon B.

Fourteen reindeer and one caribou brought cheer to the people of Washingtion, D.C. during Operation Reindeer.

Wander through Georgetown where M Street and Canal Road meet and discover a steep, narrow staircase making spines tingle for almost 50 years.

The Carnegie Library has been a fixture of Washington, D.C., having served as the city’s main public library from 1903 to 1972.

In 1965, after attending landmark civil rights demonstrations in Selma, Alabama, Rev.

While the idea of gardens at the White House started back with George Washington, the Rose Garden as we know it began over 100 years later with Ellen Wilson, the first wife of President Woodrow Wilson.

It is certainly odd to picture now, but for more than 25 years, the Washington Monument was only partially built.

We’ve all heard MLK Jr.’s famous speech. But what have you missed about this storied march?

He was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington in 1963. But his youth did nothing to diminish his radical and forward vision.

On June 19, Americans celebrate Juneteenth in recognition of the emancipation of slavery.

Upon its dedication in 1885, the Washington Monument was the tallest structure in the world: imposing, awe-inspiring and unfinished.

In 1800, when President Adams moved the national capital from Philadelphia to DC, he also approved a $5,000 budget for books. The intention was rather pragmatic: give Congress a quiet place to research.

In 1921, President Harding presided over a re-burial of an unknown American serviceman who died in WWI. Since then, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has hosted an unidentified serviceman from WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Historians debate whether Crispus Attucks was a free man or an escaped slave, but they generally agree upon his role in American history on March 5, 1770.

In 1976, the United States accepted a special gift from Japanese bonsai master Masaru Yamaki: a 400-year-old bonsai tree. Welcomed as a symbol of peace and friendship, the tree became a permanent addition to the National Arboretum.

Historians debate whether Crispus Attucks was a free man or an escaped slave, but they generally agree upon his role in American history on March 5, 1770.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson met at the 1775 Continental Congress in Philadelphia and became close friends. They survived disagreements on many subjects, but on one they were aligned:

Thumbing through the history books, you’ll find female scientists, astronauts, activists, politicians, writers and wealthy, influential entertainers (looking at you, Bey!).

I wish it wasn’t necessary to set the record straight about Black History Month. For years, our history was buried or distorted because black people were brought here as slaves and their contributions were never fully acknowledged – this month creates an awareness of our history.

Since the Truman Administration, the National Turkey Federation’s chairman has selected turkeys from the “Presidential Flock” for the First Family’s Thanksgiving. (President George H.W. Bush was the first to begin pardoning two birds.)