Washington is the capital of the USA. It is also one of the country’s most beautiful historic cites and the site of many of most popular tourist attraction. The capital is important to the America people as a symbol of their country’s unity, history and democratic tradition. Many visitors to Washington enjoy the rich and varied architecture of the city’s buildings and monuments. But a law limits the height of buildings in the city. As a result, Washington – unlike most other large cities – has no skyscrapers. Visitors tour the city’s many museums, which together house the world’s largest collection of items from America’s past.
At the same time Washington faces problems common to all cities, including crime, drug abuse, poverty and traffic jams.
Washington is one of the few capitals in the world that was especially built to house the American nation’s government.
When the 13 colonies became states and decided to join in a Union, there was much discussion about the capital. The decision finally arrived at was to carve out a hundred square miles from the States of Maryland and Virginia, call it Federal territory, and build a model capital on that site.
In 1790 the first President of the USA, General George Washington, personally chose the site for the capital of a new nation. The General drew a circle at his well-worn map, where the Potomac River divided the Virginia Maryland States, and wrote inside it, “District Columbia. Federal city”. Washington invited a famous French engineer Pierre Charles L’Efant (П’єр Шарль Лефант), a supporter of the American Republic to design the new city.
The District was named in honor of Columbus, the discoverer of America. The city was founded in 1791, became the capital of the US in 1800 and was named after the first US President, G. Washington.
The District of Columbia is not a state, it belongs neither to the north nor to the south, but to all states. The name of the capital always goes with the abbreviation D.C., not to be mixed with another Washington, one of the 50 US states.
Most Americans are unaware that until 1800 the US had 5 “capitals” or meeting places of the Congress - Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton, New York and Philadelphia. For various reasons now of these cities offered an ideal seat of government for the new nation. After the Constitution was adopted, the establishment of a new city was considered.
While the capital is named for G. Washington, it was not named by him. The first President called it simply “The Federal City”, and the name “Washington” did not come into general use while after his death.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the new capital was called “Wilderness City” and the “City of Streets Without Houses”. When the government moved there in 1800, President John Adams and his party literally couldn’t find the place, becoming lost in the woods.
To the visitor, Washington appears most confusing, despite the master plan drawn by Pierre L’Enfant so long ago. The centre of the city is the Capitol Building. Four geographical sections, or quadrants, radiate out from the Capitol dividing the District of Columbia into North-East, North-West, South –East, South-West. The Capitol is also the point from which the city’s streets are numbered or lettered. The streets east and west of the capitol are numbered 1st Street, 2nd Street, and so on. Similarly, the streets to the north and to the south are named for letters of the alphabet - G Street, R Street etc. Round the Capitol a series of circles and squares occur at various intervals, and diagonal avenues radiate from these. From the Capitol to the Executive mansions (White House in XIX century) runs broad Pennsylvania Avenue, about a mile and a half in length and flanked with trees.
All the diagonal avenues are named after the original 13 American states, and longest and straightest of them all is Massachusetts Avenue, which virtually cuts the city in half. But not every diagonal is an avenue, that is why despite the simple plan of numbered and lettered streets Washington at times confuses its sightseers.
Washington is not the largest city in the US, for it cannot compare in size with cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and Los-Angeles, which have more than a million inhabitants. In 2003 its population was 563, 384.
In the political sense, however, it is the centre of the republic and the most important city in the US Washington’s only big business has always been the business of Government. It is said that some three – quarters of the adult population in Washington D.C. are wholly or indirectly involved in the administrative machine and the general process of government. They are either politicians, or civil servants, or suppliers of goods and services to such people. In 1800, when the US government moved to Washington from Philadelphia, the Washington bureaucracy consisted of about 130 clerks, while in 2000 government employees in Washington numbered about 260.00.
Power is what Washington is all about. It is power that attracts able men into government and politics and keeps them working ten hours or more a day, for far less money than they could make elsewhere. Thus, it is not exaggeration that Washington is the greatest industrial town in the world, and its industry is politics.
Many tourists come to Washington to see the nation’s capital. Let’s get acquainted with some of its sights.
THE CAPITOL
The Capitol is the seat of the US Congress.
The Capitol Building dominates all Washington. It situated on the capitol hill rising above the Potomac River. The site was chosen by Pierre L’Enfant, when he sought to lay out the capital. The Capitol consists of a central building crowned by a great dome and connected at each and by galleries with a large wing. The north wing contains the Senate Chamber, and the south wing – the House of Representatives.
Inauguration of presidents and vise-presidents are held in front the Capitol.
There is a law against building structures higher than the Capitol.
The building got its name from the temple in Rome.
On the very top of the dome there is the 19-foot bronze statue of Freedom. 36 columns surround the lower part of the dome, they represent the states in the Union at the time this building was designed. Beneath the dome is a monumental hall called Rotunda, adorned with works of art relating to American history.
THE WHITE HOUSE
It is a moot question in Washington whether the Capitol or the White House holds first interest. As the residence of the President perhaps the White House has the edge. Every President except Washington lived there.
The Executive Mansion, as it was originally known, is the oldest public structure in the city. The cornerstone was laid on October 13, 1792, on the 300th anniversary of Columbus landing at San Salvador. It was in the same year that Games Hoban, an Irish – American, won a prize of 500 dollars offered for the best design of the “President’s House”, according to L’Enfant’s designation.
The home of the president of the US gets its name from its white walls. But the White House wasn’t always white, its original color was grey. During the war of 1812 – 1814 the British burned most of the public buildings in the Washington, including the President’s Palace. The walls were still standing, but the sandstone was so streaked with water and smoke that it seemed lest to paint it white to cover the sears of a fire. That done, it began to be called the “White house”. It has been white ever since. During the administration of Theodore Roosevelt “White House” appeared on the President stationery and the term became official.
Thousand of Americans flock to visit President’s home and office. They are admitted to see the Green Room; the Blue Room, where ambassadors and ministers of foreign countries are received, the state Dining Room and the East Rom, used for public reception. The Oval office – the President’s office – is in the west wing of the White House.
Behind the white house, situated on the hill is the Washington Monument. The corner store for the Monument was laid in 1848, but the Civil was delayed its completion for many years. It was finally opened to the public in 1888. The monument is 555 feet (169 m) high and from this level the whole panorama of the District of Columbia and even parts of Maryland, Virginia can be seen. Its shape is that of an obelisk, a white marble shaft with an aluminum tip, hence its nickname – the “Pencil”(when the moment was built, aluminum was newly-discovered, scarce and very expensive).
The difference in the color of the marble where work was stopped and when resumed after some decades is apparent to the visitors.
Inside the W. Monument are an elevator and a 897 step stairway.
Lightning rods at the top protect the monument from lightning strikes.
LINCOLN MEMORIAL
The Lincoln Memorial is a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln and the nation he fought to preserve during the Civil War (1861-1865). The Lincoln Memorial was build to resemble a Greek temple. It was 36 Doric columns, one for each state united into the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The Memorial symbolizes Lincoln’s firm belief that all the people must be free.
The first organized effort to erect a monument to Abraham Lincoln in W. came year his death, in 1867. A special association appealed for subscriptions and prepared plans for a monument, but nothing was accomplished. The years passed 2 it was not until 1911 that Congress passed the legislation on that issue.
In 1922, on Memorial Day, May 30, the completed memorial was presented to President Warren Harding, who accepted it for the US.
On the attic walls are the names of the 48 states comprising the Union in 1922 and their dates of admission. The addition of Alaska and Hawaii, to the Union in 1959 is noted by an inscription on the terrace to the memorial.
The memorial chamber contains a colossal statue of Lincoln and two huge inscribed stone tables. On the south wall is inscribed the Gettysburg Address and on the north wall, Lincoln’s Second inaugural address. But the dominant feature of the memorial chamber is magnificent, realistic figure of Lincoln seated in the centre of the open temple, facing the capitol. The marble statue, 19 feet tall, was designed and executed by sculptor Daniel Chester French. It represents Lincoln as the War President. The two murals on the north and south walls represent, allegorically, principles of conduct and thought evident in the life of Abraham Lincoln. The mural above the Gettysburg Address on the south wall shows an Angel of Truth freeing a slave; on the left and right groups of figures represent Justice and Immortality. The mural above the Second Inaugural Address on the north wall depicts the unity of North and South; on the left and right, groups of figures symbolize Fraternity and Charity.
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION was established as a result of a gift from an Englishman who never saw America in his life – a men named James Smithson, a chemist, who died in 1829 and left his fortune (half a million dollars – a very large sum in those days) to the U.S. to found an instruction for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among man.
The Smithsonian Institution is almost everything: scientific institutes, art galleries, zoo. It administers the US National Museum, National Collection of Fine Arts, Astrophysical Observatory, International Exchange Service, National Air Museum, National Zoological Park, Publishing centers, etc.
People sometimes affectionately call the Smith. Institution the “national attic”, because, it contains such odd items as Jorge W’s mess kit and tent, the stuffed horse of a Civil War general and a collection of dresses worn by the wives of past US Presidents.
W. has many other famous buildings and monuments – the Jefferson Memorial, the Grant Memorial, the Tomb of Unknown Soldier (Arlington Cemetery), the Library Congress, the Kennedy Centre, historic Ford’s theatre.
The Arlington National Cemetery is the nation’s famous burial ground. It is the site of the Tomb of the Unknowns, containing the unidentified remains of service members from both world wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Here there is also the Tomb of the Unknown Civil War Dead. Pierre Charles Enfant’s grave was placed at a spot that is believed to offer the best view of W., the city he designed.
There is also he gravesites of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis rests next to her husband. The 35th U.S. President’s famous utterance is inscribed on the wall: “And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.
JUST OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL
The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense is often used as a symbolic reference for the armed forces. Its shape is five – sided – hence the name Pentagon. It has become the most important department in the U.S. federal government both in the number of employees and the amount of money spent. The Pentagon is the heart of the U.S. military – industrial complex.
The library of Congress is one of 4 official national libraries of the U.S. (together with the National library of Medicine, National Agricultural Library, and the National Archives and Records Administration). Originally founded as a research library, for the U.S. Congress in 1800, its original collection was composed of the books of former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. Later, the Library assumed a role as a legal repository to guarantee copyright protection. All authors seeking Amer. copyright had to submit two copies of the work to the library. This requirement is no longer enforced, but copies of many books published in the U.S. still arrive at the Library regularly. It contains many important books such as a copy of the Gutenberg Bible.
The Library itself is spread over 3 buildings in W.D.C., each named after an early president, being James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
DIFFERENT WASHINGTONS
There are different Washingtons (at least 5) and each has its supporters who earnestly believe that theirs is the only true W.
The first is W. – the – Capital, an official city of great monuments and memorials, of vast bureaucracies housed in buildings of neoclassical or modern Congressional Grotesque design. Over 45 per cent of the land of the District is occupied by the Federal Government. This is the Washington of the Federal reservation.
Some visitors realize after some hours of exploration, that they have hardly encountered a single dwelling. Monuments, yes, spectacles and sights, to be sure, public buildings about, but homes – where are they? Does anyone live in W.? The answer is: Yes, poor people live in W., somewhere. Prosperous people live in Maryland, Virginia, Georgetown.
Tourists usually see only one a smaller city – W. North West a its suburbs in Maryland or Virginia where prosperous people live.
The second is Washington – the Town – of Terror. “The Crime Capital of the World”, “The murder capital”, a horror of racial mixing producing violence. The number of homicides peaked in 1991 with 482 in that year Violence was not evenly distributed across the city, but rather was primarily concentrated in specific neighborhoods (districts).
As of 2005, violent crime in DC is primarily concentrated in areas west of the Anacostia River, and tourist advice generally recommends that visitors do not venture east of the U.S. Capitol building.
The third W. is Negro W., largely low – income a low- education, though the city has a relatively large number of professional and middle – to – upper – income Negro families.
Few people realize that W. is predominantly Negro city (over 70 per cent of its population are Negroes).
The fourth Washington is University – W., the west section of pleasant homes on tree – lined streets, where almost everyone is white, well – educated and has a high income.
The 5th is Old Washington, the sleepy southern town of ceiling fans, sleeping porches devoted Negro servants and old families who were actually born here. Old W. is dying of now.
There is a Washington of governmental girls, of politics and lobbyists, the newspaperman’s Washington.
NEW YORK
New York City ( officially named the City of New York ) often referred to as the “Big Apple”, is the largest city in the U.S. It is the world’s most important centre for global finance and communications. The city is also home to hundreds of world – class museums, galleries, and performance venue, making it the cultural and entertainment capital of the Western Hemisphere.
The story of New York began at the southernmost tip of Manhattan Island in the area below Chambers Street that is now known as Lower Manhattan. In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian merchant in the service of the king of France, became the first foreign explorer of sight the island which was then inhabited by Indians.
In 1624 the first permanent European community was established by Dutch settlers. In 1626, the Dutch purchased the island from the Man – a – hat – a Indians from whom the present name Manhattan is derived.
The English captured Nieuw Amsterdam, as the Dutch called it, in 1664; and renamed it New York in honor of the Duke of York, King’s Charles II’s brother. The city remained a colony of Great Britain for over 100 years until the Revolutionary War and Treaty of Paris put an end to British rule in 1783. Two years later, New York became the capital of the independent US of America.
In 1863, New York had become a large city, but had not yet began its major growth spurt, when it suffered the Draft Riot, which the Guinness Book of World Records list it as the bloodiest riot in history, costing approximately 1,200 lives and causing $ 1,5m of damage, the equivalent of billions today. The riot initially started as a protest against President Abraham Lincoln‘s Enrollment Act of Conscription to draft men to fight in the ongoing Civil War. Some 50,000 people, particularly poor Irish immigrants, rioted, smashing store window and attacking people, mainly African Americans, on the street.
After the Riots and the end of the Civil War, the rate of immigrations from Europe grew steeply, and New York became the first stop for millions seeking a new and better life in the US.
Now New York City is part of the New York Metropolitan area, which, with over 22 million people, is one of the largest urban conglomeration in the world. The city comprises 5 boroughs: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, each of which could be a major city in its own night. It is a multination city, called “modern Babylon”, the people of almost all nationalities and races speak 75 different languages.
Manhattan is the business centre of the city, and the most superlatively urban. It is the most densely populated, and the home of most of the city’s skyscrapers.
Here are the shops and art galleries of Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, the theaters of Broadway, the longest street in the city (29 km long), elegant hotels and restaurant, world-famous museums and the green space of the Island – Central park (is considered New York ‘s greatest piece of architecture).
The Bronx is known as the birthplace of hip hop culture, as well as being the home of the New York Yankees. It’s the only part of the city on the mainland.
Brooklyn is the most popular borough, with a strong native identity.
The largest black community in New York is now in the borough of Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Bridge, built over a 14 – year period, the mile-long bridge was dubbed “the Eighth Wonder of the World” and hailed as the largest, costliest (15 man dollars) suspension bridge ever built (when it was opened the automobile had not been invented yet).
All districts of New York are linked together by numerous bridges.
Queens is the most diverse county in the U.S., with more immigrants than anywhere else. Geographically it is the largest of the boroughs.
Staten Island (or Richmond ) is somewhat isolated and the most suburban part of the city. But since the opening of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in 1964 it has been growing more a part of city life.
The first skyscraper was put up in 1888. It had only 13 stories, but the next had twenty two, the Empire State building 102. It was opened on May 1, 1931, only 14 months after construction began. It is the second tallest in the USA.
The World Trade Center had 110 (Its crash in 2002, September 11,will forever remain the symbol of tragedy for that country and for the world).
The September 11 attacks in 2001 were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks. According to the U.S. government, 19 members of the al – Quaeda, a militant Islamic group, hijacked four commercial aircraft. They crashed one into each of the 2 tallest bowers of the world Trade Center after which both towers collapsed.
The 3rd aircraft crashed into the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters, the Pentagon, in Arlington Count, Virginia, just outside the capital, Washington D.C. The majority of the 4th plain was found in Pennsylvania. The attack were the most lethal ever carried, out in the USA. The death toll of nearly 3000 exceeded the toll of approximately 2,400 dead after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
The Freedom Tower, to be built on the site of the Twin Towers, is intended to be the world’s highest skyscraper after its scheduled completion in 2001.
Other skyscraper: Rockefeller Center, New Yank’s Chrysler Building, United Nations Organizations building (39-stor).
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY is standing at the entrance of New York harbor on Bedloe Island, greets everybody who comes to New York by sea.
New York city is the home for Columbia University. The famous Wall Street is known for its banks, trust, companies, numerous big offices governing financial life of the nation and the world. The New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange are both in the Wall Street area. There is also the Federal reserve bank of New York. Being in its earliest days the northern-most barrier, separating the town from the wilderness and its “hostile Indians” or from other settlers up the coast in New England it was a fortified stockade rather than a wall, but the name Wall street means just that.
Parks of Manhattan are the colorful neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, So Ho, Chinatown and Little Italy. Harlem, the community in the north of Manhattan, was originally inhabited by Dutch, then, by the early 1900’s it was populated mainly by Germans and German-Jewish families, but as the Negroes moved in, the whites moved out, today it is inhabited mainly by Afro-Americans, but now it has also seen an influx of Hispanic Americans and some whites. A few years ago Harlem was a synonym of crime, robbery, theft, demoralizing slums. Now community observers say that as a result of some city programs and public assistance, Harlem is undergoing more profound changes than at any time in recent memory perhaps since the 1920’s.
New York is popularly called the “Big Apple”, a custom dating from of least the 1930’s when jazz musicians took the name of a Harlem nightclub and extended it to the whole neighborhood and then to the city in general. In the mid 1970’s the New York Convention Visitors Bureau used the phrase in an ad campaign be boost tourism.
LECTURE 5
