The 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will arrive Friday, 11/22. Lighting Ceremony 12/3. Details.
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Edward I (1239-1307) King of England. Founded the parliamentary constitution of England. Eliminated the divisive political effects of the feudal system.
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National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Series The NSO performs three starlight concerts annually on the West Front lawn of the U.S. Capitol. These concerts are sponsored by Congress and the Secretary of the Interior, and are held in observance of: Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day For full details
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The Progress of Civilization features figures that represent the early days of America along with the diversity of human endeavor.
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Apotheosis of Democracy features an allegorical group of "Peace Protecting Genius" and figures representing two great sources of wealth.
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The Genius of America features figures of America, Justice and Hope. The entire pediment is 81 feet 6 inches in length and the figures are 9 feet high.
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This group portrait monument to the pioneers of the woman suffrage movement, which won women the right to vote in 1920, was sculpted from an 8-ton block of marble in Carrara, Italy. The monument features portrait busts of three movement leaders: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia
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The two winged figures, hovering in the air, hold laurel wreaths above the bust of the George Washington. Fame, on the right, also holds a trumpet; Peace, on the left, a palm branch.
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Justice and History features two draped female figures reclining against a globe.
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In the niche above the entablature on the south wall of National Statuary Hall stands the heroic-sized figure of Liberty.
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The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) strives to perform all work at a high level of excellence and has been recognized for its efforts through many awards. These awards are highlighted here at the end of each fiscal year.
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This piece is artist Alexander Calder's only work that combined a separate mobile and a stabile (or standing sculpture). In 2016, the clouds were removed after a structural safety analysis was completed. They will be refabricated and reinstalled as funding becomes available.
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Abraham Lincoln's bust was carved directly from the block of marble rather than creating a copy of a plaster cast made from a clay model. Sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, best known for his sculptures at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.
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Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who worked at his country's legation in Budapest during World War II and used his diplomatic status to save the lives of tens of thousands of Jews threatened by the occupying Nazi forces and their Hungarian collaborators. His determination and
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Sojourner Truth's bust is the first sculpture to honor an African American woman in the United States Capitol.
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William Penn is shown at center with the Delaware Indians at the time of the Treaty of Shackamaxon. This treaty formalized the purchase of land in Pennsylvania and cemented an amicable relationship between the Quakers and the Indians for almost a hundred years. This scene was that last one on which
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A Confederate soldier and a Union soldier shake hands, marking the reunion of the country after the devastation of the Civil War. A cotton plant and a northern pine tree symbolize the South and the North, respectively. This is the first of Allyn Cox's three scenes. (1865)
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General George Washington, on horseback, receives the sword of surrender from Major General O'Hare, who represented Lord Cornwallis after his defeat at Yorktown, the last battle of the American Revolution. (1781)
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Tecumseh, a brilliant Indian chief, warrior and orator, is shown being fatally shot by Colonel Johnson at the Battle of the Thames in Upper Canada during the War of 1812. Tecumseh and his followers joined forces with the British to resist the encroachment of settlers on Indian territory. With
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Key historic dates and details of vice presidential inaugurals.
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This idealized depiction shows the principal authors of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, reading the document to colonists. (1776)
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The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill set off the California gold rush of 1849. In this scene prospectors dig for gold with picks and shovels and pan for the precious metal. In the center three well-dressed men, possibly Sutter and two friends, carefully examine the contents of a prospector's pan
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A group of Pilgrims, led by William Brewster, is shown giving thanks for their safe voyage after their arrival in Plymouth, Massachusetts. (1620)
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Christopher Columbus disembarks from the Santa Maria on a plank, greeted by Native Americans. This is the first of four scenes of Spanish conquest. Brumidi's central figure seems to have been inspired by a statue of Columbus by Luigi Persico, which was then at the east central steps of the Capitol.
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The Spanish conqueror of Peru, Francisco Pizarro, leading his horse, pushes through the jungle searching for El Dorado, the mythical land of gold. Pizarro eventually captured the Inca capital, Cuzco. (1533)
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The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) erects the inaugural platform on the Capitol's West Front, sets up the necessary seating and fencing on the grounds, and coordinates other activities with the Joint Congressional Committee on the Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) regarding all of the physical
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A gun crew prepares to fire a Naval gun in one of the two great naval battles of the Spanish-American War. In the course of helping Cuba win independence from Spain the United States became prominent in world affairs by acquiring a colonial empire (Puerto Rico and Guam) and establishing naval
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James Oglethorpe, who founded the colony of Georgia and became its first governor, is shown making peace on the site of Savannah with the chief of the Muskogee Indians, who presents a buffalo skin decorated with an eagle, symbol of love and protection. (1732)
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The first panel contains the only allegorical figures in the frieze. America, wearing a liberty cap, stands in the center with her spear and shield.
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In accordance with the "Residence Act" passed by Congress in 1790, President Washington in 1791 selected the area that is now the District of Columbia to serve as the nation's capital. French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was charged with planning the new city of Washington. He located the U.S
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British troops fire on colonists, who had gathered at Lexington to stop them from going on to Concord to destroy a colonial supply depot. Major Pitcairn, the British officer on horseback, had ordered the colonists to disarm and disperse. As they began to do so, a single shot was fired, which led to