Independence Hall
The Pennsylvania State House was built
between 1732 and 1753 because the state
congress did not have all of the money up
front.
The Liberty Bell was originally installed in
the bell tower, but was removed when it
cracked.
May 10, 1775 - The building served as the location for The 2nd Continental Congress:
1.
The new United States created an official army during this meeting
2.
George Washington was selected as the Commander-In-Chief of the Army.
3.
Ben Franklin was chosen to be the 1st Postmaster General for the U.S.
Declaration of Independence:
The Declaration of Independence was read aloud and approved by the Congress on July
4, 1776.
Congress of the Confederation:
Under the Articles of Confederation (the 1st U.S. Constitution), the Congress met in this
building from March 1, 181 to June, 1783.
Constitutional Convention:
June, 1787, delegates from the 13 colonies gathered together in this building to “tweek”
the Articles of Confederation to address its weaknesses. Instead of adding amendments
to the Articles of Confederation, the Congress created a totally new U.S. Constitution by
September 17, 1787.
United States Capitol:
The United States Capitol moved from New York City to Philadelphia for 10 years while
Washington, D.C. was being prepared as the new Capitol. The Congress moved back into
Philadelphia on December 6, 1790 and met at Congress Hall adjacent to Independence Hall
until moving to Washington, D.C. in 1800.
President Lincoln Lies In State:
April 22, 1865 – President Lincoln’s body was placed in state in Independence Hall on his way
back to Springfield, Illinois for final burial after his assassination.
Congress Hall (Next to Independence Hall)
Liberty Bell
The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the bell to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn’s
Constitution for Pennsylvania. It was to symbolize the
religious freedoms extended to all forms of religion that was
to become known as Penn’s “Holy Experiment”. It also
represented the respect shown to the Native Americans as
well as the inclusion of citizens in making laws in
Pennsylvania.
The abolitionists used the image of the bell as a symbol of
freedom for slaves. The abolitionists were the people who
gave it the name “Liberty Bell”.
The quote on the bell comes from Leviticus 25:10 which
says, “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the
inhabitants thereof".
Centered on the front of the Bell are the words, "Pass and Stow / Philada / MDCCLIII." This
refers to John Pass and John Stow who melted down the original bell and cast a new bell to fix a
crack that developed upon its first ringing.
The Large crack happened on February 26, 1846 while ringing in George Washington’s
birthday.
Liberty Bell Facts
Location: Liberty Bell Center, Market Street & 6th, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bell Originally Cast: Whitechapel Foundry 1752
Bell recast: Pass & Stow Philadelphia 1753 and again later that year
Bell owned by: The City of Philadelphia (not the Park Service)
Center opened: October, 2003
Center architect: Bernard J. Cywinski of Bohlin, Cywinski, Jackson
Exhibit designer: UJMN Architects + Designers (Ueland Junker McCauley Nicholson LLC)
Tourism information: Daily 9am-5pm with extended hours July and August. The bell is visible
24 hours a day. 215-597-8974
Strike note: E-flat
Composition: 70% copper, 25% tin, small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver (a
more detailed analysis is given
Size of "Crack": The "crack" is approximately 1/2 inch wide and 24.5 inches long. The Bell
actually suffered a series of hairline cracks. The area around the crack was expanded in hopes
of extending the useful life of the Bell. In the picture at right, note the hairline crack that finally
rendered the bell unusable extending upward.
Bell Stats
 circumference around the lip: 12 ft.
 circumference around the crown: 7 ft. 6 in.
 lip to crown: 3 ft.
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height over the crown: 2 ft. 3 in.
thickness at lip: 3 in.
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thickness at crown: 1-1/4 in.
weight (originally): 2080 lbs.
length of clapper: 3 ft. 2 in.
weight of clapper: 44-1/2 lbs.
weight of yoke: 200 lbs.
Length of visible hairline fracture: approx. 2' 4" (this and next measurement made by
Park curator Bob Giannini in 1993)
Length of drilled crack: approx. 2' 1/2"
yoke wood: American Elm (a.k.a. slippery elm)
Franklin Court/Ben Franklin’s Post Office
This whole area included Ben Franklin’s three story house which included 10 rooms (where
the white steel “Ghost House” stand today. Just to the north of the house is Ben Franklin’s Post
Office and his printing shop. There is an underground museum with numerous artifacts below
Franklin’s Court.
Christ’s Church and Burial Grounds
This is the location of Benjamin Franklin’s burial plot. It is located behind Christ’s Church and
directly across from the United States Mint (where all of the coins in America are made).
Betsy Ross’ Home
Betsy Ross and her husband rented here from 1773 to
1786 and operated an upholstery business from this site.
Betsy is often credited for creating and sewing the first
American flag with the 13 red and white strip as well as the
13 stars in a circular pattern. Betsy is buried just to the left
of this house across the courtyard.
The house was built around 1740 and was restored in
1898 with the help of 2 million Americans who donated a
single dime.
Elfreth’s Alley
This is the oldest residential street in the America.
Since 1702, some 3,000 people have lived on this
street. There are 32 houses that still stand on this
street that were built between 1728 and 1836. This
truly is like stepping back into time. Cophie Douglass,
a former slave, began his life as a free man in postrevolutionary Philadelphia while living on Elfreth’s
Alley.
Dolly Madison House
Dolly Todd was married to John Todd and lived in this home. Upon his death, Aaron Burr
introduced Dolly to James Madison and eventually was married. Dolly became famous for
introducing ice cream to the White House and saving the famous painting of George
Washington from the British setting fire to the White House in the War of 1812.
Carpenter’s Hall
This building was the home of the Carpenter’s guild (which included architects as well as
carpenters). This building became famous for hosting the 1st Continental Congress for seven
weeks. 12 out of the 13 colonies sent delegates (Georgia did not) to meet during this time
including John Jay (Famous for the Jay Treaty), John Adams and Sam Adams (2nd President and
Leader of the Sons of Liberty), George Washington and Patrick Henry (of “Give me liberty or
give me death” fame).
This congress demanded a repeal of the “Intolerable Acts” and claimed that only the colonies
had the right to govern themselves. This meeting approved the training of militias to defend
themselves against the British if necessary as well as calling for a boycott of British goods in the
colonies.
Declaration House (Graff House)
In June, 1776, Thomas Jefferson and four other members of Congress were chosen to create
the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson rented a room in this house at the outer edges of
the city to find peace and quiet to accomplish the task. It took him just under three weeks to
complete the document which was approved on July 4, 1776 by the Congress.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
White House
George Washington selected the site for the White House in 1791, but has been the only
President not to have lived in this building. John and Abigail Adams moved into the White
House in 1800. The British set fire to the President’s home during the War of 1812. It was
rebuilt and James Monroe moved in shortly after in 1817.
Monroe added the South Portico (1824) while Andrew Jackson oversaw the construction of
the North Portico (1829). In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt began a major renovation
which included the famed “West Wing”. William Howard Taft had the “Oval Office” built which
now serves as the President’s office. Harry Truman, in 1952, had the White House totally
renovated again.
Some White House Trivial Facts are as follows:
1.
There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412
doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
2.
At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's
Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore
Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
3.
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
Mount Vernon (Home of George Washington)
Mount Vernon was the home of George and Martha Washington for over 40 years. It is here
that George Washington called home while he was leading the American Army during the
American War for Independence (American Revolutionary War), his time of leading the
Constitutional Congress, and during his two terms of being the 1st President of the United
States of America. Upon retiring from public life, Washington returned to Mount Vernon where
he lived until his death on December 14, 1799 in his bedroom in the upper right side of his
mansion. He and his wife are placed in a tomb just to the south of the mansion.
National Museum of
American History
This museum has over 3 million
artifacts from America’s rich
history. Topics range from
Presidencies to Military to Sports,
to Entertainment to Educational,
etc. This truly is Americana at its
best.
Arlington National Cemetery
Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers
The unknown soldier from WWI is located under the large marble sarcophagus. The other
unknowns are located under the white slabs of marble located in front of the large tomb.
Under the slab on the left is an unknown from the Korean Conflict. The right slab contains the
unknown from the WWII. The center slab contained an unknown from the Vietnam War until
DNA testing provided the answer for its identity in 1998 and the remains were removed and
therefore the plot remains empty.
Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers
Facts about the honor guard protecting the unknown soldiers located in the tomb:
1.
He takes 21 steps and pauses for 21 seconds symbolic of the 21 gun salute.
2.
He must be between 5’10” and 6’ 2” and have a waist size of 30” or less.
3.
He always positions his weapon between the tomb and the audience to symbolize his
protection.
4.
They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and
cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
5.
6.
7.
8.
They cannot swear in public FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES and cannot disgrace the uniform
{fighting} or the tomb in any way.
After TWO YEARS, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they
served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these
rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet.
There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click (in
honor of the cavalry riders’ spurs) as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on
the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.
The first SIX MONTHS of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is
spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must
memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft,
Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier
of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends FIVE HOURS A DAY getting his uniforms ready
for guard duty.
Gravesite of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy stood approximately 3o yards above this spot near the Arlington House
while visiting just 8 months before his untimely death when he was heard to have said while
looking out toward the Lincoln Memorial, “I could stay here forever.” He was buried at
Arlington on November 25, 1963. An “Eternal Flame” has been lit to remind the country that
our President had given his life in service to our country. Kennedy’s wife requested the flame
upon the inspiration of a similar flame in Paris, France honoring the unknown soldiers in France.
Today, President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline, and two of their children are buried at the site
of the Eternal Flame. His brothers, Robert Kennedy and Edward (Ted) Kennedy are also buried
just to the left of JFK’s burial site.
Arlington House (Custis - Lee Mansion)
This home was one time the home of the future
wife of George Washington, Martha Custis.
Eventually it was sold to the family of Confederate
General Robert E. Lee who was living here at the
time of the Civil War’s opening battles. He and his
family lived in the mansion for 30 years and
controlled the land around it as it served as a slave
plantation.
Upon General Lee’s leaving to lead the southern
forces, the U.S. government seized control of the
mansion and the land for military purposes. It did
not take long before the U.S. needed to have a place
to bury the many thousands of union troops that had
died during the Civil War. This began the tradition of
burying soldiers on these hallowed grounds.
Early on, only important officers were buried near
the mansion, while the lower ranks were buried at
the bottom of the hill. Many different types of people are buried here including two former
Presidents (John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft).
Caisson at Arlington Cemetery
Approximately 100 funerals every week are performed at Arlington National Cemetery.
Tradition has a team of six horses pulling a wagon with the flag covered casket to the grave site.
The horses are positioned so that there are three sets of two horses on a team. One horse is
left rider-less to indicate the fallen soldier being buried.
National Archives Building
Completed in 1935, the National Archives Building holds the original copies of the three
main formative documents of the United States and its government: the Declaration of
Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It also hosts a copy of the 1297 Magna
Carta. These are always on display in the Rotunda. Hundreds of other original documents such
as the Emancipation Proclamation and Louisiana Purchase Treaty are protected within the walls
of this building.
Lincoln Memorial
Dedicated on May, 1922 with Abraham Lincoln’s only surviving son – 79 year old Robert
Todd Lincoln- in attendance, the Lincoln Memorial is designed after the Greek Parthenon. This
was the sight of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have A Dream” (august 28, 1963) speech as
he looked out over the reflecting pool. On the north and south inner walls are engravings of
two of Lincoln’s famous speeches: 2nd Inaugural Address and Gettysburg Address.
Trivia:
Question: Can you spot the misspelled word in the speech on the north wall?
Answer:
“Euture” should be spelled “Future”.
Library of Congress
This is the official research library for the U.S. Congress and is linked to the Capitol
building via underground tunnels for the convenience of the congress members. This is the
largest library in the world in terms of shelf space and number of books. After fire from the
British attack on Washington, D.C. in the War of 1812 destroyed the original collection of books,
Thomas Jefferson sold 6,487 of his personal books to jumpstart the existing collection in 1815.
There are over 32 million printed books, 61 million manuscripts, the largest collection of rare
books in North America (including a Gutenberg Bible – 1 of only 4 known to exist), 1 million
worldwide newspaper covering the past 300 years, 6,000 comic books, 6 million works of sheet
music, 3 million sound recordings, and 14.7 million photographs and prints. In all, 147 million
items call the Library of Congress home.
Korean War Memorial
Dedicated in 1995, this memorial honors those who fought in the Korean Conflict from
1950-1953. The 19 figures represent a squad on patrol, drawn from each branch of the armed
forces; fourteen of the figures are from the U.S. Army, three are from the Marine Corps, one is
a Navy Corpsman, and one is an Air Force Forward Air Observer.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
The building was completed in 1943, but the statue of Jefferson was not added until
1947. The 19 foot tall statue looks out toward the White House. The walls contain the
engravings of several of Jefferson’s writings. The ears of corn, stalks of tobacco and a small
stack of books at the base of Jefferson’s feet in the back are reflective of his passions for
reading and agriculture.
Iwo Jima (Marine Corp Memorial)
This is a famous depiction of a World War II scene from the Battle of Iwo Jima. The
Marine Corp Memorial honors all soldiers who have fallen since 1775. It was dedicated in 1954
and sits just outside the Arlington National Cemetery. There are twelve hands in the memorial
corresponding to the six figures depicted. A persistent rumor has attributed the existence of a
thirteenth hand to the sculptor's wish to symbolize either all the other Marines who made the
flag raising possible, or the hand of God.
United States Capitol Building
This is the meeting place for the legislative (law-making) branch of our government. The
United States Congress was established upon ratification of the United States Constitution and
formally began on March 4, 1789. The Capitol held its first session of United States Congress on
November 17, 1800. In its early days, the Capitol building was not only used for governmental
functions. On Sundays, church services were regularly held there - a practice that continued
until after the Civil War.
United State Supreme Court
This is the highest court in the United States. It is the last possible appeal for any
grievance related to a person’s Constitutional Rights. This also represents the judicial branch of
our federal government. After moving to Washington, D.C., the Supreme Court originally was
situated within the Capitol building from 1810-1935. The current structure was completed in
1935.
The Great Hall: Busts of each of the Chief Justices of the United States in alcoves on
either side of the Hall. These marble works are periodically appropriated by the Congress. The
most recent addition was Chief Justice Rehnquist's bust in December 2009 to the far end of the
north side of the Hall, just to the left of the Courtroom doors.
Vietnam War Memorial (Vietnam Wall)
The memorial currently consists of three separate parts: the Three Soldiers statue, the
Vietnam Women's Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which is the bestknown part of the memorial. The wall was completed in 1982 an originally contained the
names of 58,195 soldiers killed or missing from the Vietnam War. When a visitor looks upon
the wall, his or her reflection can be seen simultaneously with the engraved names, which is
meant to symbolically bring the past and present together. There are currently 58,272 names
on the wall.
The Three Soldiers Statue dedicated in 1984, depicts three soldiers, purposefully
identifiable as White American, African American, and Hispanic American to represent the
diversity of America in its struggle in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Women's Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the women of the United
States who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses. It serves as a reminder of
the importance of women in the conflict. It depicts three uniformed women with a wounded
soldier. The woman looking up is named Hope, the woman praying is named Faith, and the
woman tending to a wounded soldier is named Charity.
World War II Memorial
Created in 2004, this memorial consists of 56 granite pillars, each 17 feet (5 m) tall,
arranged in a semicircle around a plaza with two 43-foot (13 m) triumphal arches, crafted by
Rock of Ages Corporation, on opposite sides. Two-thirds of the 7.4-acre (30,000 m2) site is
landscaping and water. Each pillar is inscribed with the name of one of the 48 U.S. states of
1945, as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory and Territory of Hawaii, the
Commonwealth of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. The northern arch is inscribed with "Atlantic"; the southern one, "Pacific." The
Freedom Wall is on the west side of the memorial, with a view of the Reflecting Pool and
Lincoln Memorial behind it. The wall has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans
who died in the war (404,800). In front of the wall lies the message "Here we mark the price of
freedom".
Washington Monument
This is the signature structure of the city and serves as the “north star” regardless of
where a person is around the city. The Washington Monument is the intersection between the
U.S. Capitol building, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Jefferson Memorial
forming a cross if you were to connect the dots. By law, no other structure can equal or exceed
the height of 555 feet 5 1/8th inches – the height of the Washington Monument.
This is the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk. Construction of the
monument began in 1848, but was halted from 1854 to 1877, and finally completed in 1884. A lack of
funds and the Civil War interrupted the construction of the monument. One difficulty that is visible to
this day is that the builders were unable to find the same quarry stone used in the initial construction,
and as a result, the bottom third of the monument is a slightly lighter shade than the rest of the
construction. At the very top of the monument is an aluminum apex baring the inscription: “Laus Deo”
(Praise Be To God).