Washington, D.C.
1
Outline
Introduction
Part I. Historical
background
Part II.
Presentation of the
city
Part III. Attractions
Conclusion
References
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Introduction
Capital of the world's most powerful democracy
Named after the first U.S. president, George
Washington
Seat of federal government since 1800
In 1957 Washington became the first major city in
America with a black majority
After the September 11 on the World Trade
Center and Washington's Pentagon Building,
security was tightened throughout the USA's
capital city
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I. Historical background
People started referring to the spot as 'the city of
Washington' around 1791
Maryland and Virginia agreed to cede land to create
the District of Columbia (named for Christopher
Columbus)
French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired
to design the city
During the War of 1812, the city was occupied and
burned by the British
Washington had abolished slavery in 1862
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I. Historical background
President Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's
Theater in 1865
By 1940, 44 percent of civilian workers in the city
of Washington were federal employees
Martin Luther King (1929-1968), clergyman and
Nobel Prize winner, on August 28, 1963, delivered
his famous address to 200,000 civil rights
supporters: his “I Have a Dream” speech
On September 11, 2001, Washington, D.C., and
New York City became the targets terrorist attack
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II. Presentation of the city
City and district, capital of the United States
Bounded on one side by the Potomac River and
on the other sides by the state of Maryland
Population: 600,000; Area: 170 sq km
Washington's climate is hot and humid in the
summer and cold and damp in the winter
Most tourist sights are located around the Capitol
Federal jobs stimulated the economy and boosted
the value of real estate
Tourism is the second most important aspect of
the city's economy
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III. Attractions
The Capitol
Seat of the U.S. Congress
Construction began in 1790
The British nearly burned it to the ground in 1814
Rebuilt from 1817 to 1819
Neoclassical-style building, the Capitol is
constructed of white marble
The iron dome, also white, is surmounted by a
statue of a woman representing Freedom
The Capitol is the epicenter of the city as well as
being its most prominent landmark
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III. Attractions
Lincoln Memorial
Located at the west end of the National Mall,
between the Reflecting Pool and the Potomac River
Monument to the 16th US President
Completed in 1922
Symbol of America's commitment to civil rights
Designed to resemble a Greek temple
The monument's 36 columns represent the 36
states in Lincoln's union
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III. Attractions
National Gallery of Art
The national museum of Western art rivals that of
the Prado or the Louvre
Founded in 1937 with the gift to the nation of the
art collection of the financier Andrew W. Mellon
Permanent collection of European and American
paintings
Website:
http://www.nga.gov/
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Conclusion
Washington isn't as hip as San Francisco or New
York, but its museums rank with some of the
country's best (most are free)
Washington is notorious too for the many severe
problems that trouble its residents
Poverty, crime, and racial segregation are in the
shadow of glorious monuments proclaiming
“equality for all”
Washington, DC, is no model, but it is a microcosm
- of the grand ideals and grim realities of the USA
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References
Multimedia tour of the city:
http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/tour.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/photo/visitorsguide/G22251-2002Feb04.html
Tourism:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations
http://travel.yahoo.com/t/destinations/north_americ
a/united_states/district_of_columbia/67557.html
Encyclopedia:
http://encarta.msn.com
Pictures:
http://www.kestan.com/travel/dc/monument 13