Washington, DC, History for Kids: The Making of a Capital City
Contents TI M E LI N E VI I NTRO D U C TI O N IX 1 A Capital Is Born 1600 1792 1 Archaeology in Your Backyard 4 City Layout Game 9 Survey the District Diamond 12 2 Early Days 1792 1805 15 Propose a Resolution 24 3 Washington Burns 1805 1840 27 Create a Watermark 37 Supreme Court Scrapbook 40 4 Three Landmarks 1840 1860 45 Then and Now Game 50 Create a Smithsonian Collection 55 Make a Cornerstone Box 60
5 Civil War Days 1860 1880 63 Write a Civil War Letter 71 Design a Memorial 77 ACK N OWLE D G M E NT S 12 5 R E SO U RCE S 12 6 I N D E X 127 6 The Making of a Capital City 1880 1930 83 Plant a Cherry Tree 86 Mall Walking Tour 91 Design a New Flag for DC 92 Draw a Political Cartoon 94 Create a Walking Tour of Your Neighborhood 97 7 Modern Washington 1930 Present 99 Search for Your Family in the National Archives Records 111 Write Your Own Dream Speech 114 Make a Cut-and-Cover Metro Tunnel 119 Request a Name Rubbing 122 Be an Engineer 123
Time Line 1608 Captain John Smith is the first European to explore the Washington area 1660s First European settlers arrive 1820s Rebuilt and expanded Capitol is completed 1748 Bellhaven is founded soon to become Alexandria 1751 Georgetown is founded 1789 George Washington becomes the first president of the United States 1790 The Potomac is selected as the site for the future capital of the United States 1791 Pierre L’Enfant begins to lay out the new city 1792 Cornerstone of the White House is laid 1793 Cornerstone of the Capitol is laid 1800 US government officially moves to Washington 1814 British burn Washington during the War of 1812 1816 St John’s Church is built vi
1844 Cannon explodes aboard the warship Princeton 1846 District of Columbia loses part of its area is no longer diamond shaped 1848 Construction of the Washington Monument begins 1855 Smithsonian Castle is completed 1861 Civil War starts and troops begin to amass in Washington 1863 New Capitol dome is completed 1865 Civil War ends President Lincoln is assassinated 2001 Terrorists crash plane into the Pentagon 1872 Parking Commission is created to beautify Washington 1888 Washington Monument is opened to the public 1912 3,020 cherry trees arrive as a gift from Japan 1922 Lincoln Memorial is completed 1943 Jefferson Memorial is dedicated 1957 First segment of the Beltway opens 1962 Dulles Airport opens 1963 250,000 people participate in the March on Washington protesting for civil rights 1976 Metro subway service begins 2011 Earthquake damages the Washington Monument vii
