THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE A family’s home can hold many treasures Dreams goals and memories are made there The White House in Washington D C is one of the most famous buildings in the world It is where the president of the United States lives and works For more than 200 years the White House has stood as a proud symbol of American leadership the will of the people and a commitment to democracy Freedom Fact The White House also has the most famous address at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue The White House is a symbol of the presidency the United States government and the American people 4
The White House is sometimes called the people’s house It is home to the president’s family but the White House harbors the hopes and the history of the American people 5
THE RESIDENCE ACT Just like today the people living in the newly founded United States had different viewpoints Deciding where to put the new nation’s capital and the home of the president required a compromise Thomas Jefferson came up with an idea that would satisfy both the states in the north and in the south The government would establish a district on property that bordered the Potomac River It would take land from Maryland and Virginia The District of Columbia would not be subject to the laws of any individual state The Residence Act of 1790 made the permanent U S capital site official Freedom Fact Thomas Jefferson was the U S Secretary of State when he proposed the location for the nation’s capital He later became the nation’s third president in 1801 6
Choosing the exact location of the president’s home was President George Washington’s job He put the Capitol Building and the president’s house on hills at opposite ends of the city Freedom Fact The city of Washington was named in honor of George Washington D C stands for District of Columbia The district was named after explorer Christopher Columbus George Washington 1732 1799 Christopher Columbus 1451 1506 7
