Dive into the captivating tale of Japan's 1860 leap from centuries of isolation to forging ties with the U.S. Uncover their daring voyage, America's samurai intrigue, and the birth of a legendary alliance.
Take a look back at the Willard Hotel's major renovations in the 1980s with this aerial image of the iconic Washington, D.C. hotel. Learn more about the history of the Willard Hotel with this post!
What did the new capital look like in 1799? This is an account John Davis, an Englishman who spent four years in the late 18th century traveling up and down the east coast of the new country.
Take a look at this fascinating series of photos taken by Carl Mydans in September 1935 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. These images show a very different side of Georgetown from what we're used to today, with children playing on the street and cars parked on the side of the road.
The first State of the Union was in 1800 by our second president, John Adams. Thomas Jefferson began the tradition of passing along the state of the union in writing to Congress, allegedly because he felt he was an inadequate public speaker.
In 1913, the task of speaking directly to a joint session of Congress was reestablished by Woodrow Wilson.
Woodrow Wilson revived the tradition of the oral State of the Union address (1913)
Gentlemen of the Congress:
In pursuance of my constitutional duty...
Take a look at the Washington Directory from 1822 and explore the regular people living in the city, including our fifth president, James Monroe. See the page that's really interesting!
