[00:00:00] This is the FCP Podcast Network. the people who work there in a manner that inspires informed patriotism. So your podcast is perfect for our work. Absolutely. I'm so excited to have you on today. In the last episode, we talked about George Washington's inauguration, and of course that was up in New York at Federal Hall.
[00:01:40] So I thought this was a natural next episode to find out it up as we went along. And the United States Constitution granted to the Congress the power to determine the location of America's capital. But it was a very fervent debate. Folks in the South really wanted happened. So they said, and what they agreed was a historic conference where Washington. Before that, it had been referred to as federal city. It became that it should just be the place where government functioned. Therefore, they created the District of Columbia. Now, of course, now there's all this drama about, you know, should it be a state and because more people live here. But at the time, there were really... the District of Columbia was not very well developed.
[00:07:04] Although the Capitol actually the actual Capitol building built? The cornerstone was laid on September 18th 1793 but that didn't But the building was actually completed. They moved in 1800. Okay. And in the same building was Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress.
[00:09:40] They were all in there together.
[00:09:43] In one wing, and then they expanded the House and Senate wing, which is what we think of them now. And then the dome, it looked too small. Plus it was falling. That was a problem. And they are some of the most famous pictures of American history, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. But we believe that the most important picture is the picture
[00:12:21] of General George Washington resigning his commission.
[00:12:25] Now, why is that important?
[00:13:23] And so he had won the war. He resigned his commission and he went to Mount Vernon.
[00:13:28] Wow.
[00:13:29] And King George, who we just beaten, you know,
[00:13:33] there in a, said, if that really happened,
[00:13:37] George Washington is the most inspiring leader in the world.
[00:13:43] And that's why we think fascinating building because on the one hand, it's a museum with these amazing statues and paintings. But on the other hand, it's a working office. And prices that are made, will so mad across the country. And so one exasperated my gosh, absolutely. It's I can't imagine trying to sneak a cow anywhere. So well, you know, understand, you're funny. It was a little different time. You know, not many years before that,
[00:17:40] President William Howard Taft had a leadership that are in the capital itself. There also is now what we call the capital complex, the surrendering, the commission picture is. There's also just outside of the house chamber is the former house chamber when it was smaller, which is now called National Statuary Hall. And that hosts a number of statues
[00:20:21] that each state is entitled to send two statues
[00:20:25] to the Capitol.
[00:21:23] in National Statuary Hall collection, and she replaced a Confederate general.
[00:21:26] Love it. Yeah, actually my next question
[00:21:28] was going to be about Statuary Hall.
[00:21:29] So I'm glad you brought that up.
[00:21:31] It's such a little slice of America.
[00:21:34] You know, like you said, it reflects the different values
[00:21:38] and, you know, feelings of each state,
[00:21:41] and it's so neat to see them all together like that.
[00:21:45] Well, and it's fascinating. Oh wow. And there is an empty tomb. It was built for to have George Washington's remains there. But the capital unfinished till 25 years died. And so his family was like, he's totally fine in Mount Vernon. We're picking. I suspect he might have preferred Mount Vernon
[00:23:02] anyway. Well, that's what they say. So privilege of being on the little metro station underneath too. Which is pretty fun. Yes, the the the subways that connect the the buildings. So yeah, they're pretty fun.
[00:24:21] There are lots of fun.
[00:24:22] There are lots of...
[00:24:23] It is.
[00:24:24] Right, so if kids were to come visit the Capitol, which I hope everybody representative of each of the original colonies. And it is pretty amazing to look at. And then there's a freeze around it that is the freeze of American history. And Burmese himself died while doing it. And it was finished then by another artist.
[00:25:42] And it is such an amazing depiction
[00:25:47] that it looks three dimensional. fact that these are we elect our leaders and They meet together in a very hands-on way Yeah, you can also walk by when you're in the crypt and see where You would walk down the stairs if you were going out to your inauguration to be elected president. Wow
[00:27:02] That's pretty cool. My favorite thing outside the capital is
[00:27:07] On the atop the capital what's unique about America is that we're dedicated to freedom. And so the Statue of Freedom is symbolic. It's not a human person. And so there was a lot of discussion about how to do that, what to put in.
[00:28:20] And it was cast in bronze, but it was developed overseas And so Philip Reed, for the last seven months of working on the Statue of Freedom, was paid as a free person. I have goosebumps. Yeah. That is such a wonderful story and it encapsulates so much about the American spirit.
[00:29:40] It does.
[00:29:41] It really does.
[00:29:42] And that's why, you know, when you look. Thanks for having me. Thank you for listening.