Wash, DC April 2010, Post 7, Tour of Capitol

On Thursday, we met up with a group of 8th graders from Howard's school who were in DC for spring break with 3 teachers.  A number of the students were in Howard's classes.  We met them at Union Station where they were having a quick lunch on Thursday.  They were very happy to see Mr. Cockerham. 

Here is Mr. Cockerham with Ms. Moore, the coordinator of the trip: 











We were able to join the class on their tour at 1 p.m. instead of going on the tour at 4 that Rep. McDermott's staff had gotten for us the week before we left.  (Senator Murray's staff could not help us.)
The tour really only shows 2 big rooms, the Rotunda and the area where the House used to meet before additions were made to the Capitol.  There is a new addition, the "Visitors' Center," with good pictures, artifacts and dioramas showing how the area had developed over time.  BTW, no bottles, even empty water bottles, are allowed into the Capitol.

This is the cast used to make the Statue of Freedom on top of the Capitol dome.  You can see how huge it is as Howard is standing next to it.   It is on display inside the Capitol.

Each US state is represented by 2 statues of famous people from that state.  Each state decides which people should represent them.  There are also statues of many of the presidents.  The most awesome statue is that of King Kamehameha of Hawaii.

Hellen Keller represents Alabama.

Mother Joseph and Marcus Whitman represent Washington State. 

President Lincoln's status was created by a 17 year old young woman. 

Within the Rotunda there are eight large paintings about the development of the United States as a nation. On the east side are four paintings depicting major events in the discovery of America. On the west are four paintings depicting the founding of the United States. The east side paintings include The Baptism of Pocahontas by John Gadsby Chapman, The Embarkation of the Pilgrims by Robert Walter Weir, The Discovery of the Mississippi by William Henry Powell, and The Landing of Columbus by John Vanderlyn. The paintings on the west side are by John Trumbull: Declaration of Independence, Surrender of General Burgoyne, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, and General George Washington Resigning His Commission. Trumbull was a contemporary of the United States' founding fathers and a participant in the American Revolutionary War; he painted a self-portrait into Surrender of Lord Cornwallis.