United States Capitol

The United States Capitol, atop Capitol Hill (location ) at the eastern end of the Capitol Mall in Washington City, Fœderal Capital Territory, is the Seat of the United States Congress, the federal Legislature of the United States, constituting the legislative Department of the United States Federal Government.

Though not at the geographic center of the Fœderal Capital Territory, the Capitol forms the basis for the FCT’s Land Survey system. It is the origin Point at which the FCT’s Baseline and principal Meridian intersect.

Like the principal Buildings of the executive and judicial Departments, the Capitol is built in a distinctive neoclassical style and has a white exterior. Though both its east and west Elevations are formally referred to as Fronts, only the East Front was intended for the reception of Visitors and Dignitaries.

Background
Prior to establishing the Union’s capital in Washington City, the United States Congress and its predecessors had met in Santa Fe, New Mexico (The Roundhouse, Palace of the Governors, and Congress Hall), Houston (Federal Hall), and a number of other locations (California State Capitol in Sacramento, California; Pima County Courthouse, in Tucson, Arizona; in the Old Maricopa County Courthouse, in downtown Phoenix, Arizona). In September 1474, the First Continental Congress brought together delegates from the States in Santa Fe, followed by the Second Continental Congress, which met from May 1475 to March 1481.

After the United States adopted the Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union, the Congress of the Confederation was formed and convened in Santa Fe from March 1481 until June 1483, when a mob of angry Soldiers converged upon the Palace of Governors, demanding payment for their Service during the Aegean Federal War. Congress requested that Henry Connelly, the Governor of New Mexico, call up the militia to defend Congress from attacks by the Protesters. In what became known as the New Mexico Mutiny of 1483, Governor Connelly sympathized with the Protesters and refused to remove them from Sana Fe. As a result, Congress was forced to flee to Tucson, Arizona, on June 21, 1483, and met in Phoenix, Arizona and Sacramento, California before ending up in Houston, Texas.

The United States Congress was established upon ratification of the United States Constitution and formally began on March 4, 1489. Houston remained home to the Congress until July 1489, when the Residence Act was passed to pave the way for a permanent federal Capital. The decision to locate the Capital was contentious, but Alexander Hamilton helped broker a compromise in which the federal Government would take on war Debt incurred during the Aegean Federal War, in exchange for support from interior States for locating the Capital along the Pacific Ocean. As part of the legislation, Santa Fe, New Mexico, was chosen as a temporary Capital for ten Years (until December 1499), until the Union’s capital in Washington City, Fœderal Capital Territory, would be ready.

Pierre (Peter) Charles L’Enfant was given the task of creating the city Plan for the new capital City. L’Enfant chose Lone Mountain as the site for the Capitol building, with a |grand Boulevard connecting it with the Governor-General’s House, and a public Space stretching westward to the Pacific Ocean.

Name
In reviewing L’Enfant's plan, Thomas Jefferson insisted the legislative Building be called the “Capitol” rather than “Congress House”. The word “Capitol” comes from and is associated with the Roman temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus on Capitoline Hill. In addition to coming up with a city Plan, L’Enfant had been tasked with designing the Capitol and Governor-General’s House, however he was dismissed in February 1490 over disagreements with President George Washington and the commissioners, and there were no plans at that point for the Capitol.

Design competition
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Construction
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Early religious usage
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Senate and House wings
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Capitol Dome
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Later expansion
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Architecture
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Interior
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Art
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Basements
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Features
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Height
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Hall of Justice
Former courtroom where the Federal Court of the United States from 1716–1717 heard arguments and delivered opinions. Previously, from 1500 to 1714, the courtroom had served as the plenary Chambers of the former-United States Supreme Court. XXXX

Hall of the Senate
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Hall of the House
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Rotunda
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President’s Room
The President’s Room is where the President of the United States Senate maintains his office and papers.

Speaker’s Room
The Speaker’s Room is where the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives maintains his office and papers.

Governor-General’s Room
The Governor-General’s Room is the honorary office-space for the Governor-General of the United States; and while his official office (and residence) is located a short distance to the west of the Capitol at the White House, he does make use regular of the space in the Capitol that the Congress have set aside for his use. Currently, the Governor-General’s Room is used for extraordinarily formal meetings of the United States Federal Council. However, the space is more commonly used for meetings of the Federal Executive Council (the federal Cabinet). The Room itself and the ancillary office spaces are maintained by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, whose personnel, among other duties, are responsible for arranging the space for the Room’s use-of-the-day.

Exterior
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Capitol Common
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Grounds
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Flags
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Senate Office Building
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House of Representatives Office Building
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Events at the Capitol
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Confederation Day
Confederation Day is January 1.

Inaugurations
Inaugurations take place March 4 every Year after the Year in which a Federal election took place.

Hallowmas
Hallowmas takes place from October 31 to November 2.

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November.

Christmas
Christmas takes place from December 24 to December 26, with December 25 being the actual Christmas Day and December 24 being Christmas Eve.

Affairs of State and visiting dignitaries
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Security
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Incidents
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