The National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, held on October 14, 1979, was inspired in part by the assassination of openly gay California politician Harvey Milk. The five issues the march supported included the end of anti-homosexual…

In 1876 after sitting uncompleted for almost twenty years Congress passed a joint resolution taking charge of the completion of the monument. Taking control of the land and monument back from the Washington National Monument Society who had run out…

This original, lavish design of the Washington Monument was created by Robert Mills, who won a national design competition in 1836 sponsored by the Washington National Monument Society. The Society relied on public funds for construction. Shortly…

Mary and Emily Edmonson were among the 77 enslaved African Americans who boarded the schooner, Pearl, in 1848 intending to sail down the Potomac, then north to freedom. Captured when the Pearl becalmed, the Edmonson sisters were jailed. They awaited…

This Washington Post article from February 22, 1885 discusses the features of the newly completed Washington Monument. Including facts about height, weight, and marble used, the article shows the enthusiasm Americans felt that the monument was…

On October 6, 1943, a group of 400 rabbis walked from Union Station to the US Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and White House in an effort to raise awareness that millions of European Jews were being killed or imprisoned by the Nazi regime. Led by Hillel…

Between 1835 and 1855, a lockkeeper lived in a small stone cottage on the juncture of the Washington City Canal and the C & O Extension. The Canal closed due to competition from railroads, and decaying conditions, poor sanitation, and arguments…

In March 1935 a dust storm hit Washington, DC, caused by soil erosion in the midwest in what came to be called the Dust Bowl. Washington had already experienced at least one dust storm, in May the previous year, but this storm had special timing. It…

In 1791, Andrew Ellicott surveyed the future city of Washington, taking the place of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the city's original designer. While Ellicott reshaped many intricacies of L'Enfant's plans for grand views, fountains, and public buildings,…

The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom attracted demonstrators of all ages. Edith Lee-Payne attended the March, which was held on her twelfth birthday, with her mother who thought it important to teach her about the Civil Rights struggle.…