Statue of Freedom

Washington's Tomb is an empty burial chamber two stories directly below the Rotunda of the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. It was included in the original design of the building by William Thornton and intended to entomb the body of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The original design of the rotunda, and the Crypt beneath it, included a central glass floor allowing the public to view Washington's Tomb two floors below, but this was never implemented.When Washington died in 1799, the Capitol was still under construction. Both houses of Congress passed a resolution calling for Washington to be entombed in the Capitol upon its completion. His wife, Martha Washington, agreed to the plan despite the presence in her husband's will of a provision that he be buried at Mount Vernon. However, the original resolution was never carried out due to disputes over the specific design and cost of the tomb and the body was placed in a temporary tomb at Mount Vernon. Congress again attempted to resolve these issues in 1800, 1816, 1824, and 1829, when the Architect of the Capitol prepared plans for the tomb in anticipation of the approaching centennial of Washington's birth.Congress renewed its call to transfer the body to the Capitol in 1830, after an attempt to steal Washington's head in which the Mount Vernon tomb was vandalized and several of Washington's relatives' corpses desecrated in 1830. The current owner of the property, John Washington, decided to build a new, more secure tomb on the site instead.Formerly, the Lincoln Catafalque was stored and exhibited in the tomb. It is kept, at present, in a specially constructed display area in the Exhibition Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center.

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of then-U.S. president Donald Trump, two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. They sought to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the election results from being certified. According to the House select committee that investigated the incident, the attack was the culmination of a seven-part plan by Trump to overturn the election.Within 36 hours of the event, five people had died: one was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes, including a police officer. Many people were injured, including 174 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months. As of July 7, 2022, monetary damages caused by attackers exceed $2.7 million.Called to action by Trump, thousands of his supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., on January 5 and 6 to support his false claim that the 2020 election had been "stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats" and to demand that Vice President Mike Pence and Congress reject Biden's victory. Starting at noon on January 6, at a "Save America" rally on the Ellipse, Trump gave a speech in which he repeated false claims of election irregularities and said, "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." Thousands of attendees, some armed, walked to the Capitol, with hundreds breaching police perimeters as Congress was beginning the electoral vote count. Among the rioters were leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers militia groups, who conspired to use violence to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power.More than 2,000 rioters entered the building, many of whom vandalized and looted parts of the building, including the offices of then House speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress. Rioters also assaulted Capitol Police officers and reporters, and attempted to locate lawmakers to capture and harm. A gallows was erected west of the Capitol, and some rioters chanted "Hang Mike Pence" after he rejected false claims by Trump and others that the vice president could overturn the election results.With building security breached, Capitol Police evacuated and locked down both chambers of Congress and several buildings in the Capitol Complex. Rioters occupied the empty Senate chamber while federal law enforcement officers defended the evacuated House floor. Pipe bombs were found at both the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters, and Molotov cocktails were discovered in a vehicle near the Capitol.Trump resisted sending the National Guard to quell the mob. Later that afternoon, in a Twitter video, he reasserted the inaccurate claim that the election was "fraudulent", and told his supporters to "go home in peace". The Capitol was clear of rioters by mid-evening, and the counting of the electoral votes resumed and was completed in the early morning hours of January 7. Pence declared President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris victorious. Pressured by his cabinet, the threat of removal, and many resignations, Trump later committed to an orderly transition of power in a televised statement.A week after the attack, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for incitement of insurrection, making him the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice. In February, after Trump had left office, the Senate voted 57–43 in favor of conviction, short of the 67 votes needed, resulting in his acquittal. Republicans in the Senate blocked a bill to create a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the attack, so the House instead approved a select committee with seven Democrats and two Republicans to investigate. The committee held nine televised public hearings on the attack in 2022, voted to subpoena Trump, and ultimately, recommended to the Department of Justice (DOJ) that he be prosecuted. On August 1, 2023, following a special counsel investigation, Trump was indicted on four charges.More than 1,200 persons have been charged with federal crimes arising from the attack. As of December 2023, 728 defendants had pleaded guilty, while another 166 defendants had been convicted at trial; a total of 745 defendants have been sentenced. A significant number of participants in the attack were linked to far-right extremist groups or conspiratorial movements, including the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters. Numerous plotters were convicted of seditious conspiracy, including Oath Keepers and Proud Boys members; the longest sentence to date was given to then-Proud Boy chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment.

The United States Capitol rotunda is the tall central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda is located below the Capitol dome, which was built between 1857 and 1866. The rotunda is connected by corridors leading south to the House of Representatives and north to the Senate chambers. To the immediate south is the semi-circular National Statuary Hall, which was the House of Representatives chamber until 1857. To the northeast is the Old Senate Chamber, used by the Senate until 1859 and by the Supreme Court until 1935. The rotunda is 96 feet (29 m) in diameter, rises 48 feet (15 m) to the top of its original walls and 180 feet 3 inches (54.94 m) to the canopy of the dome, and is usually visited daily by thousands of people. The space is a national showcase of art, and includes numerous historical paintings and sculptures. It is also used for ceremonial events authorized by concurrent resolution, including the lying in state of honored dead.

The 1983 U.S. Senate bombing was a bomb explosion at the United States Senate on November 7, 1983, as a protest against United States military involvement in Lebanon and Grenada. The attack led to heightened security in the DC metropolitan area, and the inaccessibility of certain parts of the Senate Building. Six members of the radical far-left Armed Resistance Unit (also known as Resistance Conspiracy) were arrested in May 1988 and charged with the bombing, as well as related bombings of Fort McNair and the Washington Navy Yard which occurred on April 25, 1983, and April 20, 1984, respectively.

The United States Capitol features a dome situated above its rotunda. The dome is 288 feet (88 m) in height and 96 feet (29 m) in diameter. Designed by Thomas U. Walter, the fourth Architect of the Capitol, it was constructed between 1855 and 1866 at a cost of $1,047,291 (equivalent to $15.6 million in 2021).The dome is not stone, but rather cast iron carefully painted to appear to be made of the same stone as the main capitol building. It is actually two domes, one inside the other, and the total weight is 9.1 million pounds (4,100 t). The dome's cast iron frame was supplied and constructed by the iron foundry Janes, Fowler, Kirtland & Co. in the Bronx, New York. The dome marks the origin on street maps of Washington, D.C. A detailed look at the dome and its recent restoration can be found here.

The 1834 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, to the 23rd United States Congress on December 1, 1834. Jackson highlighted the continued prosperity and peaceful conditions in the nation, praising the harvests and the flourishing commerce. He urged Congress to ensure that "virtue and enterprise" remained central to the country's development. On foreign affairs, Jackson discussed ongoing diplomatic relations with European nations, including Great Britain, regarding the unresolved North East boundary dispute. He also reported delays in France fulfilling its financial obligations under the 1831 treaty, and expressed disappointment over the French Chamber of Deputies' refusal to appropriate funds for indemnities owed to American citizens. Jackson recommended Congress authorize "reprisals upon French property" if France continued its delay. Domestically, Jackson reiterated his opposition to the Second Bank of the United States, criticizing its actions as a "scourge of the people." He condemned the bank for using its funds to influence elections and for the illegal withholding of dividends owed to the federal government. Jackson called for Congress to fully sever ties with the bank, recommending that laws connecting the government to the bank be repealed and the public stock be sold. The President also addressed the state of Native American affairs, particularly the ongoing Indian Removal efforts. He reported progress in negotiating the relocation of the Creek and Seminole tribes but expressed disappointment that the Cherokee had not yet agreed to move west of the Mississippi River. Jackson emphasized that emigration was necessary to preserve the remaining tribes.

The 1927 State of the Union Address was given on Tuesday, December 6, 1927. It was given by Calvin Coolidge, the 30th United States President, to the 70th United States Congress. He said, "For many years the Federal Government has been building a system of dikes along the Mississippi River for protection against high water. During the past season the lower States were overcome by a most disastrous flood. Many thousands of square miles were inundated a great many lives were lost, much livestock was drowned, and a very heavy destruction of property was inflicted upon the inhabitants." He talks about controlling and preventing floods.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, addressed a joint session of the United States Congress on Wednesday, February 18, 1981. It was his first public address before a joint session. Similar to a State of the Union Address, it was delivered before the 97th United States Congress in the Chamber of the United States House of Representatives in the United States Capitol. Presiding over this joint session was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Tip O'Neill, accompanied by George H. W. Bush, the vice president in his capacity as the president of the Senate. The speech was referred to as the "Speech on the Program for Economic Recovery." During his speech, President Reagan outlined his plan for economic recovery, calling for large cuts to taxes and federal spending. Some observers described it at the time as the most comprehensive economic proposal since President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his New Deal program in March 1933. When President Reagan handed House Speaker Tip O’Neill the printed copy, O’Neill reportedly said, "Mr. President, good luck." Secretary of Education Terrel Bell was the designated survivor and did not attend the address in order to maintain a continuity of government. No response to this address was given by the Democratic Party.

The 1829 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, on December 8, 1829, to the 21st United States Congress. This was Jackson's first address to Congress after his election, and it set the tone for his presidency, emphasizing limited government, states’ rights, and the removal of Native Americans from their lands. In his address, Jackson expressed satisfaction with the nation's peace and prosperity, noting that the country was “at peace with all mankind” and that domestic affairs were progressing well. He acknowledged, however, unresolved disputes with foreign powers, particularly Great Britain, France, and Spain. Jackson assured Congress that his administration would work to settle these differences amicably, while maintaining a firm stance on protecting American rights. A significant part of the address was dedicated to internal improvements and the national debt. Jackson called for a cautious approach to government spending, warning against the dangers of corruption and advocating for reducing the national debt. “It is time to check the tendency to lavish expenditure and make our government as simple and economical as possible,” Jackson urged. Jackson also called for a constitutional amendment to reform the presidential election process. He suggested eliminating the role of electoral colleges and the House of Representatives in selecting the president, advocating for a direct popular vote to ensure that the will of the people would always prevail in presidential elections. The address is also notable for Jackson's call to remove Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southern states. Jackson argued that their removal to territories west of the Mississippi River was necessary to protect their survival and to avoid conflict with state governments. He stated, "Humanity and national honor demand that every effort should be made to avert so great a calamity," referring to the potential extinction of Native tribes. Jackson's first State of the Union address marked the beginning of the major policies of his administration, including limited federal intervention, states' rights, and Native American removal, setting the stage for his presidency.

The 1910 State of the Union Address was written on December 7, 1910, by William Taft, the 27th president of the United States. It was the second address by Taft.

The 1853 State of the Union Address was delivered by the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, to the 33rd United States Congress on December 5, 1853. This address marked Pierce's first annual message to Congress, emphasizing themes of national prosperity, international relations, and the importance of federal restraint in domestic policy. Pierce opened by celebrating the peace and prosperity the United States was experiencing, calling it "a time of remarkable progress" and "unusual blessings." He emphasized the importance of national integrity and suggested that the nation's success was sustained by the favor of Providence. A major focus of Pierce's address was foreign relations. He discussed a variety of diplomatic challenges, including disputes with Great Britain regarding fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Pierce announced that negotiations had been opened to establish more favorable agreements for American fishermen. Pierce also highlighted issues in Central America and his hope that disputes over British influence in the region could be resolved amicably. Additionally, he referenced tensions over the seizure of Hungarian-born Martin Koszta by Austrian authorities, expressing that Koszta was entitled to U.S. protection, an assertion that had drawn Austria's protests. "The acts of our officers, under the circumstances of the case, were justifiable," Pierce asserted. Regarding domestic issues, Pierce focused on federalism, stressing that federal powers should be limited to those clearly outlined in the Constitution and advocating a restrained role for the federal government. He argued that internal improvements, including road construction, should be carefully considered, particularly regarding state and federal jurisdiction. Reflecting the expansionist spirit of the time, Pierce mentioned the significance of recent territory acquisitions, predicting that the population might reach 100 million within decades. He urged Congress to prioritize infrastructure that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, especially advocating for the construction of a transcontinental railroad. Pierce closed by reflecting on the passing of Vice President William R. King earlier in the year. King had taken the oath of office in Cuba due to illness but passed away in April 1853 shortly after returning to Alabama. Pierce acknowledged the challenges ahead but expressed his commitment to promoting "the honor and advancement of my country."

The 1830 State of the Union Address was given by the seventh United States president, Andrew Jackson on Tuesday, December 6, 1830, to both houses of the United States Congress. He said, "What good man would prefer a toe covered with forests and ranged by a few thousand savages to our extensive Republic, studded with cities, towns, and prosperous farms, embellished with all the improvements which art can devise or industry execute, occupied by more than 12,000,000 happy people, and filled with all the blessings of liberty, civilization, and religion?" He speaks of the Indian Removal Act, "With a full understanding of the subject, the Choctaw and the Chickasaw tribes have with great unanimity determined to avail themselves of the liberal offers presented by the act of Congress, and have agreed to remove beyond the Mississippi River."