When Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the US Army, Montgomery Miegs dictated that the garden of Lee's estate be turned into a burial ground for the Union dead in order to prevent Lee from ever inhabiting the house again.

The cast-iron dome of the Capitol will expand and contract as much as four inches on days of extreme temperatures.

One of the most eloquent Americans of the nineteenth century, Frederick Douglass was one of Washington's most prominent citizens.

John Quincy Adams served in the House of Representatives for seventeen years following his presidency.

Take the African American Heritage tour to learn more about the fascinating African Americans who made important contributions to the development of the city and of the nation.