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The Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial separated by the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. Beyond the Lincoln Memorial is the Potomac River and Arlington National Cemetery.
Credit: Jeff Tinsley
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INTRODUCTION
In Washington, D.C., there is a monumental precinct where the Capitol, home of the United States Congress, looks out over an immense Mall. The Mall spans one mile to the Washington Monument and is connected to the Lincoln Memorial by a reflecting pool. The Mall is flanked by the White House as well as national museums and memorials, most of which have been built over the past 100 years.
Each museum and memorial represents the ideas and concerns of the generation that built them. National memorials especially involve an effort to fix in stone a narrative of American history. However, the public spaces of monumental Washington carry a built-in suggestion that a national stage is being provided, inviting political performances by people seeking inclusion and changes in the narrative of our history.
Next: Early History: The 19th century and the 1901 McMillan Plan »
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