Washington D.C.

The Bridging of Early America: Bridge Builders and Forgotten Timber Spans

October 24, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Theodore Burr (1771-1822) was the most prominent of America’s three early nineteenth century timber bridge-building pioneers, the others being Timothy Palmer (1751-1821) and Lewis Wernwag (1769-1843). All three built long-span timber bridges in the Northeast.

A transplant from Connecticut, Theodore Burr moved to Oxford, Chenango County, New York in 1792-1793. In less than thirty years, he erected timber bridges over major rivers – the Hudson, Schoharie, Mohawk, Delaware, Potomac, and Susquehanna – in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, District of Columbia, and Maryland. [Read more…] about The Bridging of Early America: Bridge Builders and Forgotten Timber Spans

Flee North! Thomas Smallwood & The Early Underground Railroad

September 29, 2023 by Bob Cudmore Leave a Comment

Born enslaved, by the 1840s Thomas Smallwood (1801–1883) had purchased his freedom, was self-educated, and working as a shoemaker a short walk from the U.S. Capitol.

Working alongside prominent abolitionist Charles Turner Torrey, the two men encouraged those enslaved to flee north and helped create what is believed to be the first organized line of the Underground Railroad. [Read more…] about Flee North! Thomas Smallwood & The Early Underground Railroad

New York State & Washington’s Cherry Trees

April 9, 2023 by John Conway 1 Comment

On March 27th, 1912, the first two of thousands of Japanese cherry trees were planted along the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, DC by First Lady Helen Taft, the wife of President William Howard Taft, and the Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador to the United States. [Read more…] about New York State & Washington’s Cherry Trees

National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week 2020

February 3, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week is set to return March 9-12 at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Washington, DC. This is an annual opportunity to have a mass impact on policy makers in Washington in support of important historic preservation programs and sound preservation policy.

Preservation Action and the National Conference State Historic Preservation Officers organize the industry’s Advocacy Week each year, bringing over 250 preservationists to Washington, DC to promote sound federal preservation policy and programs. [Read more…] about National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week 2020

NYS Museum Advocates Headed to DC

January 9, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The American Alliance of Museums is set to host Museums Advocacy Day on February 24-25, 2020 in Washington, DC. Museums Advocacy Day is an opportunity to join with fellow museum professionals and supporters to make the case for museums. The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is set to lead a New York delegation. [Read more…] about NYS Museum Advocates Headed to DC

BFW Road Trip: Washington, D.C., NMAAHC

July 31, 2019 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

Not all historians publish their findings about history in books and articles. Some historians convey knowledge about history to the public in public spaces and in public ways.

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, Lonnie Bunch, the Founding Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of how historians do history for the public. [Read more…] about BFW Road Trip: Washington, D.C., NMAAHC

The Early History of Washington, D.C.

January 30, 2019 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

Have you ever wondered how the capital of the United States came to be situated at Washington, D.C.?

The banks of the Potomac River represent an odd place to build a national city, a place that would not only serve as the seat of government for the nation, but also as an economic, cultural, and intellectual hub. Still in 1790, the United States Congress passed the Residence Act and mandated that it would establish a new, permanent capital along the banks of the Potomac River. Why?

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World: A Podcast About Early American History Adam Costanzo, a Professional Assistant Professor of History at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi and author of George Washington’s Washington: Visions for the National Capital in the Early American Republic (University of Georgia Press, 2018), joins us to consider questions of the National capital’s location and construction. [Read more…] about The Early History of Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C.

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