Two Weeks!

Two weeks from today Mom and I will be leaving for Washington D. C.!!!!!! I am extremely excited! I have never been to our nation's capital--but have always wanted to go there. Mom used to live there, so she knows her way around the city very well. I have learned so much about Washington D. C. during my years of history classes. That city has played such an important role in the founding and evolution of our country. I remember in my architecture class earlier this year we talked about all of the architectural styles that were developed in Washington D. C. as the nation was trying to shape its identity and prove to the world that this new country was going to be successful. Even Pierre L'Enfant's city layout design was quite revolutionary. In my historic preservation class last fall we frequently talked about George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. It is America's most famous historic house, and it was actually one of the first historic preservation projects in the country. I remember being fascinated by this article we read about the paint analysis done on the interior of Mount Vernon. George Washington had some pretty wild colors in there, and I am excited to see it in person. Mom and I are even going to go on the "National Treasure Tour" of the estate!!

I am also looking forward to seeing Arlington--Mary Custis and Robert E. Lee's estate. The National Park Service has removed all of the furniture from the home while they are doing some restoration, but that's okay--it will just look more like it must have when the Lees had to clear out of the house during the Civil War. I have been reading about the mansion, and I think it was quite unfair that the U. S. government just took over the home. You see, when Robert E. Lee elected to side with the Confederate Army instead of the U. S. Army, he was pronounced a traitor to the Union. After he left to fight in the war, his wife, Mary Custis (who had inherited Arlington from her parents) was forced to leave the home because of its proximity to Washington D. C. The Union troops wanted to take over the house because they were upset with Robert E. Lee. Originally the Union troops didn't hurt the house itself--they just camped out on the lawn, but after the Confederate victory at First Bull Run, they decided to make the home their headquarters. The Custis family had a lot of George Washington's things--because Mary's father was George Washington's step-grandson--and after the home was taken over by the U. S. Army, people started walking off with the Washington items left behind by the Lees. Then, the government demanded that Robert E. Lee pay taxes on the home, so he sent the money with a messenger, but then he received word that they would not accept the money unless he presented it to them in person. He couldn't do that, so the government took possession of Arlington. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton decided that to spite Robert E. Lee, they would begin burying Union troops on the grounds of Arlington--claiming that since Lee had killed the men, he deserved to have them buried literally in his former front yard. They specifically buried people close to the mansion so that it could never be inhabited again. Thus were the beginnings of Arlington National Cemetery. I think it's quite sad that the Lees were never able to return to their home. I am very excited to visit Arlington!