Ep. 45 - Washington, D.C., USA
The capital of the good ole USA - Take another 5 minute adventure with us as we explore some of the history behind the District of Columbia and highlight some awesome places to get on your travel bucket list. Episode 45 is one you won't want to miss!
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Transcription:
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Hello and welcome to the 45th episode of the best five minute podcast for history and adventure - The Friday Take Five. I’m Mark Moran, and with this podcast I’m aiming to scratch an itch for travel bugs and history lovers alike. Every week is a new opportunity for discovery where we’ll delve into a new place with a new story. If you walk away with a renewed appreciation for history, or a new travel destination added to the bucket list, then I’ve done my job. With that, let’s dive in, to episode 45.
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D.C., The District, the Capital. Washington D.C. is the national capital of the United States, and it’s where we head for our 45th adventure.
Now, it’s been quite some time since I’ve made it to DC, but with fond memories of our time there and the rich history of the Federal district, I had to make sure to delve deeper on an episode of the podcast.
Washington D.C., or the District of Columbia, was founded roughly 230 years ago; not long after the conclusion of the American Revolution and ratification of the American Constitution. Unsurprisingly, the “Washington,” part of the name comes from the first president of the U.S. The Columbia part of the name, is the female national personification of the United States. That personification took on the form of a goddess similar in nature to that of Lady Liberty, and is recognizable even today in film with the torch-bearing woman in Columbia Pictures movies.
Though initially founded in the early 1790s and technically made the capital at that time with the passage of the Residence Act, it wouldn’t be until 1800 until D.C. really became the formal capital of the U.S. Fun fact, prior to 1800, the U.S. capital actually moved around quite a few times, and we’ve had a total of 8 other capitals prior to D.C., but that’s for a whole other episode. Let’s get back to D.C.
Since its inception as a Federal District, the three branches of the US government, executive, legislative, and judicial, have been based mere blocks away. I remember visiting with my family as a kid and essentially living out a civics lesson by bouncing from branch to branch to branch of government and learning along the way.
Along with the governmental buildings like the White House, the Capitol and the Supreme Court Building, the district is chock full of places to learn and get in touch with history.
There’s the Lincoln memorial, which I absolutely loved as a kid. The Washington monument, of which we took horrible pictures that I still occasionally look at in old photo albums and laugh at, but definitely worth seeing in person. Then there’s the Vietnam war memorial, the Jefferson memorial, and so so many other memorials that are definitely worth experiencing.
But if memorials and statues aren’t your thing, guess what, D.C. still has more to offer if you’re looking to learn. You might want to stop by any of the 17 Smithsonian museums, 11 of which are located in the National Mall. Believe me, there’s a ton worth seeing there. Or you might instead check out the Library of Congress, which oh by the way is only the largest library in the entire world.They have millions and millions of books there, and audio books, and yadda yadda, governmental documents and the like.
There is a ton to learn and experience in the U.S. capital, though there are plenty of cities around the world that can boast histories on the order of thousands of years, it’s pretty cool how dense and storied a city like D.C. can be in a country as young as the U.S.
Glad to say I’ve been able to make it to this historic place and now that I’ve been able to feature it on an episode of the pod. For those that have been, I hope I was able to help you take a trip down memory lane, and maybe teach you something new. For those that haven’t yet been, be sure to get this storied destination on your list ASAP. You won’t regret it! That’s all for this week folks. We’ll see ya later.
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Hey there! Thanks for taking a trip with me to a new destination in episode 45. If you haven’t already, be sure to give us a 5 star rating on podcasting platforms, and share this episode with a friend. Have your own stories about Washington, D.C., feedback or recommendations on places or stories for us to cover? I’d love to hear it so follow and DM me on socials @FridayTakeFive or email me at thefridaytakefive@gmail.com. Stay curious, stay adventuring, and have a great weekend!
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