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A Very Special Building:
There is a big, white building on a hill. It has a dome on top. It is the Capitol of the United States. The hill is called Capitol Hill. The Capitol is in Washington, D.C. This is the capital city of the United States. Washington, D.C., is where the nation's leaders meet.
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The Capitol building is famous. People all over the world know about the Capitol and its dome. It is a symbol. It stands for the United States. It stands for laws that keep people safe and free.
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What Is the Capitol For?
The Capitol is for people who make laws. The people who make laws are called the Congress. Congress has two groups. One group is called the Senate. The other group is called the House of Representatives.
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Three Parts:
The Capitol has three parts. Long stairs go up to all three parts of the Capitol. The center part is round. The dome is on top of the center part. There is a statue on top of the dome. It looks like a woman. It is called the Statue of Freedom. The two other parts are on each side of the round center. The parts are called wings. There is a north wing and a south wing.
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The Rotunda:
The Rotunda is a beautiful, round room. It is in the center of the Capitol. It has statues of presidents. The walls have eight big paintings. The paintings tell stories about U.S. history. The Rotunda has a tall ceiling. This tall ceiling is the inside part of the dome.
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The Wings:
The north wing is for the Senate. People in the Senate are called senators. Voters in each state elect two senators. Senators meet in a room called the Senate Chamber. They also have offices in nearby buildings.
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The south wing is for the House of Representatives. States with lots of people have more representatives than states with fewer people. The representatives meet in a room called the House Chamber. They also have offices in nearby buildings.
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How Congress Got Its Home:
In the late 1700s, when the United States was a new country, Congress met in many cities. George Washington was the first president. He wanted Congress to meet in Washington, D.C. He also wanted a building for Congress.
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Thomas Jefferson had an idea for a contest. It would find out who could make the best building plan. People sent in pictures of their ideas. A doctor named William Thornton won the contest.
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Construction of the Capitol building began in 1793. Workers finished the north wing first. Congress started meeting there in 1800. Next came the south wing. The House moved there in 1807. It would have been a noisy place to meet. Workers pounded nails and sawed boards. The south wing was not done until 1811.
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War and Fire:
War broke out in 1812. The war was between Great Britain and the United States. They fought in Washington, D.C. British soldiers set fire to the Capitol. The Capitol was made of stone. Fire did not hurt the walls. The fire burned everything inside, though.
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Two Domes:
Workers fixed the Capitol. They built the Rotunda and a dome. The dome was small. It was made of wood covered with copper. People were afraid the dome might burn. All of the repairs were done by 1826. Workers started a new dome in 1856.
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It took many years to build. During that time, the Civil War broke out. President Abraham Lincoln told the workers to keep building the dome. The dome and ceiling were done in 1866.
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The Capitol Grows:
After the Civil War, many states joined the United States. The new states sent more people to Congress. The Capitol needed to grow to fit the extra people. Workers made the wings bigger. The Senate and the House got new chambers.
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More Buildings Added:
The country kept growing. Congress needed buildings for offices. The Capitol and nearby buildings are called the Capitol Complex. There is a park outside with many trees and flowers.
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A Visit to the Capitol:
Millions of people visit the Capitol each year. Tickets are free. Guides show you the Rotunda and the Old Senate Chamber. You can also see where the Senate and the House meet now. You can see Congress in action. You can get passes to the visitor's galleries from your senator or representative. You can watch history being made.
