The US Capitol Represents American Democracy
08 May 2012
A view of the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building
MARIO RITTER: I’m Mario Ritter.
FAITH LAPIDUS: And I’m Faith Lapidus with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. is one of the most recognized buildings in the world. Its design was influenced by the classical buildings of ancient Greece and Rome.
The United States Congress meets in the Capitol. The building was created as a physical representation of democracy. But it is also a museum filled with art and sculpture that tell about America’s social and political history.
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MARIO RITTER: Our story begins on the Caribbean island of Tortola during the hot summer of seventeen ninety-two. William Thornton is hard at work on a set of building drawings. Mister Thornton came from a family of wealthy landowners who grew sugar on the island. He was trained as a doctor. But he had many interests including history, mechanics, government and building design. Mister Thornton was working to complete drawings for the design of the United States Capitol.
FAITH LAPIDUS: A few months earlier, the government of President George Washington had started a contest for the best design for the Capitol. William Thornton wanted the building to express the democratic goals of this young country. It would be a physical version of America’s constitution. His design was influenced by the Pantheon in Rome, Italy and the Louvre museum in Paris, France.
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