United States Capitol

A capital is a city that is home to a government. A capitol is a building where the legislature meets. For the capital of the United States, see Washington, D.C.

The United States Capitol is the building where the United States Congress meets.  It is the center of the  legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall.

The capitol has a large dome in the center, above a rotunda—a large space that is shaped like a circle.   There are two wings that are connected to the rotunda on opposite sides. The north wing is where the Senate meets and the south wing is where the House of Representatives meets.  These wings are also called chambers.  On the top floors of the chambers are galleries, or balconies where people can watch the Senate and House of Representatives from above.

The Statue of Freedom is on top of the capitol.

 History 
The Continental Congress first met in Philadelphia at Carpenter's Hall in 1774 and then at Independence Hall in 1776. Congress convened in various cities during the Revolutionary War, and the Treaty of Paris was ratified in Annapolis, Maryland, in early 1784. Congress later moved to Trenton, New Jersey, and afterward to New York City. There, Congress met in City Hall (Federal Hall) from 1785 to 1790.  When the capital was moved back to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1790 to 1800, the Philadelphia County Building (Congress Hall) became the capitol. In 1800, the capital moved again to Washington, D.C., and a new capitol building was constructed.


At that time, it was not as big as it is now. The dome in the center of the building was smaller and made of wood. In 1814, the capitol was set on fire by the British Army during the War of 1812. In the 1850s and 1860s, the capitol was fully repaired, and the wooden dome was replaced with a larger iron dome. The walls of the Senate wing were painted with many murals  about events in American History. Inside the rotunda, a large fresco was also painted on the ceiling during the repair.

The Supreme Court also met in the Capitol until its own building was completed in 1935.

The Capitol Dome is 8,909,200 pounds (4,009 tonnes) of cast-iron with 108 windows, and was constructed between 1855 and 1866.

On January 6, 2021, supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed into the capitol. This caused a lockdown in the building.

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 Other websites 
 United States Capitol Historical Society
 United States Capitol Visitor Center

Category:Buildings and structures in Washington, D.C.
Category:Buildings on the National Mall
Category:Historic district contributing properties