For two hundred years, the Capitol has included art that portrays the American Revolutionary War, notably in John Trumbull’s paintings in the Capitol Rotunda. Learn about the people and events that established the United States and how the promises of America’s founding shaped the nation. Ask about the availability of free passes at the information desk in Emancipation Hall.

Jennifer Blancato of the Architect of the Capitol’s Curator Office will discuss Gouverneur Kemble, a businessman, former Member of Congress, and collector and patron of art who gave much care and attention to the 19th century art and artists of the U.S. Capitol. He first introduced the idea of the National Statuary Hall Collection in 1853.

Join us to learn about the dramatic undertaking of the Capitol Dome and the three men most connected with the project: Architect Thomas U. Walter, engineer Montgomery C. Meigs, and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis.

During the American Civil War (1861-1865) the Capitol was a bustling hub of activity. This program will examine the people and events connected to the U.S. Capitol and how they connect to a once-divided country.

Elizabeth M. Reese, author of “Marquis de Lafayette Returns: A Tour of America’s National Capital Region”, examines how Lafayette’s tour anticipated the nation’s 50th birthday and shaped American identity. 

Over the course of 57 years, Myra Clark Gaines of Louisiana brought 17 different cases before the Supreme Court trying to win her rightful inheritance. Learn more about the extraordinary twists and turns of this long legal battle.

Pierre L'Enfant had a vision for the nation's capital city, but his plans remained unfinished until the 20th century. Learn more about how Senator James McMillan and the Senate Park Commission beautified Washington for a new century.

In 1880, Belva Lockwood became the first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court, then meeting in the U.S. Capitol. Join us to learn more about her pioneering path towards women's equality, cases and cause she championed, and the role of Congress in allowing women to be accepted into the Supreme Court Bar Association.