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In an age when women across America served in wartime industries and took on new responsibilities, women were also elected to Congress. This program will highlight the women who served in Congress in the World War II era and their impact on history.

Learn about some of the African Americans who served in Congress.

Learn about the life and legacy of Daniel Webster, one of the most influential members of Congress in the early 1800s and statue from the state of New Hampshire.

John Wood photographed the Capitol Extension of the 1850s. Learn more from Chief of the AOC Photo and Technical Imaging Branch Michael Dunn, AOC Senior Photography Archivist Leslie Matthaei, and author and Library of Congress Photography Conservator Adrienne Lundgren about his pioneering work in documenting an exciting chapter of Capitol history.

James A. Garfield was the second president to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. In the wake of his death, citizens gathered in the Capitol to organize a fund for a suitable memorial to him. Hear the story of their actions and the role of Congress in the quest to honor President Garfield in Washington. 

John Wood photographed the Capitol Extension of the 1850s. Learn more from Chief of the AOC Photo and Technical Imaging Branch Michael Dunn, AOC Senior Photography Archivist Leslie Matthaei, and author and Library of Congress Photography Conservator Adrienne Lundgren about his pioneering work in documenting an exciting chapter of Capitol history.

On September 10, 1813, the United States won a major naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, which is depicted in a painting near the Senate Chamber, but this isn’t the only connection between the Capitol and the War of 1812. Learn more about how the War of 1812 affected Congress, the Capitol and Washington, D.C.

On June 27, 1829, British scientist James Smithson left his fortune “to found at Washington…an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.” Join us to explore the life and times of Smithson and the roles of Congress and John Quincy Adams in the creation and development of the Smithsonian Institution.

On June 27, 1829, British scientist James Smithson left his fortune “to found at Washington…an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.” Join us to explore the life and times of Smithson and the roles of Congress and John Quincy Adams in the creation and development of the Smithsonian Institution.

Since the election of Jeannette Rankin, women in Congress have changed the physical blueprint of the Capitol. Learn about the Congressional Women's Reading Room and its namesake Louisiana Rep. Lindy Claiborne Boggs.