DC the Great
Washington, DC is one of the most interesting historical places to visit in the United States. A history lover would probably feel like a kid in a candy shop there. With the abundance of beautiful monuments, amazing museums, and fun activities you won’t know where to start! The way all of the sights are placed in a big circle is so convenient for tourists to take in hundreds of years of U.S. history in one visit. The three most popular monuments visited in DC are the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. People from all over the world come to see these gorgeous structures. In fact, DC would not be DC without our boys G. Wash, T.J., and Big Abe.
George Washington is known as the Father of Our Country. He won America its freedom from the British. He had a big influence on building the foundations of our strong government. He was the first president to grace our land with his strong leadership. These are the reasons why I believe nothing can be taller than the Washington Monument in DC. Nothing can top what George Washington did for our country so nothing should be able to top his memorial. Our father should be able to look over us, protect us, and guide us for years and years to come. When I saw the monument up close, I felt secure under it. The massiveness of the structure exuded strength. Yet the simplicity of it made it so elegant. I do not see any better way to honor the great George Washington.
Freedom, democracy, and education are just a few of the things that Thomas Jefferson believed in. It is unbelievable how the Jefferson Memorial is able to capture the essence of the man himself. The way it is built really commemorates Jefferson perfectly. The dome shape with the statue of Jefferson in the middle feels so open. You can almost feel freedom blowing through the memorial. The openness of the structure feels like everyone can hear Jefferson’s cry for democracy. When you go inside, you really feel like you are the center of attention. I felt like I was on stage and the world was my audience.
“In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.” These are the beautiful words that Lincoln sits under in the Lincoln Memorial. As it was stated in the quote, this memorial truly is a temple. The way Lincoln’s statue is in the center and the size of it makes you feel like you are there to worship him. It was strange how I automatically felt like I had to be quiet and show respect to Abraham Lincoln. The size of Lincoln staring at demanded all of my attention. I feel that the statue itself was made so big because that way we will always look up to Lincoln and revere him.
I picked these three monuments because each one was built to commemorate a president. I wanted to see how each president was remembered by us. Each one made me feel a different way even though they had a lot in common. All of them are very similar in color, are huge in size, and are the top three monuments visited in DC. Even the way people interacted at each monument was the exact same. People did their own thing. Some were quiet, while some were loud. Some took pictures, while others read the historical facts. Some stayed for hours, while others were in and out. It is amazing how I felt like each one was connected because of the way they are set up in a triangle so you can easily get from one to the other. What I loved about each one was that each was able to personify the presidents so accurately.
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