The Great Tours: Washington DC
Professor Richard KurinT his course begins with the story of how Washington DC became the nation’s capital and with a look at the heart of the city, the National Mall. Next, the course looks at the famous federal buildings surrounding that area: the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court, as well as the institutions that support them, like the Library of Congress and the executive departments. After that, the course turns to war memorials on the National Mall.
From these memorials, the course moves across the Potomac River to Arlington, Virginia, and visits two very different types of memorial: Arlington National Cemetery and the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. Next comes a quick trip south to Old Town Alexandria and George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon for a look at how America’s first president lived and worked in this region. Returning to Washington DC proper, the course considers the life of another president—Abraham Lincoln—and the places most associated with his presidency, including Ford’s Theatre, the scene of his tragic assassination and death in the wake of the American Civil War.