Washington, D.C.

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Washington, D.C. flag

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.: metropolitan area

Washington, D.C.: central area

map of the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., row houses

Jefferson Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

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U.S. Capitol building, Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. summary

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Johannes Vermeer, Dutch, 1632-1675, Girl with the Red Hat, c. 1665/1666, oil on pnael, painted surface: 22.87 x 18 cm (9x 7 1/16 in.), Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.53, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

2 Vermeers, 1 Krasner, and 11 Other Paintings That Washington, D.C., Has To Offer

Washington, D.C. locator map.

What State Is Washington, D.C. In?

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The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

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January 21, 2019: Superbowl LIII will be played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, February 3, 2019 against the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams.

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Parsons Weems' Fable, oil on canvas by Grant Wood, 1939; in the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Catalog entry: The historian Mason Locke Weems, commonly known by his clerical title, Parson Weems, pulls back a curtain to point at 6-year-old George Washington. Bearing an adult head and holding an axe, George gazes blankly up at his father, Augustine, who questions his son while holding a partially cut cherry tree. All of this takes place in front of a 20th-century brick building, which Wood modeled after his own home in Iowa. The scene illustrates the fable of Washington and the cherry tree, which Weems invented in 1806 for the first president's biography. Wood playfully suggests the artifice of the tale here, presenting the story in the manner of a costumed stage play rather than a real event. Amid the action, two Black figures pick cherries in the background, a reference to Washington' slaveholding past and a reminder of of what often gets left out in historical mythmaking.

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Washington, D.C.: Related Content

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News •

The Latest: Judge declines to halt Trump administration's federal workers layoffs • Feb. 20, 2025, 8:42 PM ET (AP)

Why a full federal takeover of DC would require an act of Congress • Feb. 20, 2025, 5:13 PM ET (AP)

Trump loyalist Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director by the Senate despite deep Democratic doubts • Feb. 20, 2025, 4:25 PM ET (AP)

Sen. Mitch McConnell won't seek reelection in 2026, ending long tenure as Republican power broker • Feb. 20, 2025, 2:33 PM ET (AP)

Trump says federal government should 'take over' DC, backing congressional GOP push • Feb. 19, 2025, 11:29 PM ET (AP)

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Washington, D.C. flag

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.: metropolitan area

Washington, D.C.: central area

map of the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., row houses

Jefferson Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Uncover America's past at the Library of Congress, the world's largest library

Discussing the artifacts at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Learn about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.

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Johannes Vermeer, Dutch, 1632-1675, Girl with the Red Hat, c. 1665/1666, oil on pnael, painted surface: 22.87 x 18 cm (9x 7 1/16 in.), Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.53, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

2 Vermeers, 1 Krasner, and 11 Other Paintings That Washington, D.C., Has To Offer