Capitol Kids! Secret Washington DC:

A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, & Obscure


(Webinar) Wednesday,  Sept. 28, from 12-1 pm ET


Join the U.S. Capitol Historical Society for the next installment of our online Capitol Kids series, which brings children's and young adult authors to classrooms nationwide.


Around the world, DC is known for its powerful government, majestic monuments, and world-renowned museums. Author JoAnn Hill's "Secret Washington, DC: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure" reminds us that the fabric of the city isn't solely embedded in its political parties, lawmaking policies, and tourism. Rather, it's woven through its rich and complex history, mysterious relics, underground societies, forgotten and abandoned buildings, and controversial scandals.


From the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield and Francis Scott Key's son, to crimes of passion and rage at the U.S. Capitol, Secret Washington, DC uncovers many of the dark and untold truths of how our nation emerged. At the same time, it shines a bright light on the capital's numerous signs of creativity and innovation through the exploration of quirky art installations like Foamhenge and Barbie Pond on Avenue Q, to oddly shaped and decorated homes like the Mushroom House and the Vanadu Art House.

Register Here!

Bridge of Spies:

The Capture of Francis Gary Powers &

the Current State of U.S.-Russia Relations


(Webinar) Thursday, Nov. 3, from 12-1 pm ET


In 1960—during the heart of the Cold War—CIA U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers flew his aircraft on a spy mission “deeper into Russia” than any U.S. pilot had flown before. Over Soviet territory he was shot down, captured, and incarcerated at Lubyanka prison in Moscow. On November 3, Powers’ son—historian Francis “Gary” Powers, Jr.—will join the U.S. Capitol Historical Society to detail the harrowing story of his father’s imprisonment and interrogation, trial for espionage, and the U.S.-Soviet prisoner exchange depicted in Steven Spielberg’s movie, “Bridge of Spies” — which Gary consulted on.

During our webinar, Gary—founder of The Cold War Museum in Virginia—will also discuss the role of President John F. Kennedy in bringing his father home, the U.S. media firestorm, and the Congressional hearings that investigated the circumstances of Powers’ mission and capture. Joining him for this important and timely conversation will be Dr. Andrew Hammond, Historian & Curator at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. During our webinar, Dr. Hammond—a Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars—will connect our conversation to current U.S.-Russian relations, including Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and President Biden’s negotiations to bring Brittney Griner and other American prisoners in Russia home. 

Register Here!

USCHS Helps Unveil Portrait of Late Representative Elijah Cummings


USCHS Manages Congressional Portrait Program


As part of our mission, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society proudly manages the Congressional Portrait Program. Since 1999, the Society has commissioned more than 90 paintings of Congressional leaders on display in the Capitol campus. We recently helped unveil a portrait of the late Maryland Representative, Elijah Cummings, the former Chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee.


Baltimore-based artist Jerrell Gibbs painted the portrait. Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, Rep. Cummings' widow, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, and former Chair of the House Oversight Committee Jason Chaffetz spoke in tribute to Rep. Cummings' leadership at the event.

 

Speaker Pelosi said of Rep. Cummings: “He was so astute, so smart, so wise, so strategic...and that’s why he made such a big difference. He was a leader of towering integrity. Everybody knows that. A man whose life embodied the American dream.”

Learn More Here!

Levin Center & McCain Institute Release Profile of Abramoff Investigation


Bipartisan Investigation Led to Key Ethics Reforms

Last week, the Levin Center for Oversight & Democracy and the McCain Institute—in collaboration with the U.S. Capitol Historical Society—released a retrospective on the investigation that exposed corrupt lobbying practices by Jack Abramoff and government officials and led to high-profile resignations, prison sentences, and lobbying and ethics reforms.


In 2004, the media learned of exorbitant fees paid by several Native American tribes to Washington lobbyists Abramoff and Michael Scanlon. In response, U.S. Sen. John McCain launched a two-year, bipartisan investigation into the world of Washington lobbying. The inquiry exposed a succession of dirty tricks, corrupt practices, and more than $66 million in inflated fees paid to Abramoff and colleagues by victimized Native American tribes.


To learn more about the investigation and its resulting convictions and reforms, read the profile or listen to its companion podcast with Sen. McCain's chief investigator, Pablo Carrillo.

Read Profile Here!
Listen to Podcast Here!

Crime & Punishment: The History

of our 6th, 7th, & 8th Amendments


Video Available!


Two years before the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin endorsed the maxim: “That it is better a hundred guilty persons should escape, than that one innocent person should suffer.” It is in this spirit that the United States of America protects the rights of the accused, presuming them innocent until proven guilty. But what are the origins of this belief and its importance? And at what point does liberty obstruct law and order? On September 15, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society continued our series on the Constitution with an exploration of the 6th, 7th, and 8th Amendments that guarantee our right to a speedy trial, a jury of our peers, and if convicted, protection from cruel and unusual punishment. Our featured guest for this vital conversation was the Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, Akhil Reed Amar, J.D.

 

We discussed the abuses listed in the Declaration of Independence that inspired the Constitution’s “Trial Amendments” and how the guarantee of our rights has evolved over time: from the early Republic to Jim Crow through the modern day. We also discussed how American courts define cruel and unusual punishment, including examples of the death penalty and excessive prison sentences.

Professor Amar won awards from the American Bar Association and the Federalist Society and often testifies before Congress as a witness for both Republicans and Democrats. He began his career as a clerk for then-Judge Stephen Breyer and was cited by the Supreme Court in more than 45 cases. His scholarship was featured on Fox News by Tucker Carlson, MSNBC by Brian Williams, and CNN by Erin Burnett, among many others.

 

Professor Amar is also the author of more than 100 law review articles and several books, including The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840. You can learn more about the Constitution on his podcast, Amarica’s Constitution.

Watch Video Here!

Consider Our Speaker's Book and Podcast!

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Makes it Possible!

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