In the same as other decisions determined in American history, the positioning of the incipient city was to be a compromise. Alexander Hamilton and northern states wanted the capital to be in Philadelphia or New York, and Thomas Jefferson and southern states wanted the capital set in a location friendly to slave-holding agricultural interests. However, the Compromise of 1790 sanctioned the capital to be placed in the South. On July 16th that year, President George Washington signed the Residence Act of 1790 which decided that the capital will be established along the north bank of the Potomac River. The city was officially founded in 1790 after both Maryland and Virginia ceded land to Washington D.C.. Next, they had to decide what type of house they should build for the president. Thomas Jefferson suggested having a contest and advertised the contest in newspapers across the country. A committee picked a simple but elegant design by James Hoban, a young Irish-American architect. On October 13, 1792, the first stone of the White House was laid. The decision to place the capital on land ceded by two pro-slavery states ultimately influenced the acquisition of laborers to construct its public buildings. The D.C. commissioners, charged by Congress with building the new city under the direction of the president, had a construction team which compromised of both enslaved and liberated African Americans and European immigrants built the Aquia Creek sandstone structure. It incorprates one of Jefferson’s most tenacious architectural ideas— domestic service wings. Thomas Jefferson, the first full-term occupant of the White House, proposed one-story extensions to the east and west to interface the president's house with adjoining office buildings. In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt began extensive renovations that included demolishing the conservatories and building a one-story office structure, connected to the Residence by a colonnaded gallery. The first small East Wing was built in 1902, amid the Theodore Roosevelt renovations as an entrance for formal and public visitors of the White House. This served fundamentally as an entrance for guests during large social gatherings, when it was important to accommodate many cars and carriages—as well as many cloaks and hats. While the West Wing generally serves the president's executive office staff, the East Wing fills in as office space for the First Lady and her staff, including the White House Social Secretary, White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office, and correspondence staff.
The reaseon why the White House is painted white has nothing to do with covering the burning of the White House by the British in 1814, although most people likely have heard the story that way. The building was first made white with lime-based whitewash in 1798 when its walls were finished. This was simply a mean of protecting the porous stone from solidifying. Originally, the white house had 36 rooms. However, now it has 132 rooms altogether. Out of those 36 rooms, there were only 3 oval shaped rooms. The Oval shape of rooms in the White House was chosen to obliged a formal greeting ceremony known as a levee, a tradition acquired from the English court, was a formal occasion to enable men of prominence to meet the president. The ceremony has its roots in the royal courts of England and France especially. In 1947, Harry Truman consulted with architects on the addition of a balcony off the Yellow Oval Room. A committee was appointed, and a controversy erupted that spilled over into the newspapers and editorial cartoons. President Truman believed that maintaining a balcony would help balance the south face of the White House by separating the long verticals of the columns and it would also provide shade for the first floor portico without the awnings commonly uilized at the time, which had a tendency to become dirty. Opponents on the contstruction of the balcony argued that the tall columns were in keeping with the federal style of architecture and that adding a porch for the first family's leisure would destroy the look of the south side of the building. In the end, Truman prevailed and there was general agreement that the new balcony, finished in 1948, was an improvement in both form and function. However, closer examination of the rest of the White House soon drove architects and structural engineers to determine that the whole house was unsound, and so the Truman reconstruction project of 1948-1952 began, which completely rebuilt the interior of the White House. The old interior of the Residence was disassembled, leaving the house as a shell with the two modern wings. Some of the existing interior detail was saved, especially fireplace mantels. Some of the scrap was sold as souvenirs. The mansion was then rebuilt using concrete and steel beams in place of its original wooden joists. Some modifications were made, with the most evident being the repositioning of the grand staircase to open into the Entrance Hall, as opposed to the Cross Hall. Also, before the renovation, no baths connected with the guest rooms. Afterwards, all guest rooms had adjoining baths and separate baths were provided for the servants. The president gets most of his work done in his study, which is located near the Oval room in the west wing. The president conducts briefings and holds staff meetings in the Oval Office, but it's used primarily as a ceremonial space. The second floor of the White House Residence is the first family residence, where their bedrooms and private sitting rooms are situated, as well as some guest bedrooms such as the Lincoln Bedroom. This floor has 16 rooms, a main corridor, 6 bathrooms, and a lavatory. This is different from the rest of the white house due to the president and their family residing there during the president’s term.
In my opinion, I think that the White House represents American leadership and democracy. Looking at the White House reminds me of the freedom I am so blessed to have while living in the United States. It is such a big tourist attraction because it is where the president of our country resides in and it is recognized around the world as a symbol of the United States. It also portrays the struggles the United States had to go through to become the great country it is today.