Who, Why, What, Where and When these are important questions that you want to know about Washington, DC. This book incorporates the city's historical background and the who- the people associated with the various sites. It also gives you the contextual origins the why of what can now be seen. It explores in stories in each era of the interaction of geography the where and history the when; the place and the effects of politics on that place exemplified by outstanding buildings of each era that can still be seen today. Let author Mark N. Ozer give you a personal tour. The reader is guided through maps of each era described in chapters starting in the 1790s as the Seat of Government of the Revolutionary Generation; from the 1830s onward as the straggly Ante-Bellum Federal City; and finally during the 1860s when the Civil War, Reconstruction and Gilded Age made it truly the National Capital. Following its centennial in 1900, during the Progressive era and then New Deal, the Capital became the American shrine; and after World War II, by the time of its bicentennial in 2000, it became the International Capital and a Regional City. "Thoughtful and useful guide to the current city. Skillful demonstration on how the city's history and geography interact to capture the political philosophy of the American Experiment." Donald Kennon, Vice-President for Scholarship and Education U.S. Capitol Historical Society "A compact history and guide, it places the sights in a uniquely informative historical context." Carl Abbott, Professor of Urban Studies, Portland State University and author of "Political Terrains."