A Spiritual Heritage Tour of the United States by David Barton
The Capitol building of the United States of America – what a majestic edifice! This is one of a very few structures recognized the world over. In virtually any land, whoever sees a picture of this building knows it is the American seat of government!
This grand structure has been the scene of some of the most profound moments in America’s history. In its two centuries of use, this building has welcomed the voices of some of our greatest heroes, has survived some of America’s most desperate and foreboding dangers, and has witnessed important decisions affecting American life and culture.
Truly, many diverse stories record the heritage of this building. There are stories reflecting its architectural heritage, its political heritage, and its artistic heritage, but especially interesting are the stories reflecting its rich spiritual heritage. Because the spiritual heritage within this building is little known by most Americans today, this tour through the United States Capitol will highlight many of the stories and artifacts within the Capitol that confirm the deep roots of religious faith throughout American public life.
THE ROTUNDA
We will begin in the Rotunda. The Rotunda is in the center of the Capitol, and its entry is on the second floor. (Included in Appendix A is the floor plan of the interior of the Capitol, showing its rooms and floors. Please refer to the floor plan as the various rooms are discussed throughout this book.) The free-standing dome of the Rotunda is so tall that the Statue of Liberty could be placed inside and there would still be nearly 30 feet left above her torch!
When Congress first moved into the Capitol in 1800, the building bore little resemblance to the current one. In the mid-1820s the Rotunda was completed, and not until 1863 was the massive dome built atop the Rotunda. It required nearly 70 years of construction for the Capitol to become the familiar structure we recognize today.
When the Rotunda opened to the public in 1824, the first things to catch the eye – both then and now – were the massive oil paintings which adorn the walls of the Rotunda. There are eight paintings; each measures 14 feet by 20 feet; and each depicts an important event bearing on our history.
The four pictures on the east side depict the age of Exploration and Colonization; they were placed in the Rotunda between 1840 and 1855. The first is of Columbus landing in the Western World in 1492, depicting the prayer service held following his landing; the second is of DeSoto discovering the Mississippi River in 1541; the third is of the baptism of Pocahontas at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1613; and the fourth is of the Pilgrims in 1620, praying before departing from Holland to America. (Already, in just these four pictures, there are two prayer meetings and a baptism – an early indicator of the religious heritage found throughout the building.)
The four paintings on the west side of the Rotunda were all in place in 1824 when the Rotunda originally opened; each represents an important event in America’s quest for independence. They include the Signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776; the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 (America’s first major victory of the American Revolution); the Victory at Yorktown in 1781 (the last battle of the American Revolution); and George Washington resigning as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in 1783.