The History Behind the White House
A lot has changed
As we all know the White House houses the president and is also the workplace of the United States president. The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. Did you know that John Adams was the very first President to reside in the White House in 1800? The term “White House” is often used as a metonym for the president and their advisers. The residence was created by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the neoclassical style. The building was on Leinster House in Dublin. The Leinster House is used today for the Oireachtas or the Irish legislature.
The construction of the White House took place 1792 to 1800. Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in the year 1801. Jefferson moved into the house with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Latrobe added low colonnades on each wing, the colonnades concealed stables and storage. During the war of 1812 the White House was set ablaze by the British Army the fire destroyed the interior and charred much of the exterior. Almost immediately after President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. The exterior construction continued with the addition of a semicircle.
President Roosevelt all work offices relocated to the newly constructed west wing in 1901. Did you know the first oval office was created in 1909? President William Howard Taft was the president to come up with the idea of making the oval office. In 1927 the main mansion's third floor attic was converted into a main living quarters. A newly constructed east wing was used for social events. Jefferson’s colonnades connected the new wings. East wing alterations were completed and created additional office space.
By 1948 the interior and exterior walls and wooden beams were to be found close to failure. The interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new load-bearing steel frame constructed inside the walls under Harry S. Truman. Once the steel frames were constructed inside the walls, the interior rooms were rebuilt. The modern day White House includes executive residence, west wing, east wing and the Eisenhower Office building. The Eisenhower executive Office building was once used as the former state department. The Eisenhower executive Office building now houses offices for the president’s staff and vice president. The Eisenhower executive Office is also a Blair House (guest house).
The executive residence is made up of six floors. The ground floor, the state floor, second floor and the third floor, as well as two story basement. The property is a national heritage site which is owned by the national park service. The property is also part of the president’s park. In 2007 the park was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects.
Architectural Competition-
The house was a major feature of Pierre (Peter) Charles L’Enfant’s 1791 plan for the newly established federal city, Washington D.C. Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson both agreed that the design of the White House and the Capital would be chosen in a design competition. The proposals for the capital were rejected but there were acceptable drawings for the White House submitted by James Hoban and one by Thomas Jefferson himself. James Hoban was trained at the Dublin of arts. Hoban first came to the United States after the revolution. Hoban first seeked work in Philadelphia and later found work in South Carolina. Hoban designed several buildings in South Carolina, one of those being the state capital at Columbia. Hoban supervised the construction of the White House and the U.S. Capital. When President Washington traveled to Charleston, South Carolina in may 1971 for his “Southern Tour” he saw the Charleston County Courthouse under construction by James Hoban.
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By Drake Waggoner5 years ago in The Swamp
When Harry Reid Went Nuclear
In November 2013, a quiet but historic shift took place on the floor of the United States Senate. It did not involve explosions, foreign conflict, or dramatic speeches delivered to roaring crowds. Instead, it involved procedure—an often-overlooked but powerful force in American politics. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made a decision that would permanently change how the Senate operates. This moment came to be known as the day Harry Reid “went nuclear.” To understand why this mattered, it helps to first understand how the Senate traditionally worked. The Filibuster and Senate Tradition For decades, the U.S. Senate prided itself on being the chamber of extended debate. Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate allowed unlimited discussion on most issues. This tradition gave rise to the filibuster, a tactic that allows a minority of senators to delay or block a vote by refusing to end debate. To stop a filibuster, the Senate needs to invoke cloture, which historically required 60 votes. This supermajority rule was meant to encourage compromise and protect minority voices. In theory, it slowed down extreme legislation. In practice, it increasingly became a tool for gridlock. By the early 2010s, the filibuster was no longer rare. It had become routine. A Senate Stuck in Neutral When Barack Obama entered his second term as president, Democrats controlled the Senate, but Republicans used the filibuster to block many of Obama’s nominees. These were not just cabinet-level officials. Judicial nominees, including those for federal appeals courts, were routinely stalled. Harry Reid, a seasoned senator from Nevada, watched as vacancies piled up. Courts were understaffed. Executive agencies struggled to function. Reid argued that this level of obstruction went beyond legitimate opposition and threatened the government’s ability to operate. Republicans countered that the filibuster was a vital check on majority power. To them, Democrats were simply frustrated that they could not push nominees through without resistance. The tension reached a breaking point in November 2013. The Nuclear Option Explained The “nuclear option” is not an official Senate rule. It is a procedural maneuver that allows the Senate to reinterpret its rules by a simple majority vote, bypassing the usual 60-vote requirement. On November 21, 2013, Harry Reid used this option to eliminate the filibuster for most presidential nominations. From that day forward, executive branch nominees and federal judicial nominees—except for Supreme Court justices—could be confirmed with a simple majority of 51 votes. It was a dramatic move. Many senators, including some Democrats, warned that it would weaken the Senate’s unique role. Reid himself had previously opposed the nuclear option. But in that moment, he argued that extraordinary obstruction required extraordinary action. Immediate Reactions and Fallout The reaction was swift and intense. Democrats praised the move as necessary and overdue. They argued that elections should have consequences and that a president deserved to staff his administration and the courts. To them, the Senate had become dysfunctional, and Reid’s decision restored basic governance. Republicans were furious. They accused Reid of breaking the Senate and destroying a tradition that had stood for over a century. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that Democrats would regret the decision when they were no longer in power. That warning would later prove prophetic. Long-Term Consequences At first, the impact seemed limited. President Obama was able to fill judicial vacancies, including seats on the powerful D.C. Circuit Court. The executive branch regained momentum. But the precedent had been set. In 2017, when Republicans gained control of the Senate and Donald Trump became president, they expanded the nuclear option. This time, it was applied to Supreme Court nominations, allowing Justice Neil Gorsuch to be confirmed with a simple majority. What began as a targeted procedural fix became a fundamental shift in how power is exercised in the Senate. Was It a Mistake or a Necessity? Whether Harry Reid’s decision was right or wrong depends largely on perspective. Supporters argue that the Senate was already broken. They point out that the filibuster was being used more than ever before, not to encourage debate but to block routine governance. From this view, Reid did not break the system—he exposed how fragile it had already become. Critics argue that Reid accelerated the Senate’s decline. By removing the incentive for compromise, they say, the nuclear option turned the Senate into a body that increasingly resembles the House, driven by narrow majorities and partisan swings. Both arguments carry weight, which is why the moment remains so controversial. A Defining Legacy Harry Reid retired from the Senate in 2017 and passed away in 2021. Among his many accomplishments, the nuclear option stands out as one of the most consequential. It reshaped judicial confirmations, altered the balance of power between parties, and changed how future majorities would govern. More importantly, it forced Americans to confront a difficult question: how much tradition should be preserved when it no longer serves its intended purpose?
By Saboor Brohi about 22 hours ago in The Swamp
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