About the US Capitol
The Captiol building is where the United States Legislative Branch convenes. It is home to both the Senate and the House of Representatives. These two groups make up the Congress of the USA.
The current Capitol building opened on November 17, 1800. This was only 16 days after The White House was opened. The current version of the building has been rebuilt since the british troops burned the original building in 1814 during the war of 1812.
Fun Facts:
- The US Capitol has 540 rooms inside, as well as a network of tunnels incase of attack.
- The cast-iron dome on the roof of the building weighs nearly 9,000,000 pounds.
- Underneath the Capitol building is a crypt. This was intended to be George Washintons's tomb, but he didn't want to be buried there, so he wasn't.
- After the burning of the Capitol building, in 1819 it was reopened after being massively increased in size.