Ask HISTORY: What was the first capital of the United States? (2:39)
What was America's first capital city? The answer might surprise you.
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Ask HISTORY: What was the first capital of the United States?
Ask HISTORY: What was the first capital of the United States?Video Clip (2:39)
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What was America's first capital city? The answer might surprise you.
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Shaping Washington D.C
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Washington D.C. was designed as a square before Congress gave Virginia back its portion in 1846.
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Central Air
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The invention of air conditioning allowed settlers to move west into the country's hotter regions.
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Puritans vs. Pilgrims
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How did the differences between Pilgrims and Puritans help shape the states of New England?
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North Carolina Gold Rush
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Though California is known for its gold rush, prospectors first struck it rich in North Carolina.
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The Rebels of South Carolina
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Did the American Revolution start in Charleston, South Carolina?
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The Quaker Pen
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Quakers built Eastern State Penitentiary to reform prisoners through quiet introspection, but the results were surprising: Many inmates were driven insane.
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Blue Laws
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Get the full story of Blue Laws, which restrict alcohol sales in certain cities.
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Setting Time Zones
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Time zones regulated how towns kept time so railroads could stay on schedule.
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State of Jefferson
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In the 1940s, a group of Northern California residents planned to secede from the United States.
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Obama on the Egyptian Uprising
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On January 25, 2011, Egyptians took to the streets in an uprising against President Hosni Mubarak. On the third day of the uprising, President Barack Obama addresses the American people after speaking to Mubarak about his country’s future.
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Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed
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On September 20, 2011, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law, which for 18 years banned gays from serving openly in the military, came to an end. In a press conference, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta welcomes the new era.
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Eleanor Roosevelt Commemorates World Children’s Day
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"First Lady of the World" Eleanor Roosevelt reads a statement regarding child welfare in honor of World Children’s Day, which was first celebrated one year earlier on October 4, 1953.
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U.S. Capitol Shooting of March 1954
U.S. Capitol Shooting of March 1954Audio Clip (0:56)
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On March 1, 1954, five Congressmen were shot when a gang of Puerto Rican Nationalists opened fire on the House of Representatives. News coverage of the event reveals suspicions that the shooters are part of the same group that attempted the assassination of President Harry Truman in November 1950.
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Roe v. Wade Decision Announced
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On January 22, 1973, ABC Evening News anchor Howard K. Smith announces the United States Supreme Court's landmark decision in the Roe v. Wade case, which ruled unconstitutional a Texas state law that prohibited abortion.
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Lyndon Johnson on Missing Civil Rights Workers
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On June 23, 1964, two days after three civil rights workers disappeared in Mississippi, President Lyndon B. Johnson telephones Senator James Eastland for help with the matter, but Eastland denies trouble and declares the event a publicity stunt.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt on New Deal Programs
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In his April 28, 1935, fireside chat radio broadcast, President Franklin D. Roosevelt praises the newly adopted Works Relief Program and discusses the new Social Security Act recently introduced in Congress.
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Truman Announces Germany's Surrender
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In a May 8, 1945, radio broadcast, President Harry Truman announces the unconditional surrender of Germany, but reminds Americans that the war wages on in the Far East.
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Truman Supports Civil Rights
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On June 29, 1947, as the first president to address the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Harry Truman pledges his support for upholding the civil rights of all Americans.
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Obama Signs Health Insurance Reform Bill
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On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama refers to the century-long struggle that has led to the new bill he will sign into law to overhaul the health insurance industry.
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