Visiting the WHITE HOUSE in Washington DC - Walking Tour and History

Hey there everyone my name is Eduardo Arroyo but you can call me Ed and today we are here visiting the White House here in Washington DC. Yes you guys you heard that right today we are visiting the White House probably the most famous and recognizable house in the entire planet and no I don't think that's an overstatement. The goal for today is simple I want to tell you a little bit more about it and show you around so that you know what you'll see if you choose to visit. So if that interests you come with me. Let's start with a few facts about this place. First of all the White House is the official office and residence of the President of the United States and I'm sure most of you knew that. But did you know that that has been the case for every single President of the United States with the exception of George Washington? He actually oversaw the construction of the house but never got to live in it. The White House hosts important events including annual gatherings and even the signing of important documents and treaties. For hundreds of years the White House has stood as a symbol of the presidency, the U.S. government, and the American people. It is pretty much synonymous with the U.S. and it has been burned into our memories with its countless appearance in TV shows, movies, and news coverage. The house itself is divided into different sections which include the center section which is the most visible, the east wing which at this time is covered by trees. Although this view is very clear when the trees have leaves it's almost impossible to look through them. So there you go guys enjoy what is possibly the clearest view of the east wing. And on the other side you have the west wing which is where the famous Oval Office is located and as you can see you also get a very limited view. The White House area spans at around 55,000 square feet most of which as I mentioned earlier it's not really visible. See if you turn to the left you see trees if you turn to the right that's the same story trees which cover most visibility. Not only that but the White House also has two big lawns one right here in the front and the other one at the back which provide more distance from the outside. And if you were thinking I'll just be smart and go around the house to check out the views from there that's not possible as there are two buildings on either side that block the view. On the west side you have the Eisenhower office building and on the east side is the treasury department building. So my friends this is as close as you can get to the White House you can touch the fence. Like I said there's still a big gap from the fence to the White House but at least you can say you did that. That is if you didn't book a tour which you can actually do. To book a tour of the White House you have to do it through your member of congress which that by itself already sounds complicated to me. You also have to do it like a month in advance because that's how long it can take for you to get approved. And once you get approved don't think that you're gonna be able to take pictures nor video because that's not the case. At least it's good to know that you can do that but for now this is the view that we get. Before I continue showing you around I'd like to tell you a bit more about the history of the White House. George Washington signed an act of congress in 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a quote-unquote district. This is basically how Washington DC came to be. Alongside a city planner, Washington chose the site of the residence. And like that, construction began on October 1792. The construction team was comprised of enslaved and freed African Americans, European immigrants, and local white laborers and craftsmen. So yes, slave work was in fact leveraged during its construction. The White House was finally completed in November 1, 1800. The first president to live in the White House was the second president of the United States, John Adams. And every president after him followed. The White House has been known by other names in the past including the President's Palace, the President's House, and the Executive Mansion. Until Teddy Roosevelt changed its name for good to the White Lastly, the White House actually survived an attack by British troops where they burned the White House and the Capitol building in retaliation for an American attack in Canada. This was all part of the War of 1812 if you want to look more into it. Throughout today's video we have been on the north side of the White House right here at Lafayette Square which is a little park or plaza which overlooks the front of the White House as you can see. It is interesting to note that the White House is the only major building in the National Mall that faces away from it. I'll show you a map to explain. This green section here in the map is called the National Mall. Most of the major buildings here face inwards so towards the National Mall. The great exception here is the White House which faces away from it. So like I said, this is the front right? Let's go around and check out the views from the back. As we make our way to the back I'm going to show you the amount of people that are in this area including the Segway crew right there at the back. This area is also a prime place for people who want to protest as you can see there's like a man over there with tons of signs and there's another one right here in back of me. There's also a lot of people who gather along the fence as you can clearly see. Overall, I do think that the White House is a very popular destination. There's the Segway crew once again. We're almost at the location that I want to show you but I just wanted to stop to check out this amazing view. That right there you guys is the Washington Monument. Bam! Check out that amazing view you guys. I'm actually going to make a dedicated video of the Washington Monument so stay tuned to the channel if you want to check that out. So this green space area in between the Washington Monument and the White House. The White House is right over there and you can kind of see all the people already gathering in that location. We'll make our way there in a second. Believe it or not this place used to be the field of a professional baseball team, the Washington Senators. Can you imagine that a baseball team having their field right next to the Washington Monument and right next to the White House? That would be wild. Check it out you guys. Just like that we made it to the back of the White House and just an observation you guys. This section is actually really popular. More popular than I would have thought but I can see the appeal right. You get two views of the White House as well as the Washington Monument right there. So I get it but just make sure that you know that this is actually the back of the White House. You might think I'm overreacting by saying this but I've actually heard people say is this the only view that you get of the White House and no that's not the case. You can go around and check out the front views like we did on this video. Like I mentioned earlier the White House faces away from the National Mall so away from the Washington Monument. Don't make that rookie mistake. And just like that you guys we're back here at Lafayette Square, the place where we started today's video. If you guys enjoyed the video as much as I did I'm going to ask you to please click on the like button and subscribe to my channel if you want to check out more cool and interesting travel videos just like this one. And always remember to be kind, have an open mind. I'll see you next time.