We all know that Washington,DC is the home of the White House where the president of the USA lives.But have you ever wondered why it's called the "White House"?
Interestingly enough the White House was designed by James Hoban,an Irish architect,after he won the contest for best design.They began building the White House in 1792 and the first president to live in it was President John Adams and his wife.At that time it was called the "President's House". So where did the name "White House" come from?
Well,when the War of 1812 started,the British army was still sore from the licking they took in the American Revolution,so they were determined to get even.
And one great way was to burn down the US capitol city and everything in it.So the British troops stormed the capitol city and took it over,and immediately made
plans to burn it down.And one of the buildings they set on fire was the President's home.However,the house did not burn completely down,but the outside was turned
black from the smoke and fire damage.So, after the war the president's house was painted,you guessed it, it was painted white,and people started calling it
the "White House". However, for the remainder of the 19th century the house was officially known as the "Executive Mansion".
Then in 1901 Republican President Theodore Roosevelt invited African-American educator,author and orator Booker T. Washington for dinner at the "Executive Mansion". When word of the rendezvous was disseminated it created outrage particularly amongst rednecks,racists and bigots in the former Confederate states.
In order to appease the crackers President Teddy Roosevelt officially changed the name of the building to the "White House:.
This is not the only time in US history that politicians had to appease people from the former Confederacy.In 1935 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was trying to get the Social Security Act passed through Congress.The Social Security Act of 1935 excluded from coverage about half the workers in the American economy. Among the excluded groups were agricultural and domestic workers' a large percentage of whom were African Americans. Like Theodore,Franklin did this to appease the southern racists.
Even today presidential hopeful Donald Trump continues to makes racists epithets. These slurs captivate racists and bigots.
Many political scientists believe if the northern part of the US would have let the Confederacy secede in 1861,the northern part of the USA would have a culture similar to that of Canada or Europe.
But not so fast. The problem may be the two party system in the USA. With a two party system each party will have to pander to southern bigots.In the upcoming election if Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination and goes up against Bernie Sanders (the only candidate in the US presidential election who pays a salary to his interns and the only candidate who is not a millionaire),Michael Bloomberg says he will then run for president. Bernie is to the left,Trump is on the right and Bloomberg is in the middle. So anyone can with the election. Bloomberg is a
billionaire.But it'd be the death of the two party system and an end to
wooing xenophobics.
