The History Square

The House of Representatives

In the House, representation is based on the number of people living in each state. There are a total of 435 representatives in the House. Each member represents an area of the state, known as a congressional district. The number of representatives is based on the number of districts in a state. Therefore, states with larger populations have more representation than states with smaller populations. Each state has at least one congressional district and therefore one representative in the House.

Election of Representatives

The House of Representatives has a fixed number of 435 members. Its members serve for two years and then are up for reelection. In order to be elected to the House of Representatives, there are some requirements a candidate must meet. These qualifications are established in Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution. A candidate must be:

• At least 25 years old (by the time s/he takes the oath of office).
• A citizen of the U.S. for at least 7 years.
• A resident of the state from which they are elected.

Since representation in the House is based on a state's population, every 10 years the U.S. Bureau of the Census counts how many people live in each state of the United States. Each state is broken down into congressional districts and there is one representative for each district. Every state has at least one congressional district. With each new census, the number of districts (and representatives) in each state is then adjusted.

For example, the 2000 Census increased the number of Pennsylvania representatives from 17 to 19.

Election of Senators

Representation in the Senate consists of 2 members per state, regardless of a state's population. Its members serve for 6-year terms and then are up for re-election. Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution divides the Senate into three groups. Every 2 years, one of the three groups (one-third of the Senate) is up for reelection. Let's take an example:

Senators elected in the year 2006, will be up for re-election in 2012. Senators elected in 2008 will be up for reelection in 2014. Meanwhile, senators elected in 2010 will be up for reelection in 2016.

In order to be elected to the Senate, there are some requirements a candidate must meet. These qualifications are established in Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution. A candidate must be:

• At least 30 years old (by the time s/he takes the oath of office).
• A citizen of the U.S. for at least 9 years.
• A resident of the state from which s/he is elected.

Election of the President

The process of electing a President was set up in the United States Constitution. The Constitution requires a candidate for the presidency to be:

• At least 35 years old
• A natural born citizen of the United States
• A resident of the United States for 14 years

So how does one become President of the United States? The following steps outline the general process for presidential elections.

Emancipation Proclamation

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, as the United States was facing a third year of civil war. The proclamation, which became effective on January 1, 1863, declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforth shall be free." The following is a transcription of the proclamation:

By the President of the United States of America:
A Proclamation.

Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit:

"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

The Lincoln Memorial

Located on the National Mall in Washington, DC, the Lincoln Memorial honors Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th President of the United States. Lincoln was President during the Civil War (1861-65). The memorial, which was built between 1914 and 1922, symbolizes his belief that all people should be free.

The theme of the building represents the Union. The columns surrounding the walls stand for the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The names of the 48 states in the Union (when the memorial was completed in 1922) are carved on the walls along the outside of the memorial. A plaque honoring Alaska and Hawaii is in the approach plaza.

The Articles of Confederation

After the Revolutionary War, the American states were independent from Great Britain. They needed to create a system of government to run this new nation. The first system created was known as the Articles of Confederation and was adopted by the Congress on November 15, 1777. In its final form, the Articles of Confederation were comprised of a preamble and 13 articles.

The Articles of Confederation were finally ratified by the last of the 13 American states, Maryland, in 1781 and became the ruling document in the new nation. The Articles created a nation that was "a league of friendship and perpetual union."

The Constitution

The Constitution of the United States is the cornerstone of our American government. In 4,543 words this document describes the structure or plan of the government and the rights of the American people. The Constitution is known as a "living document" because it can be amended. Since its ratification, it has only been changed (amended) 27 times. The Constitution is a strong document, more powerful than any branch of government or any state. At the same time, it is flexible enough to allow for freedom and changes in America.

The Constitution is organized into three parts:

• Preamble: Describes the purpose of the document and government.
• Articles: Establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are seven articles.
• Amendments: Changes to the Constitution; the first ten are called the Bill of Rights.

Read More In Depth

Our Capital City

New York City was the first capital of the United States. George Washington took the oath of office from the balcony of New York City's old City Hall to become the first President of the United States.

The President had to help decide on a permanent location for the country’s seat of government. As part of a compromise, it was decided that the capital would move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 for ten years and then to a suitable permanent location on the Potomac River.

President Washington chose an area that included land from the states of Maryland and Virginia. At this time the area was primarily farm and marsh lands. Nevertheless, Congress was scheduled to meet in the new capital on the first Monday in December 1800.  The capital city is named Washington after George Washington, our first president. It is located in the District of Columbia, named after Christopher Columbus, a famous explorer.

The American System of Large Numbers

Scientific notation (10³) is used as a means of listing the numbers for which we then list the name. The names listed are used by the U.S. and scientific community.

10^3                                                  Thousand

10^6                                                  Million

10^9                                                  Billion

10^12                                                Trillion

10^15                                                Quadrillion

10^18                                                Quintillion