In April 1865, as the nation reeled from Lincoln’s assassination, the U.S. Navy scoured the Potomac River for John Wilkes Booth. Anchored near Blackistone Lighthouse, the barge Black Diamond waited in vain to intercept the assassin. That night, tragedy struck when the steamer Massachusetts collided with the vessel—sending the Black Diamond to the river’s bottom
The destruction of Washington in 1814 by the invading British challenged President James Monroe and architect Benjamin Latrobe with the task of rebuilding the destroyed edifices of the city's public buildings. As symbols of the aspirations of the Republic, they had to be more than functional, they had to be beautiful. The building material they
George Washington has frequently been criticized for his first military campaign, which sparked the French and Indian War. This backwoods campaign between British and French colonials eventually grew into the Seven Years' War, a global conflict between these European empires. In 1754 Washington was an ambitious yet inexperienced young officer, eager to carry out his
Prince William Historic Preservation is hosting Washington's Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution,1775-1777 at the Old Manassas Courthouse. The fighting prowess of United States Marines is second to none, but few know of the Corps' humble beginnings and what was achieved during the early years of the American Revolution. Major General Jason Q