For almost two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the nation's capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square...on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre L'Enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President's House." Nine proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design.
Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, nt's private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.
The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President. Throughout much of Harry S. Truman's presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the Trumans lived at Blair House, right across Pennsylvania Avenue. Nonetheless, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the White House was constructed two centuries ago.
Presidents can express their inpidual style in how they decorate some parts of the house and in how they receive the public during their stay. Thomas Jefferson held the first Inaugural open house in 1805. Many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol simply followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. President Jefferson also opened the house for public tours, and it has remained open, except during wartime, ever since. In addition, he welcomed visitors to annual receptions on New Year’s Day and on the Fourth of July. In 1829, a horde of 20,000 Inaugural callers forced President Andrew Jackson to flee to the safety of a hotel while, on the lawn, aides filled washtubs with orange juice and whiskey to lure the mob out of the mud-tracked White House.
After Abraham Lincoln's presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover Cleveland's first presidency did this unsafe practice change. He held a presidential review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the White House. This procession evolved into the official Inaugural parade we know today. Receptions on New Year's Day and the Fourth of July continued to be held until the early 1930s.
President Clinton's open house on January 21, 1993 renewed a venerable White House Inaugural tradition. Two thousand citizens, selected by lottery, were greeted in the Diplomatic Reception Room by President and Mrs. Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore.
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近二百年来，白宫一直是总统、美国政府和美国人民的象征。它的历史，和历史上的国家的首都，开始的时候，乔治·华盛顿总统签署了一项国会法案在十二月1790宣布联邦政府将居住区”不超过十平方英里…波托马克河上。“华盛顿总统，连同城市规划师彼埃尔朗方，选择了新的住所网站，就是现在的宾夕法尼亚大道1600号。当准备开始为新的联邦城市，举行比赛找到一个建设者的“总统府”九项建议被提交，爱尔兰出生的建筑师James Hoban获得金牌，他的实际设计和英俊。
1792十月开始铺设第一座基石时，建筑就开始了。尽管华盛顿总统监督这座房子的建造，但他从未在里面居住过。直到1800，当白宫已近完成，它的第一批居民，约翰·亚当斯总统和他的妻子，阿比盖尔，感动。从那时起，每个总统都有自己的变化和补充。白宫是新界的私人住宅。它也是一个国家元首的唯一私人住所，免费向公众开放。
白宫有着独特而迷人的历史。它在1814的英国手上幸存下来，1929在西翼发生了另一场大火，而Herbert Hoover则是总统。在哈里·S·杜鲁门的总统任期，这所房子的内部，与第三楼外，完全被烧毁和翻新而trumans住在布莱尔家，在宾夕法尼亚大道的权利。尽管如此，外墙石墙是在两个世纪前建造白宫时首次出现的。
总统可以表达他们的个人风格，他们如何装饰房子的某些部分，以及他们在入住期间如何接待公众。托马斯·杰斐逊在1805举办了首届就职公开赛。在美国国会大厦参加宣誓仪式的许多人只是跟着他回家，在蓝色房间里迎接他们。杰佛逊总统还开放了公众参观的房子，它一直开放，除了在战争期间，从那时起。此外，他欢迎游客在元旦和七月四日举行一年一度的招待会。1829、一大群听众20000就职总统安德鲁·杰克逊被迫逃往安全的旅馆，在草地上，身边充满washtubs橙汁和威士忌吸引怪物的mud-tracked白宫。
在亚伯拉罕.林肯就任总统后，就职人群变得太大了，白宫无法舒适地接待他们。然而，直到克利夫兰的第一任总统这样做不安全的做法改变。他举行了总统检阅部队从国旗覆盖看台建在白宫前。这一行列演变成今天我们所知道的正式就职游行。元旦和七月四日的招待会一直持续到1930年代初。
1993年1月21日，克林顿总统的公开会议重申了白宫悠久的就职传统。二千名公民被抽签选中，在外交接待室受到总统和夫人克林顿和副总统Gore夫人的欢迎。
