Ben Franklin's world.

The podcast dedicated to helping you learn more about how the people and events of our

early American past have shaped the present day world we live in.

And I'm your host, Liz Kovart.

On July 1, 1790, Congress passed an act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the government of the United States.

This act formalized a plan to move the capital of the United States from New York City to Philadelphia for a period of 10 years, and then from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. where the United States government would make its permanent home.

Now, before the United States government could make its home in Washington, D.C., it needed infrastructure.

It needed buildings to house the departments of government,

roads so people could travel easily within the new city,

and buildings to house new residents and new businesses.

Essentially, Congress needed to build a city,

which is why it created provisions in its act for establishing the temporary

and permanency of the government, like, and be it enacted, as the President shall approve,

the said Commissioners or any two of them, shall prior to the first Monday in December in the year 1,800

provide suitable buildings for the accommodation of Congress and of the President and for the public offices of the government of the United States.

Today we're going to explore the suitable building Congress had built for the President.

We're going to explore the early history of the White House, which stands as one of the most

iconic buildings in the United States.

Now our guide through the early history of the White House is Lindsay Trevinsky, the White House Historical

Associations White House Historian.

And as we explore the early days of the White House, Lindsay reveals the history, work, and mission of the White House Historical Association,

why the White House stands where it does in the history of the land it stands on, and details

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