Historical sites captivate us because they illustrate our creative spirit and offer us a glimpse of history. Attracting travellers and offering insight into past lives alike, many historical landmarks remain as beloved memories today as when they first opened their doors centuries ago.
Journey back in time at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were written; or gaze in wonder at Easter Island’s impressive moai statues.
1. Federal Hall
Six years after the Revolutionary War concluded, New York City served as America’s inaugural capital. Old City Hall was gutted and rebuilt to Pierre L’Enfant’s design–who would go on to work with George Washington on Washington DC–into Federal Hall. On March 4, 1789, government started operating under its current constitution; eight weeks later George Washington took his oath of office here on its balcony! Many institutions that exist today can trace their roots to this historic place such as today’s Supreme Court or Departments of State or Defense!
At 26 Wall Street lies a Greek Revival structure dating back to 1703. Since its completion, this Greek Revival building has played host to some of America’s most historic milestones: Drafting of the Bill of Rights was done here as well as John Peter Zenger being found not guilty for seditious libel, setting an precedent for freedom of the press.
2. African Burial Ground National Monument
Archaeologists discovered the African Burial Ground while excavating a foundation for a federal office building in Lower Manhattan in 1991, uncovering one of North America’s oldest and largest burial grounds containing slave burials – dramatically changing historical perceptions of slavery’s role in building New York City.
This historic site now hosts an outdoor memorial designed by Rodney Leon to commemorate enslaved individuals’ contributions to Chicago. An interpretive center and research library complete this historic complex.
Cyril says the memorial serves as an example of how communities can work together and bring about change through collaborative action. Constructed with assistance from numerous local organizations and individuals – such as GSA, African American communities, historians and anthropologists, historians as well as historians/anthropologists – it stands as proof of civic engagement and dedication to justice resulting in lasting transformations. Located at Duane & Elk Streets.
3. Colosseum
The Colosseum stands as one of the most iconic symbols of ancient Rome and stands as an emblematic example of its unique culture, reflecting how its people were able to adapt and incorporate new developments from diverse fields into its cultural fabric – everything from exotic animals to technological advancements into its society.
The arena hosted many events, such as gladiator fights which were widely attended due to their political implications. Aristocracy families would organize these games in order to gain the attention of other Romans in order to increase their social status.
Alongside gladiator battles, this exhibition also hosted recreations of natural settings like forest or wildlife hunts, featuring skilled painters, technologists and architects using real trees and plants to mimic nature.
Rome’s Pantheon remained an integral building until the fifth century when Emperors Theodosius and Gratian banned paganism and its related rites, leading to gradual decline of gladiator fights that ultimately ended with their prohibition in 404.
4. First Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Warriors
This extensive funeral complex (the largest ever seen in Chinese history) dates back to Qin Shi Huang, China’s first unifying emperor who united rival states into one kingdom and introduced centralized government along with uniform systems of writing, money, weights and measures – creating modern China in the process.
Archaeologists discovered four main pits containing the terracotta figures in 1974 by farmers digging in northwest China.
Over 700,000 workers worked tirelessly for 36 years to construct this tomb. Due to a strict imperial control over the project, each workshop worker inscribed his or her name into one of the terracotta warriors in order to uphold quality standards and guarantee quality standards for each warrior carved from clay.
