Washington

Washington

Without a doubt the highlight of my time in the Sixth Form was the Year 13 History and Politics trip to Washington. Led by the ever-enthusiastic Mr Bird, we wandered through the streets in awe of the grand buildings that appeared on every corner. On the first day we went straight to the Newseum which held various interactive exhibitions about the reporting of news in the media. Held within an amazing modern glass building with panoramic views of the city, the exhibitions on the presidential race, civil rights and the Berlin Wall were extremely fascinating.

 The next morning with the sun shining we went over to Congress where we were lucky enough to go into the Rotunda and the House of Representatives. This experience brought many of the historical events we had studied in the classroom to life as we were in the very building where Truman announced the ‘policy of containment’ in 1947 and Johnson was granted funding to escalate US involvement in Vietnam in 1964. Across the road we also stopped for a while outside the Supreme Court, where landmark cases from our A Level course were won such as Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954. In the afternoon we visited the National Archives Museum which holds the original Declaration of Independence and American Constitution, and the Smithsonian American History Museum. The fun of the day certainly continued into the evening with the challenge of a Washington Scavenger Hunt and race back to the hotel. We were split into three groups and given tasks such as getting a picture of your whole group with the White House and making a promotional video for the trip which was a huge amount of fun!

On the final day, led by a very knowledgable guide, we took the train to Arlington National Cemetery where John. F Kennedy and his family, Thurgood Marshall and Medgar Evers are buried. We then made our way back to Washington where we started a walking tour of the monuments. Standing at the top of the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King made his “I have a dream” speech, and looking out at the Washington Monument and reflecting pool was an extremely surreal and unforgettable experience. On the way to the airport we were all felt very disappointed to be leaving after such an incredible and inspiring few days. A massive thank you has to go to Mr Bird for putting together such a brilliant trip!

Lucy King Year 13