| There is no doubt that our nation's capital is one of the | | | | may stroll the ground and view the current progress |
| most popular destinations for tourists around the world. | | | | on the search for Washington's original childhood |
| The majesty of Washington, DC attracts everyone | | | | home.The nearby Ferry Farm is also a place rich with |
| interested in American history, and each year crowds | | | | Washingtonian history, as the president spent a |
| flock to all of the popular landmarks: the Jefferson | | | | number of formative years here. Guests can view the |
| Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian | | | | wildlife currently in residence and learn more about the |
| Institution, and others. Here is where history was made, | | | | nation's early history and how Washington grew to |
| and where laws continue to be made.Yet, you may | | | | become an important figure in these times.Stafford |
| not realize that Washington DC only tells part of the | | | | County was affected, too, by the Civil War, and at the |
| story of our nation's birth. Settled in the heart of the | | | | White Oak Civil War Museum visitors will learn of the |
| Mid-Atlantic region, the nation's capital is surrounded by | | | | area's role during that tumultuous time. Maps are also |
| two states that hosted quite a bit of action in colonial | | | | available to create a driving tour of noted spots in the |
| times. Virginia, in particular, was home to a number of | | | | county where skirmishes took place between the Blue |
| legendary events that shaped our nation, and when | | | | and the Gray. Lastly, Civil War enthusiasts can visit |
| tourists take a side step to Stafford County (only 25 | | | | Chatham, a stately home that once served as Union |
| miles from DC), they will find a wealth of attractions to | | | | headquarters, where Clara Barton tended to wounded |
| supplement their history lessons.Perhaps you heard the | | | | soldiers.In Stafford County, American history lives on in |
| story in school of how George Washington chopped | | | | the landmarks, museums, and historical homes. Anyone |
| down a cherry tree and "could not tell a lie" when | | | | planning a trip to Washington, DC would benefit from a |
| questioned about it. Did you know that event is | | | | side trip to this part of Northern Virginia. The Stafford |
| believed to have occurred in Stafford County? In | | | | County Department of Economic Development at |
| Fredericksburg, the land that held the childhood home | | | | offers free brochures to all who are interested in |
| of our nation's first president is marked, and guests | | | | learning more about our nation's history. |