Page 27 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Washington, DC

THE HIST OR Y OF W ASHINGT ON , DC  25

It became home to many
successful African-American
musicians and writers;
Duke Elling ton and the
opera star Madame Evanti
lived here, as did poets
Lang ston Hughes and
Paul Dunbar. Alain Locke,
a professor of philosophy
at Howard, and Jean
Toomer, author of Cane,
Suffragettes demanding a hearing for imprisoned leader Alice Paul were also residents.

When the US entered World War I in Roosevelt Ushers in a New Deal
1917, growing numbers of women came Following the stock market crash of 1929,
to Washington to fill the posts vacated federal workers received salary cuts, and
by men. Suffragists took to the streets to many other Washingtonians lost their jobs.
campaign for the right to vote. The National As a result, President Roosevelt created
Women’s Party, led by Alice Paul, picketed the “New Deal,” an ambitious public works
the White House to urge President Wilson program to reduce unemployment. People
to en dorse a constitutional amendment to were paid to do a range of tasks, from
give women the vote. plant ing trees on the Mall to completing
African-Americans in Washington were some of the city’s edifices, such as the
not only banned from voting but also faced Supreme Court, the government office
discrimination in housing and education. buildings of the Federal Triangle, and
After a local black battalion was excluded the National Gallery of Art.
from a World War I victory parade, tension Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor, was a champion
mounted. On July 20, 1919, riots of the poor and a tireless reformer. In 1939,
erupted on the streets and did when Marian Anderson, the African-
not stop for four days. Although American singer, was
discrimination continued, the denied permission by
1920s were a period of com- the Daughters of the
mercial, artistic, and literary American Revolution to
success for the black perform at Constitution
community. The area Hall, Eleanor Roosevelt
around U Street and arranged for her to
Howard University attracted sing at the Lincoln
small businesses, theaters, President Franklin D. Roosevelt with Memorial instead,
nightclubs, and restaurants. First Lady Eleanor to a crowd of 75,000.

1906 Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter, Alice,
is married in the White House
Marian
1918 Washington celebrates Armistice Day
1908 Opening of Union Station, Anderson
designed by Daniel Burnham 1919 Race riots continue for four days (1897–1993)
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940
1929 The Great
1917 US enters World War I Depression begins 1939 Marian
Anderson performs
1920 The 19th amendment, 1933 New Negro Alliance is formed at the Lincoln
granting suffrage to women, is ratified to improve the status of black people Memorial

024-025_EW_Washington.indd 25 04/04/17 2:38 pm