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Presidents of the United States
The War of 1812

A Palace for the President — The Story of the White House, Part 1

A Palace for the President — The Story of the White House, Part 1
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   2.83

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    stairway, leading, freedom, nation, several, capital, heat, lived, palace, course, empty, center, plaster, laundry, building, important
     content words:    United States, Pierre L'Enfant, George Washington, But Americans, James Hoban, Abigail Adams, East Room, Thomas Jefferson, Dolley Madison, President Madison

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A Palace for the President — The Story of the White House, Part 1
By Toni Lee Robinson 		  
1     The United States had won its freedom from Britain. A new nation was born! Now it was time to care for the baby nation. Leaders were chosen to guide the country. Where would they do their work?
 
2     The new leaders made plans for a capital. This was a special city. It would be the nation's headquarters. The country's leaders would meet there. In this city, they would do the work of leading the country. A man named Pierre L'Enfant drew up plans for the city.
 
3     The president would need a place in the city to live. The country's first president was George Washington. He chose a place in the capital for the President's house. L'Enfant sketched the house on his plan. He drew a very big, fancy house! He called it "the President's palace."
 
4     Mr. L'Enfant was from France. His country had a king as its leader. Kings, of course, live in palaces. L'Enfant thought the leader of America would live in a palace. But Americans didn't want a king. U.S. leaders didn't think the president should live in a palace.

Paragraphs 5 to 13:
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