It also is a sign of our unity in being American. The dome you see now was built in the 1860s during the height of the civil war. Construction was initially halted at the start of the war, but then President Lincoln decided to restart work and finish it in 1863. In the warn-torn and split city that was Washington, D.C. it provided a symbol for both sides that America was going to persevere. It’s the “home of the American people”, everyone in the country owns it. No matter where you are, if you see the building you immediately think “that’s the capitol”. That symbol brought, and continues to bring, every American together.