The Territorial form of government lasted three years, or until June 20, 1874, when Congress provided that a new form of municipal government with three commissioners appointed by the President, with the consent of the Senate, should be established in the District of Columbia. This, known as the temporary form of government, lasted until July 1, 1878, when the present form was established. [Illustration: VIEW OF THE MALL ABOUT 1890] CHAPTER XII THE INFLUENCE OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AND OF THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION ON ART IN THE UNITED STATES The Centennial Exhibition of 1876 at Philadelphia marked a century of progress. It aroused the country to its opportunities, after a period of lethargy and unrest that followed the Civil War. A decade had elapsed since the end of that terrible conflict, and a new day dawned. President Grant gave the people confidence that he would guide the affairs of the Nation safely as their Chief Executive. Industries were established, commerce and trade developed, and prosperity followed. The Philadelphia Centennial of 1876 brought a sense of the power of the United States in material resources, coupled with an admission of poverty in the things of the spirit, and a determination to remedy shortcomings in this respect. The people then turned their attention to the finer things of life and became interested in erecting monuments and establishing art galleries. Thus, the Corcoran Art Gallery, Washington, D. C., the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts were chartered about the time of the centennial celebration. Again, in 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, had a great effect on art in the United States. It stirred the whole world by the production of beautiful and impressive groups of buildings, so arranged and coordinated as to create the sense of unity in the whole composition. The White City along the shores of Lake Michigan still lives in the minds of many people to-day. The use of landscape effects, of canals and basins, of statuary and paintings, all contributed to impress the public and to lift people to new standards and ideals of achievement. It marked the beginning of a new era of civic development. In Chicago, for the first time, men saw the advantage of teamwork to produce a result finer than anything before dreamed of. A number of the great artists in the United States to-day served their apprenticeship during the preparation of the World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago. Several of the artists served on the decorations of the Congressional Library, which was completed in 1897. A considerable number of the beautiful creations in architecture and sculpture in Washington during the past 35 years by great artists reflect the experience and inspiration received during that period. [Illustration: WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION, CHICAGO--COURT OF HONOR, LOOKING EAST]