Washington, D.C. - Capital, Founding, Monumental (2024)

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Also known as: D.C., District of Columbia

Written by

Jeanne Mason Fogle Historian and writer on Washington, D.C. Author of Two Hundred Years: Stories of the Nation's Capital.

Jeanne Mason Fogle

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Last Updated: Article History

The creation of Washington

Washington was established as the capital of the United States as the result of a compromise following seven years of negotiation by members of the U.S. Congress as they tried to define the concept of a “federal enclave.” On July 17, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which created a permanent seat for the federal government. George Washington, the country’s first president (1789–97), carefully chose the site, which is on the Potomac River’s navigation head (to accommodate oceangoing ships), and near two well-established colonial port cities, George Town (now Georgetown, a section of the city of Washington) and Alexandria, Va. This location bridged the Northern and Southern states, but Washington called it “the gateway to the interior” because he hoped it would also serve to economically bind the Western territories to the Eastern Seaboard—the Tidewater and the Piedmont regions—and thereby secure the allegiance of the frontier to the new country.

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The new federal territory was named District of Columbia to honour explorer Christopher Columbus, and the new federal city was named for George Washington. In 1790 French-born American engineer and designer Pierre Charles L’Enfant was chosen to plan the new capital city; meanwhile, surveyor Andrew Ellicott surveyed the 100-square-mile (260-square-km) territory with the assistance of Benjamin Banneker, a self-educated free Black man. The territory surveyed by Ellicott was ceded by Maryland, a slave state, and Virginia, the Southern state with the largest slave population, thus contributing to a significant Black presence in Washington.

Construction of the Capitol building, the presidential palace (now the White House), and several other government buildings was almost complete when Congress moved from Philadelphia to Washington in December 1800. There were, however, few finished dwellings and even fewer amenities in Washington at the time, making the first several years rather unpleasant for the new residents. In 1812 the United States declared war against Great Britain (see War of 1812), and two years later the British invaded the vulnerable capital city, setting fire to federal buildings. Structural damage was extensive, and the morale of the local citizens sank. By 1817, however, a newly reconstructed White House welcomed Pres. James Monroe (served 1817–25), and Congress reconvened in the newly built Capitol in 1819, after having spent five years in the temporary Old Brick Capitol Building, which had been erected on the site of the present-day Supreme Court Building.

Growth and change

Between 1830 and 1865 tremendous changes occurred in Washington, beginning with the arrival of Pres. Andrew Jackson (served 1829–37), who brought with him a retinue of new civil servants—beneficiaries of the “spoils system” who introduced democratizing social changes to the workplace and the community. Challenges were plentiful: the local economy was unstable; silt in the Potomac River restricted navigation; the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was delayed; and epidemics were common. When railroads reached the city in the 1830s, a flood of tourists came with them, as did a proliferation of congressional spouses, who forever changed Washington’s social scene. Major construction projects for three federal buildings located just blocks apart in Downtown Washington (the Department of the Treasury, the General Post Office, and the Patent Office [the last is now part of the Smithsonian Institution]) also began in the 1830s.

During the American Civil War, the city was never far from the front lines, if only because Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital, was so close. Following the assassination of Pres. Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre just days after the war’s end, Washington was plunged into a state of unprecedented desperation and despair.

In the years following the Civil War, the capital was slowly transformed into a showplace. Two factors contributed to this change. First, in 1871 self-government was granted for the first time to Washingtonians. Under the new territorial government, which lasted just three years, numerous city improvement projects were undertaken: modern schools and markets were erected, streets were paved, outdoor lighting was installed, sewers were built, and more than 50,000 trees were planted. The price for these improvements, however, was far more than Congress had anticipated. The new territorial government was short-lived, but Congress was required to complete the projects. Second, beginning in the 1880s, a number of newcomers arrived in Washington from across the country. Many of them were affluent intellectuals and lobbyists. This new “elite” made Washington their part-time home during the winter social season. Members of the old Washington society became known as “Cave Dwellers,” a local term for descendants of the original families of the area. They generally still keep within their own social circles.

Washington’s character improved significantly with the completion of the Washington Monument in 1884, the Library of Congress in 1897, and, beginning in the late 1890s, the proliferation of social organizations, private clubs, and formal societies for the arts. In 1901 the Senate Park Commission (also known as the McMillan Commission) offered comprehensive and resolute recommendations for revitalizing and beautifying Washington, advocating that no undertaking “be allowed to invade, to mutilate, or to mar the symmetry, simplicity, and dignity of the capital city.” The new plans were stunning, but years would pass before any of them could be realized.

Washington, D.C. - Capital, Founding, Monumental (2024)

FAQs

Washington, D.C. - Capital, Founding, Monumental? ›

Washington was established as the capital of the United States as the result of a compromise following seven years of negotiation by members of the U.S. Congress as they tried to define the concept of a “federal enclave.” On July 17, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which created a permanent seat for the ...

Was Washington, D.C. the first capital? ›

Philadelphia was the early capital of the United States after the Constitution was ratified, but on May 14, 1800, the nation's capital moved to Washington. Here's a look behind the deal that changed the face of American government.

What's the oldest monument in DC? ›

The Old Stone House is the oldest structure on its original foundation in Washington, D.C. Built in 1766 in the British colony of Maryland, the house was already 59 years old when the British invaded Washington, D.C. in 1814.

Did George Washington create the capital? ›

Here L'Enfant (center) shows the president his city plan. (Architect of the Capitol) Washington chose three commissioners to oversee the creation of the capital. Their deadline was 1800, when the federal government would move from Philadelphia to the city named by the commissioners, “Washington”.

What was the capital city of the United States when Washington was president? ›

President Washington first took office in New York City, but, when reelected in 1792, the capital had already moved to Philadelphia where it would remain for a decade. Fittingly, Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in the new and lasting capital of Washington, D.C. in March 1801.

What were the two capitals before DC? ›

There have been 8 historical capitals of the United States before Washington, D.C.: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; York, Pennsylvania; Princeton, New Jersey; Annapolis, Maryland; Trenton, New Jersey; and New York City, New York.

What were the first two capitals of the United States? ›

The United States has had three capitals: 1) New York from 1785 to 1790, Philadelphia from 1790 to 1800, while Washington DC was being constructed and Washington DC from the date of its founding in 1790 (Philadelphia was the temporary capital during the first 10 years).

Why is the Washington Monument not a memorial? ›

A memorial is dedicated to or commemorates an individual who is deceased. A monument has an important distinction, they are dedicated to or commemorate an individual who is still alive. George Washington died before work on the Washington Monument began, and long before it was finished.

Why is the Washington Monument 555 feet tall? ›

Rather than ascend to 600 feet as Mills had intended in the original plan, Casey was persuaded to make the height of the structure ten times the width of the base, meaning the optimal height for the Washington Monument was 555 feet.

What is the oldest building in the world? ›

Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

Built about 9000 BC, Göbekli Tepe is the oldest known human-made religious structure. More than twice as old as Stonehenge, it predates the discovery of metals, pottery or even the wheel.

Why did they make Washington, D.C. the capital? ›

Washington was established as the capital of the United States as the result of a compromise following seven years of negotiation by members of the U.S. Congress as they tried to define the concept of a “federal enclave.” On July 17, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which created a permanent seat for the ...

Why did DC give land back to Virginia? ›

In 1847, the portion of the city that had originally belonged to Virginia was retroceded, after the voters of Alexandria elected to leave DC, feeling that they had been left out of development on the other side of the river.

What was Washington, D.C.. originally called? ›

On September 9, 1791, three commissioners overseeing the capital's construction named the city in honor of President Washington. The same day, the federal district was named Columbia, a feminine form of Columbus, which was a poetic name for the United States commonly used at that time.

Who is the only President who did not live in Washington, D.C.. during his presidency? ›

Washington lived in executive residences in New York and Philadelphia, and his successor John Adams also lived at the President's House in Philadelphia. While the White House was nearing completion, President Adams temporarily lived at Tunnicliff's City Hotel near the U.S. Capitol.

What river was Washington, D.C.. founded on? ›

Potomac River
StateWest Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia
CitiesCumberland, MD; Harpers Ferry, WV; Washington, D.C.; Alexandria, VA
Physical characteristics
SourceNorth Branch
54 more rows

Why isn't DC a state? ›

Washington, DC, isn't a state; it's a district. DC stands for District of Columbia. Its creation comes directly from the US Constitution, which provides that the district, "not exceeding 10 Miles square," would "become the Seat of the Government of the United States."

What was the first capital of the United? ›

City of York - The First Capital of the United States

The City of York, Pennsylvania – named for York, England – was part of the building of our nation, a little-known part of history that many tend to forget, or just don't know.

Was New York City ever the capital of the United States? ›

The city served as the national capital under the Articles of Confederation from 1785 to 1789, and briefly served as the new nation's capital in 1789–90 under the United States Constitution.

Was Baltimore ever the capital of the United States? ›

The Second Continental Congress met in the Henry Fite House from December 1776 to February 1777, effectively making the city the capital of the United States during this period. Baltimore, Jonestown, and Fells Point were incorporated as the City of Baltimore in 1796–1797.

Was Washington, D.C. the capital during the Civil War? ›

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Washington, D.C. remained the capital of the fractured United States and also the military headquarters of the Union Army. Richmond, the newly minted capital of the Confederacy, was less than 100 miles away in neighboring Virginia.

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