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Washington, D.C., History continued...
The area that is now the city of Washington, D.C. was once home to many small port towns in the early and mid-1700's. Successful wheat and tobacco farming led to the founding of Alexandria (1749), Georgetown (1751) and Bladensburg (1742). The area was so attractive that in 1770, a prominent family in the area, the Carrolls, laid out another city, Carrollsburg, which was located just south of Jenkins Hill (which would soon become Capitol Hill). Although these small towns were set up, they were set up on speculation, and no houses were built. In 1771, a group of Germans was initially impressed enough to lay out a city just west of the future site of the White House. This town was called Hamburg. Then they decided to settle Hagerstown, Maryland, instead.
Land speculation like this was not uncommon in the U.S. at this time. Throughout the country, small towns were popping up along rivers everywhere. It was actually the French and Indian War that put the area around the Potomac River on the map. During the war, London decided to send troops up the river to capture the French forts in Pennsylvania. During this first campaign, troops cut a road that became very familiar with a young colonial officer, Major George Washington, who had scouted many of the trails along that route himself.
The young George Washington was no stranger to the Potomac River. One of his first jobs as a surveyor was to map land in the Shenandoah Valley. His war experience allowed him to extend his knowledge of the area and he became convinced that the Potomac River was the gateway to America's western empire. At the time, the government was paying soldiers from the Revolutionary War with deeds to tracts of land in the west. Washington bought several of those deeds. He was soon the owner of 20,000 acres of land in what is now western Virginia, western Pennsylvania and southeastern Ohio. In 1784, one year after retiring as commander of the continental army, Washington toured the area again. In 1785, he became president of the Potomac Company, which he organized to build the series of canals needed to ease navigation down the Potomac. Washington was soon infatuated with developing the Potomac.
The Continental Congress first met in Philadelphia in 1774. However, because of British occupation of that city, the group was forced to relocate to several other cities including York, Lancaster and Baltimore. Congress eventually returned to Philadelphia in 1778. Then, in 1783, 400 unpaid soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line held a demonstration in the city. This prompted the congress to move once again, this time to Princeton, New Jersey. Towns along the eastern United States began letting it be known that they were eager to house congressmen. Maryland had proposed Georgetown, which caused Congress to request particulars of the area. This led nowhere and Congress eventually met temporarily in Annapolis. New Jersey promoted Trenton, west of Princeton, as a possible site. Congress tentatively decided to split sessions between Georgetown and Trenton, but nobody seemed to take the idea seriously. Pennsylvanians suggested the area near the Susquehanna. In spite of all of this, Congress decided to move to New York City I n1785 and remain there until 1790.
The Constitutional Convention met in 1783 in Philadelphia. The delegates drafted a Constitution that placed federal government in a ten square mile district to be controlled by Congress. They did this as a matter of protection for themselves. If, for some reason, soldiers became unhappy with Congress, they would not be at the mercy of the state for protection. With the ratification of the Constitution, competition for the permanent residence of the government became intense. Sites on the Potomac, Delaware, Susquehanna, as well as Baltimore, were all vying for the prize. However, by the middle of the second session of Congress, it became clear that getting a bill passed in both houses would not be easy.
As it was with many historical issues in the United States, the issue of a permanent residence for government was settled by a compromise. The Compromise of 1790 settled the issue. A deal was made between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton at a dinner meeting. The deal was that Jefferson would fine enough southern votes to pass Hamilton's proposal that the federal government redeem the paper money that the states had issued to pay soldiers' expenses during the Revolutionary War. Hamilton, in return, would find northern votes for leaving the convenience of New York and convening the next Congress in Philadelphia and then creating a permanent seat for Congress on the Potomac. The permanent site would be ready for Congress by 1800. The Residence Law, that Congress passed on July 26, 1790, left it entirely up to the president to decide where the new capital should be.
Washington usually relied on his advisors to form and implement his administration's policies. The Residence Law required Washington to appoint three commissioners to oversee the development of the federal capital. However, in deciding where to put the city, Washington relied on fellow Virginians Thomas Jefferson, who was then the Secretary of State, and James Madison, who was a congressional leader. After a great deal of touring and consideration, Washington chose an area near Georgetown for the new capital.
President Washington announced his decision on January 24, 1791. Land for the new city was given to the federal government by the states of Virginia and Maryland. People started referring to the city as “the city of Washington”, and the name stuck. The land given by Virginia and Maryland became the District of Columbia (named for Christopher Columbus). A ten square mile area was laid out by African American mathematician Benjamin Banneker and surveyor Andrew Ellicott. Washington had Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson send Pierre L'Enfant, a French born Revolutionary War veteran, to the area to begin planning the city. L'Enfant had made a name for himself as an architect and designer in New York City. While his plans were admired by all, L'Enfant soon began to disagree with the local politicians. He was fired and Banneker continued work according to the plans.
Washington himself visited the city in its early days of construction. He wanted the meeting place for Congress and the residence for the president to be just one mile apart. No other city in the United States, or perhaps the world, had their two principal buildings at that distance. Work on the ornate Capitol building started in 1793. It was barely complete when the British torched it in the War of 1812. Though the Capitol was eventually rebuilt, the city entered a slump that would take decades to overcome. A vote to abandon the capital city was defeated by only nine votes.
The Civil War in the U.C. brought much attention to the capital. Bases, temporary hospitals and armies began showing up in the city's outskirts. Because of the war's chaos and expense, residents of Washington started to wonder whether or not the Capitol dome would ever be completed. President Lincoln insisted that the construction go on. He thought that if residents saw that the dome was still being built, it would be a sign that the Union would go on. President Lincoln was later assassinated in Ford's Theater.
In the 1870's, territorial governor Alexander “Boss” Shepherd overhauled the city's ailing infrastructure. Because of Shepherd's improper use of federal funds, Congress started a crack down that robbed Washington, D.C. of self-government for another century. This was a high price to pay for the citizens of the city. At last, the city looked like it might fulfill L'Enfant's original vision of a world-class capital.
Most of the landscaping, parks and monuments for which Washington is now known were added as a beautification plan at the beginning of the 20th century. However, it was not until recently that the city lost its reputation as a Southern backwater. The Kennedy Center, established as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, did much to bring cosmopolitan culture to the city.
From a Southern backwater, Washington, D.C. has evolved into a national pilgrimage center for many citizens. This was the original intent of L'Enfant and George Washington. In spite of this, the city is notorious for the many severe problems that trouble its residents. Poverty, crime and racial segregation remain in the shadows of monuments proclaiming “equality for all”. This aspect of the city can be embarrassing to those who would hope to hold up the nation's capital as a model. While Washington, D.C. is no model, it is a microcosm of the grand ideals and grim realities of the United States.
The 1990's saw Washington, D.C. fall onto hard times. In 1990, four-time Mayor Marion Barry was videotaped by the F.B.I. as part of a sting operation. On the tape, the mayor was smoking crack cocaine. Barry was acquitted of felony charges but convicted of the misdemeanor charge of marijuana use. In 1991, Sharon Pratt Kelly was sworn in as mayor. She became the first African American woman to lead a city of that size and importance in the United States. Anthony Williams was elected in 1998. Under Williams, a Yale educated lawyer, the city has begun to pull out of its decline.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked Washington, D.C. A hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon, causing significant damage to the building and killing hundreds, including all aboard the plane. One other plane crash-landed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, its intended target likely a building in Washington. These attacks caused security around the city to remain at a high level.
Despite the high level of security around the city's beautiful monuments, it is clear that the city has come a long way in repairing the Pentagon and the city's damaged outlook. Visitors are returning to the city and its hotels are once again filling to capacity. Crime may still be a problem and the city's finances may still need help, but the city is once more a place to live, not just to visit.
Today, the city of Washington, D.C. is home to many fine educational and cultural institutions. Among the museums located in the capital city are the world-famous Smithsonian Institution, the United States Holocaust Museum and the National Air and Space Museum. The city is also home to many colleges and universities. Among the institutions of higher learning within the city are Georgetown University, George Washington University and Howard University.
The city is also home to some of the nation's and possibly the world's most famous tourist attractions. Among the city's most popular attractions are the Blair House, the Jefferson Memorial, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Library of Congress, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, the Old Post Office Building, the U.S. Capitol Building, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Washington Monument, Washington National Cathedral and, of course, the White House, home of the President of the United States.
The city is also home to many professional sports teams. Among the teams that play their home games in the capital city are the Washington Capitals of the NHL and the Washington Wizards (formerly the Washington Bullets) of the NBA. The Washington Redskins, of the NFL, are not actually based in the city. They play their games in Landover, Maryland.
A simple stroll through the city of Washington, D.C. can teach someone so much about the United States of America. Along with its rich history and historic background, the city also has many fine museums, parks and professional sports teams. Washington, D.C. truly is a city that has it all.
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