Washington, D.C. - History | Britannica

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 ... Washington,D.C. Sections&Media Article IntroductionCharacterofthecityLandscapeCitysiteClimateCitylayoutCityplanArchitectureMonumentsandmemorialsNeighbourhoodsTheDistrictNorthwestDowntownLafayetteSquareFoggyBottomGeorgetownDupontCircleAdams-MorganandbeyondNortheastSoutheastCapitolHillAnacostiaSouthwestVirginiaMarylandParksandopenspacesPeopleEconomyManufacturingFinanceandotherservicesTransportationAdministrationandsocietyGovernmentMunicipalservicesEducationCulturallifeTheartsLiteratureMusicCulturalinstitutionsMuseumsandgalleriesTheatreSportsandrecreationMediaandpublishingHistoryThecreationofWashingtonGrowthandchangeWashingtonsince1900 FastFacts 2-MinSummary RelatedContent Media Videos Images AdditionalInfo AdditionalReading MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory HistoryofWashington,D.C.ThecreationofWashingtonWashingtonwasestablishedasthecapitaloftheUnitedStatesastheresultofacompromisefollowingsevenyearsofnegotiationbymembersoftheU.S.Congressastheytriedtodefinetheconceptofa“federalenclave.”OnJuly17,1790,CongresspassedtheResidenceAct,whichcreatedapermanentseatforthefederalgovernment.GeorgeWashington,thecountry’sfirstpresident(1789–97),carefullychosethesite,whichisonthePotomacRiver’snavigationhead(toaccommodateoceangoingships),andneartwowell-establishedcolonialportcities,GeorgeTown(nowGeorgetown,asectionofthecityofWashington)andAlexandria,Va.ThislocationbridgedtheNorthernandSouthernstates,butWashingtoncalledit“thegatewaytotheinterior”becausehehopeditwouldalsoservetoeconomicallybindtheWesternterritoriestotheEasternSeaboard—theTidewaterandthePiedmontregions—andtherebysecuretheallegianceofthefrontiertothenewcountry.sketchofWashington,D.C.,planAnearlysketchoftheplanofWashington,D.C.LibraryofCongress,Washington,D.C.ThenewfederalterritorywasnamedDistrictofColumbiatohonourexplorerChristopherColumbus,andthenewfederalcitywasnamedforGeorgeWashington.In1790French-bornAmericanengineeranddesignerPierreCharlesL’Enfantwaschosentoplanthenewcapitalcity;meanwhile,surveyorAndrewEllicottsurveyedthe100-square-mile(260-square-km)territorywiththeassistanceofBenjaminBanneker,aself-educatedfreeBlackman.TheterritorysurveyedbyEllicottwascededbyMaryland,aslavestate,andVirginia,theSouthernstatewiththelargestslavepopulation,thuscontributingtoasignificantBlackpresenceinWashington.ConstructionoftheCapitolbuilding,thepresidentialpalace(nowtheWhiteHouse),andseveralothergovernmentbuildingswasalmostcompletewhenCongressmovedfromPhiladelphiatoWashingtoninDecember1800.Therewere,however,fewfinisheddwellingsandevenfeweramenitiesinWashingtonatthetime,makingthefirstseveralyearsratherunpleasantforthenewresidents.In1812theUnitedStatesdeclaredwaragainstGreatBritain(seeWarof1812),andtwoyearslatertheBritishinvadedthevulnerablecapitalcity,settingfiretofederalbuildings.Structuraldamagewasextensive,andthemoraleofthelocalcitizenssank.By1817,however,anewlyreconstructedWhiteHousewelcomedPres.JamesMonroe(served1817–25),andCongressreconvenedinthenewlybuiltCapitolin1819,afterhavingspentfiveyearsinthetemporaryOldBrickCapitolBuilding,whichhadbeenerectedonthesiteofthepresent-daySupremeCourtBuilding.Capitolpriorto1814burningTheCapitol,Washington,D.C.,asseenfromPennsylvaniaAvenuebeforeitwasburnedbytheBritishin1814.LibraryofCongress,Washington,D.C.GrowthandchangeBetween1830and1865tremendouschangesoccurredinWashington,beginningwiththearrivalofPres.AndrewJackson(served1829–37),whobroughtwithhimaretinueofnewcivilservants—beneficiariesofthe“spoilssystem”whointroduceddemocratizingsocialchangestotheworkplaceandthecommunity.Challengeswereplentiful:thelocaleconomywasunstable;siltinthePotomacRiverrestrictednavigation;theconstructionoftheChesapeakeandOhioCanalwasdelayed;andepidemicswerecommon.Whenrailroadsreachedthecityinthe1830s,afloodoftouristscamewiththem,asdidaproliferationofcongressionalspouses,whoforeverchangedWashington’ssocialscene.MajorconstructionprojectsforthreefederalbuildingslocatedjustblocksapartinDowntownWashington(theDepartmentoftheTreasury,theGeneralPostOffice,andthePatentOffice[thelastisnowpartoftheSmithsonianInstitution])alsobeganinthe1830s.assassinationofAbrahamLincolnTheassassinationofU.S.Pres.AbrahamLincolnbyJohnWilkesBooth,April14,1865,lithographbyCurrier&Ives.LibraryofCongress,Washington,D.C.(digitalfileno.3b49830u)DuringtheAmericanCivilWar,thecitywasneverfarfromthefrontlines,ifonlybecauseRichmond,Virginia,theConfederatecapital,wassoclose.FollowingtheassassinationofPres.AbrahamLincolnatFord’sTheatrejustdaysafterthewar’send,Washingtonwasplungedintoastateofunprecedenteddesperationanddespair.IntheyearsfollowingtheCivilWar,thecapitalwasslowlytransformedintoashowplace.Twofactorscontributedtothischange.First,in1871self-governmentwasgrantedforthefirsttimetoWashingtonians.Underthenewterritorialgovernment,whichlastedjustthreeyears,numerouscityimprovementprojectswereundertaken:modernschoolsandmarketswereerected,streetswerepaved,outdoorlightingwasinstalled,sewerswerebuilt,andmorethan50,000treeswereplanted.Thepricefortheseimprovements,however,wasfarmorethanCongresshadanticipated.Thenewterritorialgovernmentwasshort-lived,butCongresswasrequiredtocompletetheprojects.Second,beginninginthe1880s,anumberofnewcomersarrivedinWashingtonfromacrossthecountry.Manyofthemwereaffluentintellectualsandlobbyists.Thisnew“elite”madeWashingtontheirpart-timehomeduringthewintersocialseason.MembersoftheoldWashingtonsocietybecameknownas“CaveDwellers,”alocaltermfordescendantsoftheoriginalfamiliesofthearea.Theygenerallystillkeepwithintheirownsocialcircles.Washington’scharacterimprovedsignificantlywiththecompletionoftheWashingtonMonumentin1884,theLibraryofCongressin1897,and,beginninginthelate1890s,theproliferationofsocialorganizations,privateclubs,andformalsocietiesforthearts.In1901theSenateParkCommission(alsoknownastheMcMillanCommission)offeredcomprehensiveandresoluterecommendationsforrevitalizingandbeautifyingWashington,advocatingthatnoundertaking“beallowedtoinvade,tomutilate,ortomarthesymmetry,simplicity,anddignityofthecapitalcity.”Thenewplanswerestunning,butyearswouldpassbeforeanyofthemcouldberealized.LibraryofCongress:ceilingoftheGreatHallCeilingoftheGreatHallintheThomasJeffersonBuilding,LibraryofCongress,Washington,D.C.Kunalm 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