Washington, District of Columbia

Washington, DC: This city on the banks of the Potomac River nestled between Virginia and Maryland is the most powerful place in the United States. Washington DC, the nations capital, is home to the top of the US government and home to many of the foreign embassies. DC is also one of the top tourist destinations in the country, visitors come to see government in action and also tour the many museums and monuments that the city has to offer.

The development of a capital city began by James Madison in 1788, declaring that the capital needed to be separate from the states. The United States Constitution gave the authority to establish a federal capital however it did not specify where the capital shall be located. The Residence Act of 1790 specified that the capital be placed on the Potomac and President Washington chose the location. The ten mile square city was surveyed and the capital began to take shape. The newly created capital city was named Washington in honor of President Washington and the district was called the Territory of Columbia referring to expeditions of Christopher Columbus.

President Washington sought the help of Pierre L’Enfant to develop the master plan for the capitol. The plan called for a grand avenue from the Capitol to the White House and a grid work of streets featuring lush landscaping. L’Enfant was later left go by the administration but much of his ideas were incorporated into the construction.

The government began to build headquarters in the city. The Capitol, Treasury and White House were all under construction. Congress held the first session in November of 1800.

During the War of 1812, the battle game to Washington in August of 1814. During the two day Burning of Washington raid by British troops, many of the government building were destroyed by fire. The city was in ruins but were repaired quickly.

The slavery issue came to the forefront in Washington DC in the mid 1800’s. Congress were trying to end slavery in the district. This upset the residents of Alexandria since much of their economy was dependent of the slave trade. Angered by this, the Commonwealth of Virginia petition the secession of the lands west of the Potomac back into Virginia. Congress awarded the land back to Virginia on July 9, 1846 and then later banned slave trade in Washington DC in 1850.

The slavery issue then led the county into a Civil War pitting the Northern free states against the Southern slave states. One last ditch effort to keep the country together took place at the Willard Hotel, the Peace Conference failed and the nation was on brink of a war amongst itself. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves. After a long and costly war, the Confederacy surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.

Several days following the end of the war, the American Presidency suffered one of its darkest days. Seeking to take a break from the stresses from the war and the actions that followed, President Lincoln and his wife went to Ford’s Theatre to watch a play. There confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth stormed the presidential box and assassinated the president.

The city continued to grow and by 1870 the population had grown to over 130,000 people. The city lacked the infrastructure needed to support the population, so in 1871 Congress crated a public works department raked with modernizing the city.

The city remain stable until President Franklin D Roosevelt’s presidency when the population grew due to the expansion of the federal government. The added government job resulted in the population reaching over 800,000 residents by 1950.

Washington DC was in the forefront of the civil rights issue again in the 1960’s. On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr led a 300,000 person walk on the National Mall. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King told delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. The events of the protest aided in Congress passing the Civil Rights Act and the National Voting Rights Act. Washington suffered major rioting following the assassination of King in 1968, causing the deployment of over 13,000 troops to bring the violence under control.

Until 1973, Washington DC was governed solely by Congress. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act enacted by Congress allowed for a city council and elected mayor. Walter Washington was the first elected mayor of the District in 1975.

Today the District is 68.3 square miles in size. The city is divided into quadrants (NE, NW, SE, SW) with the Capitol building being in the center of the city. Almost 20% of the city consists of parks. The District contains all the headquarters for all branches of the United States government; The Legislative (Capitol), Executive (White House) and Judicial (Supreme Court) are all located here. In 2008, the population of Washington DC was 591, 833.

Some of the best architecture of the country is found within Washington DC. Six of the top building by the American Institute of Architecture can be found within the district. Various styles can be found here including neoclassical, gothic, modern, Victorian and more. The skyline of the city is relatively low compared to cities of the same size thanks in part to the Height of Buildings Act that restricted the height to the width of the street plus 20 feet. Because of this, the Washington Monument is the tallest structure in the district.

Washington DC continues to be one of the best and most affordable family vacations. DC is home to the Smithsonian Institute, which operates 18 museums in the city, all which offer free admission. There are also many other museums within the district. The National Parks System operates many of the parks and historic sites within the district, all of which have free admission as well. Guests can also contact their legislative representatives and arrange tours of some of the Federal building as well. Washington DC is also home to 174 foreign embassies with much of them located along Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue.

For more photos, visit my Washington DC photo page.