CHAPTER 1
THE ORIGINS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
WHY IS OUR NATIONAL CAPITOL LOCATED WHERE IT IS? HOW DID IT GET ITS NAME?
Washington, D.C., is a government town. It is a city, and it is also a federal district created specifically to serve as the capital of the United States. Since Washington first opened its doors in 1800, its main industry has always been the public business.
Washington, D.C., is unique among American cities. It is the only one whose origins are in the United States Constitution. Article I of the Constitution establishes the power of the legislative branch to raise taxes, borrow money and regulate commerce. Article I also describes the power of Congress over a district that would serve as the seat of the United States government.
The idea of a federal district for our capital comes from a moment in our nation's early history that left a lasting impression. In 1783, the Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia when an angry mob gathered in the streets. Many in the crowd were Revolutionary War soldiers frustrated that they had not received their military pay. Congress had no authority to call in troops for protection. It had to rely on the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania to provide assistance. In 1783, neither came to its aid. Congress fled town.
Congress wanted to avoid similar situations in the future. Its solution was to create a federal district over which it would have exclusive authority. There was, however, no obvious location for this federal district. Many existing cities were contenders. Some preferred to keep the capital in New York City, the temporary United States capital from 1789 to 1790. New York was lively, with good restaurants, accommodations and diverse temptations.
Philadelphia, serving as the interim United States capital from 1790 to 1800, was bigger and even better. The city also went to great lengths to refurbish buildings for the use of the federal government, hoping to convert its temporary status to a permanent one.
Quite a few remembered Annapolis, Maryland, the 1783 — 84 capital, with great fondness. Princeton, another former capital but a provincial backwater, never had a chance! There were advocates for locating the capital near Baltimore, Maryland; Wilmington, Delaware; or near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Several states offered Congress parcels of land and financial inducements to select the capital site within their borders.
The debate over the best location for the federal district continued for years. A majority considered a central location in the new United States to be desirable. But defining what "central" meant was not easy. There was a geographic center and a population center. Placing the capital closer to the population center would shift it farther north — closer to New York and Boston. The geographic center of the late eighteenth-century United States, on the other hand, lay farther south and very close to Georgetown, Maryland. Northern states invariably argued for the population center and southern states for the geographic center.
An animated discussion also erupted over whether the capital district should be easily accessible to American regions opening up in the West. Some dismissed the importance of the West, regarding as remote the future incorporation of its scattered settlements into the United States. Others more foresighted understood that Ohio, Indiana and Illinois would one day join the Union. They considered a location on the Potomac River, flowing west to southeast, to anticipate this westward growth.
The argument over where to locate the U.S. capital grew so difficult that compromises were promoted to select two capital sites. The government would then have to move back and forth between the two places. The impracticality of this approach eventually removed it from serious consideration.
Concern grew that the disagreement over where to put the capital was so strong that it could tear the young country apart. Ultimately, the decision to locate the United States capital near Georgetown, Maryland, was a key element in a grand compromise. Northern states such as Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania had emerged from the Revolutionary War with much greater debt than the southern states. The northern states wanted the new United States to pay these debts. The southern states wanted none of this. The argument was intense.
When it looked as though all these difficult issues might never be resolved, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, in 1790, invited to dinner Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Hamilton, a New Yorker, was secretary of the treasury and the foremost advocate for the federal assumption of the debt. Madison was a U.S. Representative from Virginia and one of the South's leading statesmen. He opposed the federal government taking on state debt.
Over dinner, this remarkable threesome of Jefferson, Hamilton and Madison came up with a solution. They would package the federal assumption of the debt with a decision on the location of the U.S. capital. To convince the southern states to agree to help pay the Revolutionary War debt, the location of the new U.S. capital would be convenient to the South — on the banks of the Potomac River. The compromise that resulted from this dinner was a turning point in American history. It enhanced our national unity, giving the North and the South something each desired.
To formalize this agreement on the location of the U.S. capital, Congress passed "An Act for Establishing the Temporary and Permanent Seat of the Government of the United States." President George Washington signed this act into law on July 16, 1790. The law gave the authority to the president to select the precise site for the new capital. It was well understood that George Washington preferred a Potomac River location. His own plantation, Mount Vernon, was set along the Potomac in Virginia.
George Washington took a few months to visit various sites along the Potomac. He conferred with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. By January 1791, Washington was ready to make his announcement. The federal district that would serve as the capital of the United States would be a one-hundred-square-mile territory on the Potomac River in the vicinity of Georgetown, Maryland.
Most of the District land lay along the northern bank of the Potomac River in the state of Maryland. Approximately one-fourth of the District land was on the Potomac River's southern bank, provided by the state of Virginia. The District was shaped like a diamond; each of the four sides was ten miles long. Look at a map of Washington, D.C., today, and you will still see this diamond shape. However, there is a missing "chunk" on the southwest side of the city. In 1846, when it seemed that the capital would never amount to much, the federal government returned to Virginia its territorial contribution. Today, therefore, Washington, D.C., is on land carved out only from the state of Maryland.
YOUR GUIDE TO HISTORY
MEMORIAL TO THE 56 SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
National Mall at Constitution Avenue and 19th Street NW, 20006
www.nps.gov â&8364;¢ Metro: Smithsonian
On a small island in the middle of Constitution Gardens on the National Mall sits the Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence. The Gardens date to the 1976 United States Bicentennial. The memorial was dedicated in 1984. There are fifty-six stones, each bearing the likeness of the signature of one of the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Those who signed risked their lives, the safety of their families and the security of their property. Many would suffer greatly. The British pursued the signers as criminals. John Hancock of Massachusetts was the first to sign the Declaration and did so with such flourish that an individual's signature is today sometimes referred to as "your John Hancock." Ben Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were among the other signers.
The Declaration of Independence provides the foundation for the American ideals of democracy, equality and freedom. As the Declaration states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
The Declaration of Independence is on display in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives (see Chapter 10).
MOUNT VERNON ESTATE, MUSEUM, LIBRARY AND GARDENS
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA, 2230
9 703-780-2000 â&8364;¢ www.mountvernon.org â&8364;¢ Admission Fee
Mount Vernon was the home of George Washington, who became our first president. In fact, he was in the parlor here in 1789 when he learned that the Continental Congress had unanimously elected him president. Washington returned to Mount Vernon after completing his eight years in office. He was so popular that he could have remained president for many more years. His decision not to run again, and thus to ensure a peaceful transition of power to the next president, John Adams (1797 — 1801), was a key moment in the early history of the United States. It set this country firmly on course to be a democracy, resisting the temptation to establish a new American "monarchy."
George Washington died at Mount Vernon in 1799, one year before his namesake city of Washington officially became the United States capital. His wife, Martha, died in 1802. George and Martha Washington are buried at Mount Vernon, the home they loved so much. In warmer weather, there is a daily wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb where they are interred.
The guided tour of his home takes less than thirty minutes. Entry to the grounds provides timed entry passes to the house. However, the grounds and outbuildings are extensive and require more time. The vistas of the Potomac River are magnificent; boat tours on the Potomac depart from the wharf in seasonal weather. The estate also includes a gristmill used for producing flour and a distillery for producing whiskey. Washington considered himself first and foremost to be a farmer.
George Washington owned more than three hundred slaves at Mount Vernon. Although he owned slaves all his life, Washington's views on slavery evolved. He expressed hope that slavery would be abolished. In his will, he freed his slaves upon the death of his wife, Martha. To remember the slaves who lived and worked at Mount Vernon, there is a simple, dignified memorial, dedicated in 1983. The Slave Memorial is the design of Howard University architectural students. It is located near the tomb of George and Martha Washington on the site of a burial ground for slaves and free blacks in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Among the many tours offered at Mount Vernon is a Slave Life Tour.
The Ford Orientation Center offers an eighteen-minute introductory film, and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center provides a multimedia experience that covers the entire life and times of George Washington, including his role in the creation of Washington, D.C. The estate also offers walking tours and family activities.
In 2013, the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington opened at Mount Vernon. This library serves as a repository for the books and manuscripts of President Washington, as well as other research resources. Access to the library is reserved for scholars and researchers and is by appointment. However, on select dates (posted on the website), tours of the library for the public depart from the Reynolds Education Center.
Mount Vernon has been open to the public since 1860. The home had fallen into great disrepair in the early nineteenth century when a group of women came together to raise money to save it. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, founded in 1853, is the oldest historic preservation organization in the United States. It continues to own and maintain Mount Vernon today.
While you are at Mount Vernon, you may notice that the coat of arms of the Washington family, which they brought with them when they came here from England, is very similar to and was the inspiration for the flag of the District of Columbia: a white background with three red stars above two horizontal red stripes.
OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA VISITORS CENTER
The Ramsay House, 221 King Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314
703-746-3301 • www.visitalexandriava.com/about-alexandria/
visitors-center â&8364;¢ Admission: Free
Alexandria, Virginia, dates to 1749, when it was incorporated as a city. It was a thriving port in the eighteenth century. It is located on the Potomac River five miles south of Washington, D.C. Many preserved and restored buildings in Alexandria are open to visitors and provide insights into eighteenth-century colonial town living.
Beginning in 1800, what is today called Old Town Alexandria was actually part of Washington, D.C. This continued until 1846, when the District returned to Virginia the land it had contributed to the federal capital.
The visitors center in the Ramsay House, the oldest building in the city, is a good starting point for a visit to Alexandria. The charming historic area offers many modern amenities, shops and restaurants, as well as historic sites to visit.
GEORGETOWN: NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, D.C.
Established by the British in 1751, Georgetown, Maryland, was a thriving port when George Washington selected a nearby site for the capital. At first, the proximity of the new capital stimulated growth in Georgetown. Large mansions were built, and the wealthy gathered here. However, Georgetown went into a decline in the mid-nineteenth century as Washington, D.C.'s advance began to take off. In 1871, Congress passed legislation called the Organic Act to create one city within the boundaries of the District of Columbia. Georgetown as a separate municipality came to an end, as it became part of Washington, D.C.
Georgetown came back as an elegant residential area in the mid- twentieth century. It was a favored residential area for officials of President Franklin Roosevelt's administration. Today, it is a National Historic District, with many beautiful homes, interesting shops and good restaurants. Orientation for a visit to Georgetown can begin with a visit to the Old Stone House.
THE OLD STONE HOUSE
3051 M Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20007
202-426-6851 â&8364;¢ www.nps.gov/olsh â&8364;¢ Admission: Free
This small stone house, built in 1765, is the oldest house in Washington, D.C. It is a good starting point for a visit to Georgetown. The Old Stone House was built by a cabinetmaker to use as both his home and shop. The house and small garden are open to visitors. The National Park Service maintains the Old Stone House; a park ranger is always on duty to explain the history to visitors.
Park rangers, by prearrangement, will also provide programs and Georgetown walks, to include the Black Georgetown Hike; a walk based on the life in Georgetown of Francis Scott Key, the author of the national anthem; and other programs. Call 202-895-6070 several weeks in advance. Information on self-guided Georgetown walking tours, including the African American Heritage Trail, is available at the Stone House.
DUMBARTON HOUSE
2715 Q Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20007
202-337-2288 â&8364;¢ www.dumbartonhouse.org â&8364;¢ Admission Fee
The Dumbarton House, circa 1800, is a Federal period home with exceptional furnishings in the Sheraton and Hepplewhite styles. The Dumbarton House serves as the headquarters of the National Colonial Dames of America, founded in 1891 to preserve, restore and interpret historic sites. The Dames currently own or protect more than eighty sites in the United States (www.nscda.org).
TUDOR PLACE HOUSE AND GARDEN
1644 31st Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20007
202-965-0400 â&8364;¢ www.tudorplace.org â&8364;¢ Admission Fee
This 1816 Federal period home was built for Martha Washington's granddaughter and her husband, Mary and Thomas Peter. The elegant interior has many pieces of furniture that came from Mount Vernon. The architect was Dr. William Thornton, the original architect of the United States Capitol. The house has five and a half acres of landscaped grounds. The tours of the house are guided; the garden tour may be self- guided. Tudor Place remained in the Peter family until 1983. In 1988, it opened to the public, managed by the Tudor Place Foundation.
ALFRED POPE AND HANNAH COLE POPE HOME
2900 Q Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20007
This private residence is not open to the public. It was once the home of Alfred Pope and his wife, Hannah. Hannah Cole was born a slave in Tudor Place. The Peters sold her to John Carter, after which she met another slave, Alfred Pope. When Carter died in 1850, Hannah and Alfred were freed. Alfred Pope went on to become a successful businessman and a member of Congress representing Georgetown when it was still within the state of Maryland.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE TRAIL IN GEORGETOWN
www.culturaltourismdc.org
This trail includes the Pope Home and two important churches that are open to the public. The Mount Zion United Methodist Church at 1334 29th Street NW has origins dating to 1809, although the building itself dates to 1884. The church building is on land donated by Alfred Pope. The First Baptist Church of Georgetown, at 2624 Dumbarton Street NW, was founded in 1862. There is more information on the Cultural Tourism DC website. There is also information about the African American Heritage Trail for all of Washington, D.C.
