Notes on Washington, D.C.

Introduction

Capital of the United States.
Located between Virginia and Maryland on the north bank of the Potomac River.
Houses all three branches of the federal government, the White House, the Supreme Court, and the Capitol Building.
Estimated population of 700,000 as of July 2018, making it the 20th most populous city in the U.S.
Founded in 1791, named after President George Washington.
"Colombia" in District of Columbia refers to Christopher Columbus.
Not a state, but a unique federal district.

Established to create a central location for government operations.
Originally inhabited by Algonquian-speaking Piscataway tribes, particularly the Nacotchtank around the Anacostia River.
Site selected by George Washington; officially founded in 1790 with land ceded by Maryland and Virginia.
City designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant in 1791; planned a grid system with the Capitol as the center.

Government moved to Washington in 1800.
Robert Brent became the first mayor in 1802.
Burning of Washington (1814) during the war with Britain led to the destruction of several key buildings, including the White House.
Capital under construction; completed by late 1800s.

Continued growth in the early and mid-19th century; rail line from Baltimore to Washington opened in 1835.
Racial tensions existed; Snow Riot of 1835 highlighted conflicts between whites and blacks.
Population remained small until the Civil War (1861); significant military presence and abolition of slavery occurred.
Population doubled to 132,000 by 1870 due to federal expansion.

Urban renewal projects initiated by President Grant under Alexander Robay Shepard.
City Beautiful Movement brought modernization in the early 1900s; McMillan Plan aimed to remove slums and create new monuments.
Racial divisions persisted; violence during Red Summer.

Woodrow Wilson's presidency (1917) marked U.S. entry into World War I and establishment of the League of Nations.
Post-war civic pride led to cultural developments.
Washington affected by the Great Depression; growth in federal agencies under the New Deal.
World War II caused housing shortages; influx of federal workers.

In 1957, became the first major U.S. city with a majority African-American population.
Post-war suburbanization led to some white residents moving out.

1963 March on Washington featured Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech.
Riots following King's assassination in 1968 led to demographic shifts as many left the city.

Washington, D.C. has evolved as a complex city with a unique character;
- A local town, an international power center, and a popular tourist destination.