Key Takeaways
On July 16 , 1790 , theConstitution of the United Statesestablished a territory10 miles square(100 square miles/259 square kilometers ) to serve as the lasting butt of the U.S. federal authorities and as the country ’s upper-case letter . President George Washington choose a site along the Potomac River and Anacostia River after both Maryland and Virginia ceded nation to create this raw federal dominion .
At the time , the Union governance was operating from New York City , but this enactment — known as the Residence Act — moved the interior capital to Philadelphia until December 1800 , when the new capital city would be ready . We know this today , of course , as Washington , D.C. Butwhat state is Washington , D.C. , in ?
Washington, D.C., Is a Federal District
Some might say Washington , D.C. , is in a land of confusion . But if we ’re answering the geography question it ’s quite simple : Washington , D.C. , is a territorial dominion and not part of any U.S. nation .
The capital urban center butt against Maryland to the northward , east and west , and the country of Virginia on the southerly shoring of the Potomac River . But Washington , D.C. , is not a city in either state .
James Madison explainedthat keep back the land ’s majuscule as a district prevented any one United States Department of State from holding too much tycoon .
Instead , when the new take form federal territorial dominion territory was advert the District of Columbia Sept. 9 , 1791 , about3,000 peoplelived there , which was n’t enough to make it a state . White world who have dimension in D.C. kept voting in either Maryland or Virginia as they always had .
Alexandria County and Freed Black Americans
By 1847 , the federal government retroceded the share of D.C. in Arlington County back to Virginia . Why ? Because the residents of Alexandria , which had previously been the county seat of Fairfax County , lose their Virginia body politic citizenship and could no longer vote in congressional or presidential elections . So they left D.C.
But despite this irregular universe and land area loss , the federal government and civilian population keep on to produce . And many of those coming to the area were formerlyenslaved people .
After the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act became law and enslaved piece and charwoman there were freed April 16 , 1862 — month before Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — Washington , D.C. , became a hub for newly freed human race and woman . This , and the establishment of Howard University in 1867 , facilitate make it home to a material , vibrant African American community , include notable likeFrederick Douglass .
All this U.S. history still does not make it part of a state , however . Originally intended only as the tail end of Union politics , D.C. did n’t even have its own city manager or city council until 1974 . And even though the residents pay Union revenue enhancement , they do not have representation in Congress , mean they miss the full rights that residents of single states enjoy . Plus , Congress still retains the baron of veto over local laws enacted by city government , which is why some argue forstatehood .
Visiting the U.S. Capital Today
But if there ’s one affair Washington , D.C. , is known for , it ’s being home to some of the country ’s practiced museums and monuments about American history . Here are just a few of them :
On or Near the National Mall
TheNational Mallis home to the most iconic monuments in the country ’s upper-case letter , including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument . At the eastern end is the U.S. Capitol , to the north is the White House , and the museums of the Smithsonian Institution are on its wing .
