District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871
Encyclopedia
The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871, formally An Act to provide a Government for the District of Columbia, is an Act of Congress
, which created a territorial government for the District of Columbia. The act was the first to create a single government for the entire federal district
and effectively formed Washington, D.C. as it exists today.
each maintained their own governing structure and authority. The outbreak of the American Civil War
in 1861 led to notable growth in the District's population due to the expansion of the federal government and a large influx of freed slaves. By 1870, the District's population had grown 75% to nearly 132,000 residents.
Members of Congress maintained that the piecemeal governmental structure within the District was insufficient to handle the population growth and deteriorating conditions in the capital, which still had dirt roads and lacked basic sanitation. The situation was so bad that some lawmakers even proposed moving the capital elsewhere, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Instead, Congress passed the Organic Act of 1871, which created a new government for the entire District of Columbia, including an appointed governor and 11-member council, a locally elected 22-member assembly, and a board of public works charged with modernizing the city. This act revoked the individual charter
s of the cities of Washington and Georgetown and combined them with Washington County under a new government for the entire District of Columbia, which effectively formed present-day Washington, D.C., as a single municipality.
In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant
appointed an influential member of the board of public works, Alexander Robey Shepherd
, to the post of governor. Shepherd authorized large-scale municipal projects, which greatly modernized Washington. In doing so, however, the governor spent three times the money that had been budgeted for capital improvements, bankrupting the city. In 1874, Congress abolished the District's local government and instituted direct rule that would continue for nearly a century until the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act
.
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
, which created a territorial government for the District of Columbia. The act was the first to create a single government for the entire federal district
Federal district
Federal districts are a type of administrative division of a federation, under the direct control of a federal government. They exist in various countries and states all over the world.-United States:...
and effectively formed Washington, D.C. as it exists today.
History
From the District's foundation until the passage of the Organic Act of 1871, the City of Washington, the City of Georgetown, and the County of WashingtonWashington County, D.C.
The County of Washington was one of the five political entities contained within the geographic region comprising what was originally the 100-square-mile District of Columbia. These were the City of Alexandria, the County of Alexandria, Georgetown, the City of Washington, and the County of...
each maintained their own governing structure and authority. The outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in 1861 led to notable growth in the District's population due to the expansion of the federal government and a large influx of freed slaves. By 1870, the District's population had grown 75% to nearly 132,000 residents.
Members of Congress maintained that the piecemeal governmental structure within the District was insufficient to handle the population growth and deteriorating conditions in the capital, which still had dirt roads and lacked basic sanitation. The situation was so bad that some lawmakers even proposed moving the capital elsewhere, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Instead, Congress passed the Organic Act of 1871, which created a new government for the entire District of Columbia, including an appointed governor and 11-member council, a locally elected 22-member assembly, and a board of public works charged with modernizing the city. This act revoked the individual charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s of the cities of Washington and Georgetown and combined them with Washington County under a new government for the entire District of Columbia, which effectively formed present-day Washington, D.C., as a single municipality.
In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
appointed an influential member of the board of public works, Alexander Robey Shepherd
Alexander Robey Shepherd
Alexander Robey Shepherd , better known as Boss Shepherd, was one of the most controversial and influential civic leaders in the history of Washington, D.C., and one of the most powerful big-city political bosses of the Gilded Age. He was head of the DC Board of Public Works from 1871 to 1873 and...
, to the post of governor. Shepherd authorized large-scale municipal projects, which greatly modernized Washington. In doing so, however, the governor spent three times the money that had been budgeted for capital improvements, bankrupting the city. In 1874, Congress abolished the District's local government and instituted direct rule that would continue for nearly a century until the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act
District of Columbia Home Rule Act
The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is a United States federal law passed on December 24, 1973 which devolved certain congressional powers of the District of Columbia to local government, furthering District of Columbia home rule...
.
See also
- District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 is an Organic Act enacted by the United States Congress, which incorporated the District of Columbia and divided the territory into two counties: Washington County to the north and east of the Potomac River and Alexandria County...
- History of Washington, D.C.History of Washington, D.C.The history of Washington, D.C. is tied to its role as the capital of the United States. Originally inhabited by an Algonquian-speaking people known as the Nacotchtank, the site of the District of Columbia along the Potomac River was originally selected by President George Washington. The city came...
- District of Columbia home ruleDistrict of Columbia home ruleDistrict of Columbia home rule is a term to describe the various means by which residents of the District of Columbia are able to govern their local affairs...
External links
- "An Act to provide a Government for the District of Columbia", Statutes at Large, Library of Congress