Washington, D.C. - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Overview

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital

Capital City

Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....

of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution. The 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:...

is therefore not a part of any U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

. It was formed from land along the Potomac River

Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...

donated by the states of Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

; however, the Virginia portion was returned by Congress in 1846.

A new capital city named after George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

was founded in 1791 to the east of the preexisting port of Georgetown.

Unanswered Questions

Miss black america in 1976

More

Timeline

1789 Georgetown College, the first Roman Catholic college in the United States, is founded in Georgetown, Maryland (now a part of Washington, D.C.)

1790 The District of Columbia is established as the capital of the United States after signature of the Residence Act.

1791 Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is named after President George Washington.

1792 In Washington, D.C., the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) is laid.

1800 U.S. President John Adams takes up residence in Washington, D.C. (in a tavern because the White House was not yet completed).

1800 The United States Congress holds its first session in Washington, D.C.

1801 Pursuant to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Washington, D.C. is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress.

1802 Washington, D.C. is incorporated as a city.

1814 British troops invade Washington, D.C. and burn down the White House and several other buildings.

1814 Washington, D.C. is burned and White House is destroyed by British forces during the War of 1812.

More

Quotations

"Sometimes, Washington is one of these towns where the person—people—who think they've got the sharp elbow is the most effective person." — George W. Bush :—New Orleans, Louisiana, December 3, 2002

I spent most of my childhood playing video games. Mom said, "You're wasting your time with those video games.". I work in Washington, DC. I use my Frogger skills every time I cross the street." — Basil White, "Peeing on Stonehenge"

More