Question 41: Capital of the usa

Plan:

-Washington, D.C. founded on July 16, 1790

-The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of

-Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides.

-The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the US are located in the District, as are many of the nation's monuments and museums.

-The city is governed by a mayor and a 13-member city council.

History

Native American people had largely relocated from the area by the early 18th century.

An attack on the Congress at Philadelphia by a mob of angry soldiers, known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, had emphasized the need for the government to see to its own security  the authority to establish a federal capital was provided in Article One, Section Eight, of the US Constitution, which permits a "District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States".The Constitution does not, however, specify a location for the new capital.

On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act provided for a new permanent capital to be located on the Potomac River, the exact area to be selected by President Washington.

As permitted by the U.S. Constitution, the initial shape of the federal district was a square, measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side, totaling 100 square miles (260 km²).

On September 9, 1791, the federal city was named in honor of George Washington, and the district was named the Territory of Columbia, Columbia being a poetic name for the United States in use at that time.Congress held its first session in Washington on November 17, 1800.

On August 24–25, 1814, in a raid known as the Burning of Washington, British forces invaded the capital during the War of 1812. The Capitol, Treasury, and White House were burned and gutted during the attack.

Cityscape

Washington, D.C. is a planned city. The design for the City of Washington was largely the work of Pierre (Peter) Charles L’Enfant

The plan for Washington was modeled in the Baroque style and incorporated avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping

A garden-lined "grand avenue" approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) in length and 400 feet (120 m) wide in the area that is now the National Mall.

Historic sites and museums

National Mall

Washington Monument

Jefferson Pier.

Lincoln Memorial,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial,

The Smithsonian Institution