Washington City Guide

Washington D.C. (the District of Columbia) is the capital of the U.S. and the seat of its national government. Prior to its establishment in 1791, there was considerable debate among the states as to which city should serve as the nation's capital. To put an end to the dissension, the U.S. Congress (still in the stages of infancy) appropriated land from Virginia and Maryland and created a federal district that was outside of any existing state. The capital city within the district was named "Washington," in honor of George Washington. (A modest man, Washington often referred to the capital as "the Federal City," rather than by name.)

The city was originally laid out by Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who envisioned a unified design of streets and parks centered around the city's various landmarks, monuments, and important buildings. Unfortunately, L'Enfant found himself at odds with the people chosen to oversee the project, including Thomas Jefferson. L'Enfant refused to compromise his vision and, in the end, was fired from the project. Jefferson then turned to Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker, who prepared a plan based very closely on L'Enfant's original.