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By Graham Eckel Posted on History
Washington,the District of Columbia, was founded in 1791 as the world's first planned national capital. It's a city of unforgettable memorials; a place where the striking image of the Washington Monument is never far from sight and the stirring memories of a young democratic republic are never far from mind. The capital's attractions are more than just governmental, though; visitors will find first-class theaters, music, parks and gardens, and the many museums of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington is a showcase city that, like America itself, opens its arms to everyone.
The location of the city that calls to mind politicking, back-scratching, and delicate diplomatic maneuvering is itself the result of a compromise. Tired of its nomadic existence after having set up shop in eight locations, Congress voted in 1785 to establish a permanent "Federal town." Northern lawmakers wanted the capital on the Delaware River, in the North; Southerners wanted it on the Potomac, in the South. A deal was struck to locate the capital on the banks of the Potomac.
George Washington himself selected the site of the capital, a diamond-shape, 100-square-mile plot not far from his estate at Mount Vernon. Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer who had fought in the Revolution, created the classic plan for the city.
The Civil War -- and every war thereafter -- energized the city, by attracting thousands of new residents and spurring building booms that extended the capital in all directions. Streets were paved in the 1870s, and the first streetcars ran in the 1880s. Memorials to famous Americans like Lincoln and Jefferson were built in the first decades of the 20th century, along with the massive Federal Triangle, a monument to thousands of less-famous government workers.
Though the federal government dominates many of the city's activities and buildings, there are places where you can leave politics behind. Unlike other large cities, Washington is not dominated by skyscrapers, largely because in 1910 Congress passed a height-restrictions act to prevent federal monuments from being overshadowed by commercial construction. Its buildings stretch out gracefully and are never far from expanses of green. Like its main industry, politics, Washington's design is a constantly changing kaleidoscope that invites contemplation from all angles.
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