The Capital and the Capitol:



The Capital and the Capitol:

Washington, D.C. and Congress

The Capital: Seat of the Federal Government

Washington, District of Columbia, is one of the few national capitals founded solely as a seat of government. Washington, D.C. was named for George Washington and Christopher Columbus. The present-day city of Washington is coextensive with the District of Columbia, and the names are synonymous. It is the only city in the United States that is not part of a state.

Washington is situated on the northeastern bank of the Potomac River where it joins the Anacostia River. It initially occupied lands ceded by Maryland and Virginia and extended across the Potomac. But in 1846 the portion given by Virginia was returned to that state, and the city has since comprised only the former Maryland territory, an area of 69 square miles (179 sq km).

History:

During the American Revolution and the early years of the new republic, Congress sat in several different cities. The need for a permanent capital was apparent, but conflict developed over its location. Northerners wanted the new capital to be situated in the North, and Southerners wanted it in the South. Finally a compromise was worked out by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson in 1790. The North agreed to a Southern location for the capital in exchange for the South's agreement to support federal assumption of debts incurred by all states during the Revolution.

On July 16, 1790, Congress authorized the selection of a site "not exceeding 10 miles square" (260 sq km) somewhere in the Potomac region. President Washington was empowered to choose the exact location and appoint the building commissioners. In January 1791 he chose the land in Maryland that now comprises the district and a small area in Virginia, including the town of Alexandria.

The plan for Washington that was developed by Maj. Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer and architect who had fought in the American Revolution, is considered the country's principal achievement in municipal planning. For a new republic of just 3 million people, he conceived a magnificent plan, envisioning the growth of the city along with the nation.

L'Enfant placed the "Federal House" (the Capitol) and the "President's House" (the White House) on high ground that commanded views down to the Potomac River. The site of the Capitol was selected as the focal point of the city, with streets and avenues radiating out from it. L'Enfant's basic design for the city still prevails, in spite of many revisions and much unregulated construction.

Governing the Capital City:

Congress granted Washington a self-governing charter in 1974, for the first time in 100 years. Until then residents had no voice in their own government. The district is governed by a mayor and 13-member city council, all elected for four-year terms. The local government has the authority to raise money through taxation, but Congress has retained control of the city's budget and the right to overrule most local decisions.

Washington residents had long been denied the vote in national elections, causing them to call their city the "last colony." Since the adoption of the 23rd Amendment in 1961, they have had the right to vote in presidential elections. In 1970 the district was granted the right to elect a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives.

The Capitol – Home of Congress

The Capitol has been the legislative center of the United States since 1800. It is built of sandstone and marble in the classic style of architecture, principally Roman with some Greek and some Renaissance details. The building itself is 751 feet long and 350 feet wide. It contains 161/2 acres of floor space. The height of the Capitol, to the top of the statue of Freedom on the great dome, is 287 feet. The dome, which is one of the largest in the world, actually consists of two cast-iron shells, an exterior and an interior one. A steep stairway between the shells leads to the cupola under the bronze statue of Freedom.

The Capitol was one of the first two buildings planned for a new "Federal City" in the District of Columbia, when land for the district was acquired by the government in 1791. The other building was to be the President's House, which is now known as the White House.

Major L'Enfant decided to place the Capitol near the center of the city, on what was then called Jenkins' Hill. Approximately 11/2 miles to the northwest, L'Enfant located the President's House. He then planned for a mall, 400 feet wide, leading westward to the Potomac. And at the point where a line drawn due west from the center of the Capitol intersects a line drawn due south from the center of the President's House, he fixed the site for a monument to George Washington.

Excerpted from go.grolier

A Scorched Past – The Growth and Fall of D.C.

As Americans, we find inspiration in the capital city of Washington D.C. Its many museums, monuments, and symbolic buildings represent the struggles and successes of the past. It represents the federal strength of the nation, its politics, its culture, and its history. Although many Americans find strength in their capital city, many are unaware of the close disaster that the new capital faced during a largely forgotten war early in its construction.

The War of 1812 had begun as a war with unclear objectives and an unclear plan for victory. As the British Empire began to practice a form of forced servitude on American sailors called “impressment” the new nation took action. Even as the dust settled following the American Revolution and blueprints were still being drawn for the new United States of America, the country was at war once again with its imperial founders.

The original goals of the War of 1812 were to show strength against the British. The English army was at war with Napoleon in Europe and hoped to stop American trade with the French through intimidation. Impressment was used not only to help the British Navy stop Napoleon, but also to persuade the Americans to end their alliance with France. James Madison, the US President, took this as a challenge. He sought to show the British and the world that the United States would not be threatened. In this effort, war was declared and the inexperienced army of the United States headed north to invade the British colonies of Canada.

The war was a disaster from the start. The United States made little gains against the inexperienced British soldiers to the north. Soon, Napoleon would surrender to a coalition of European powers. The United States was forced, once again, to face the entire might of the British military.

In 1814, in an effort to destroy and shame the new United States, the British set its sights on the symbolic city of Washington D.C. At the time, the city was still under construction. Many of the current public buildings such as the White House and the US Capital building stood incomplete. The city itself housed a small population; leading American generals to believe that the British would never target the capital city. By the time 5,000 British soldiers landed and marched toward the city it was too late. The British found the city almost undefended, the White House and Capital buildings were empty as American politicians fled in a hurry.

The British soldiers sought to leave their mark on the United States. Starting with the White House, the British marched inside the empty mansion to find a feast ready for them. Dolly Madison, the first lady at the time, had been preparing for her husband’s return. In her hurried escape, she and her servants left and feast (still warm) for the British soldiers. The British did what anyone would do. They sat down for a delicious meal before burning the White House to the ground.

The next target was the Capital building. The structure was not the completed structure that we recognize today. Only the large east and west portions of the building were complete. But in these structures lay the very foundations of the democratic power. The House, Senate, and Supreme Court had all called the building home. In order to take care of the Capital, the British piled up furniture in each of the three important governing rooms of the Capital. They dowsed the furniture with gunpowder and lit it ablaze. The fire could be seen for miles. A huge moral blow to the American Army including James Madison himself who witnessed the fire personally.

The only time that the capital of the United States ever personally witnessed an enemy force was almost its last. As the British continued to burn building after building (only the public ones, they left private homes alone) to the ground, a surprising event occurred. The wind started to pick up, soon followed by heavy rain. British Officers noted seeing cannons being lifted off of the ground. A rare hurricane had descended upon the city. The fires were extinguished and the British were forced to retreat from the capital. Scorched marks on today’s White House are the only reminders of the lucky storm that saved Washington D.C.

A World Outlook – Forward Capitals around the World

It is important to note that the U.S. capital is unlike other capital cities around the world. For one, the United States is less than 250 years old, much younger than our European and Asian counterparts. Even more telling is that fact that our capital, Washington D.C., was built for the sole purpose of being our capital. D.C. is a city built for politicians, built to be a symbol of the nation, and built to follow rules unlike any other in the United States. It was only in the 1970s that the city (District of Columbia) began to exercise any type of local governance.

In recent times, the term Forward Capital has come to define cities like Washington D.C. In textbook terms, this means that the city was built specifically to govern based on economic and strategic reasons. In many cases, forward capitals are found in nations that require unification. This can come in the form of a new, developing, or a recovering nation. We know that a new nation of thirteen original colonies required a sense of unification. The original locations of New York City and Philadelphia lacked the symbolic unification of the new northern and southern states. A neutral location, unaffiliated with any one state, was needed to mark the birth of the young United States.

We may glory or find patriotism in the construction and difficulties in our own nation’s story as it sought to find its place as an economic, military, and cultural power in the world. However, our story is not unique in its choice of a forward capital. Many nations around the world have found themselves in a similar position. The search for direction, unification, and rebirth is an alto familiar story across the globe.

Some other examples of forward capitals around the world:

Canada (Ottawa)- In a country with a mixed French and British background, a capital city that would cross language and cultural borders needed to be found. Canada’s government had switched back and forth between Toronto and Quebec, alternating between English and French speaking provinces. Finally, in 1857, the small town of Ottawa was chosen to bridge the gap based on its location between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Russia (St. Petersburg) - Russia is an interesting example of a failed forward capital. In 1712, Russians desperately sought the need to “westernize”. Many believed that in order to industrialize and compete with the world powers of the day, Russia needed to align itself with Europe. Following this desire, the capital city was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg in order to find closer proximity with the politics of Europe. The forward capital took hold for just shy of 200 years when the Communist revolution saw the capital transferred back to Moscow once again.

Australia (Canberra) - The 19th century saw a newly independent Australia vying for a new capital city. In almost a contest, the two largest cities (Sydney and Melbourne) fought for the right to be the capital city of the new nation. As the fighting between the cities continued, a compromise was finally reached. Australia would build a new city within its own distinct district. The city of Canberra was planned and became capital in 1927. The new city marks the midway point between Sydney and Melbourne, but it is not located on the coast unlike the other large cities of the continent country.

India (New Delhi) - India found its start as many other countries did around the world. Formally a colony of Great Britain, the British had chosen the Eastern city of Calcutta as the capital of British India. Amongst continuous strife, rebellion, and turbulence within the colony, the British decided to establish a new capital in the north. Delhi would remain the capital of British India until the country finally saw independence. In an effort to finally rid themselves of British rule and influence a new city was built and planned. The capital New Delhi would become the capital city of the world’s second largest population.

Brazil (Brasilia) – The large country of Brazil had fought for decades over its capital on the Eastern Coast of South America. The city of Rio de Janeiro had become too crowded and unable to handle the affairs of western and central Brazil. In order to encourage more development of interior Brazil and help ease the pressure of the overcrowded favelas of Rio, a new city was constructed located right in the center of the large nation. Brasilia took four years to construct and establish, yet its completion was met with immediate success. As Brasilia experienced rapid growth and a new realized sense of unity across the country, many nations were inspired by the South American country’s forward capital experiment.

While D.C. may not revel in the history of cities such as London, Rome, Paris, or Beijing; its construction offers a different type of inspiration. One that marks a willingness and openness to change. It is a symbol of the success of the democratic experiment as well as a symbol of growth. In less than 200 years the new city, constructed in the empty swamps of the Potomac River, would rise to represent the most powerful country on earth.

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