Are you interested in relocating from the Washington DC area to Raleigh?

The fact that Washington DC welcomes nearly 15 million tourists every year itself goes into proving the popularity of the city as a tourist destination. Let us find out what went into the making of this celebrated city. Here is a quick insight into the history of the city:

Washington, the District of Columbia most commonly known as Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States and was established since 16 July, 1970. The constitution of U.S. demanded for a district from the states to serve as the capital for the nation. Only after 1871 by the act of the congress made this separate municipality as the single federal territory that could govern the whole district. Due to this the city was ever since named as Washington D.C. The district is also named after a state Washington located on the Pacific Coast.

Washington DC is located at banks of the Potomac River and is in between the borders of states of Virginia and Maryland. This is the 8th largest metropolitan city in the country and has a population of 5.4 million people. There are three main branches of the federal government in this city and it has over 174 embassies of different countries. It also has headquarters of the World Bank, Organizations of American States and International Monetary Fund and many more such organizations. This city is governed by a mayor and a council with 13 members. The capital cannot participate in the presidential elections until an amendment that was passed in 1961.

The history of this city dates back to the 17th century and it is believed that a society by the name Nacotchtank settled in this place in the outskirts of Anacostia River. When the Europeans came in the 17th century the Americans’ in large groups migrated to other places. In 1751, people established a province of Maryland under Georgetown which was established at the banks of Potomac River. About forty years later the place became a busy port area which also included the present Washington region. The city of Alexandria was also a part of Washington however it was declared a separate city in the year 1794. James Madison on 23 January, 1788 raised voice to make this city into a federal district due to the fact that the capital city needed to be an individual district so that it could provide for its own security and maintenance. The Pennsylvania Mutiny happened in 1783 was an attack on the congress by a group of angry soldiers and it marked the importance and the need for establishing a different government for this capital city. This was the reason behind stating authority for establishing a federal district which is clearly stated in the constitution of America in article one and section 8. It states that a district within 10 miles can be established with the prior acceptance of the governing body. The constitution however did not specify the location which is called the Compromise of 1790. Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison then decided that to save the capital for War it should be located to the south of America.

So, on 16 July, 1790 an act called as the Residence Act was passed to provide a permanent location for the nation’s capital. It was supposed to be located on the banks of Potomac River and the exact location was to be specified by President Washington. The area as stated in the constitution was decided and it was a square the covered a total area of 100 sq. miles. A historical event was when Benjamin Banneker and Andrew Ellicott in 1791-1792 placed the boundary stones to mark the region between the states Virginia and Maryland. The construction began and on 9 September, 1791 the federal district was named after George Washington. The first meeting of the congress was held in Washington on 17 November, 1800. The district of Colombia, Alexandria and Georgetown came under the control of the congress because of the Organic Act, 1801.

A devastating period in the history of the capital was on 24-25 August, 1814 when the British forces invaded the capital. It was during the war of 1812 and this act was there after called as Burning of Washington. The Treasury, the Capitol and the White House were also burnt when the capital was attacked. The government was not able to reestablish the infrastructure until 1868.

During the 18th century, the people were against the rule that restricted the voting rights in the congress meetings. To change this legislation people protested and it was called retrocession. The efforts failed, but in 1830 county of Alexandria faced a decline due to negligence of the Congress. The people did not stop retrocession and on 9 July, 1846 congress decided to return the southern part to commonwealth, Virginia. The city had undergone many changes and many amendments were made to build a better nation. The capital was affected by great depression in 1930 and also had to suffer loss caused due to the death of a great leader Martin Luther King in 1968. The society faced many challenges one after the other yet it had the courage to stand up.

As of today the city is a powerful district that controls not only the United States but also the entire Universe. This chirpy capital city offers countless avenues to an individual to grow and prosper. For those heading towards Washington DC, a lot of good things in store! The Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. metropolitan area is truly an amazing place to visit, but not necessarily a great place to live. The traffic, rush hours, and grid lock rival those of the worst in the nation. The cost of living is also extraordinary.