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Washington DC at a glance
Welcome to the center of American democracy: a place of politics, scandals, and historic demonstrations. The city is designed to impress, and does, with the Smithsonian, the Pentagon, the monuments on the Mall, and even the cathedral-like Metro stations.
Washington DC history
Politics From the Start It should come as no surprise that
Washington, America's foremost city of politics, was born out of
political compromise. Washington DC local information
State: District of ColumbiaCountry: United States Washington By The Numbers:
Population: 582,049 Elevation: 25-420 feet/ 7-128 meters above sea
levelAverage Annual Rainfall: 39.3 inches/ 99 centimeters Average Annual Snowfall: 15 inches/ 38.1 centimeters Average January Temperature: 36 degrees F/ 2 degrees C Average July Temperature: 79 degrees F/ 26 degrees C Quick Facts:
Major Industries: Federal Government, Trade Associations, Law,
Higher Education, PublishingEthnic Mix: 60% Black, 27% Caucasian, 8% Hispanic, 5% Others. Electricity: 110 volts, 60Hz, standard two pin plugs Time Zone: GMT-5 Country Dialing Code: 1 Area Code: 202 Did You Know?
The Cherry Blossoms are so beautiful in this city that there is a
National Cherry Blossom Festival that coincides with their bloom.Orientation:
Located midway along the eastern seaboard of the United States,
south of Maryland, north of Virginia and 233 miles/375 kilometers
south of New York City, the Washington, DC metropolitan area refers
to the District of Columbia, plus 7 Maryland counties (Anne
Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince
George's), 5 Virginia counties (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, Prince
William and Stafford) and 6 Virginia cities (Arlington, Alexandria,
Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park).
Washington DC weather
Average Temperatures
Fah
Cel
Rainy Days
Average Annual
Rainfall:
39.2" / 100.0 cm
Politics From the Start It should come as no surprise that
Washington, America's foremost city of politics, was born out of
political compromise. Washington did not exist as either a city or a capital at the close of the American Revolution. At that time, the newly formed federal government endured a nomadic existence, setting up headquarters in eight locations, most notably New York City and Philadelphia. A weary Congress wanted a home of its own and voted in 1785 to create a permanent federal city. Divisions arose when the northern states wanted a northerly location, preferring a site along the Delaware River and the southerners wanted the capital farther south, along the Potomac River. Eventually, they compromised. It was decided if the northern states agreed to establish the capital on the Potomac, the federal government would assume the war debts of the colonies. Thus, Washington was created. To establish the new nation's capital, Virginia and Maryland donated land to create the District of Columbia. George Washington, the first president, selected the site, at the confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. The new federal city was close to his estate, Mount Vernon, on the Potomac and near Georgetown, Maryland, an important tobacco market. The new federal enclave included Georgetown and another thriving community, Old Town Alexandria. L'Enfant's City George Washington enlisted Pierre-Charles
L'Enfant, a French engineer who had served in the American
Revolution, to create the capital. L'Enfant looked to Versailles
for inspiration and created a magnificent city with ceremonial
circles and squares, wide boulevards and streets in a grid-like
fashion. He also laid plans for the National
Mall. His efforts were not without controversy, however. Many
early Washington families didn't want to give up land for such wide
roads and they raised fears about the federal government
encompassing so much territory. Though L'Enfant's vision wasn't
entirely realized, he did leave his mark on the city. Before the end of the century, construction had begun on the White House and the U.S. Capitol but, in 1800, Washington had just 3000 inhabitants and was largely considered wilderness. The capital was temporarily abandoned in 1814 when the British invaded and ordered that the burning be burned. Though the invasion had little impact on the War of 1812, it solidified Washington as the nation's capital in the eyes of many Americans. Afterward, the city grew slowly. Early visitors were impressed by its wide avenues, but noted the roads seemed to lead nowhere and were void of houses, public buildings and people. The Civil War and successive wars changed that and Washington flourished. Thousands of new residents flocked to the city, sparking building booms in all directions. During the decade after the Civil War, roads were paved and in the 1880s, streetcars began traversing city streets. By the turn of the century, the city's population had swelled to 300,000. City of Monuments Though construction of the Washington Monument began in the mid-1800s, it
wasn't until the 20th century that Washington truly emerged as a
city of monuments and memorials. The Lincoln
Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial
were built during the first decades of the new century. The Federal
Triangle, where thousands of government workers pass their days,
was also created. The massive military office complex of the Pentagon was completed in 1943. In more recent
years, the FDR Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial have been added to The Mall. Throughout the latter 20th century, Washington has been the site of inspiration and turmoil. Who can forget Martin Luther King's stirring "I have a dream" speech delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963? The massive protest demonstrations against the Vietnam War came later in the decade. In the 1970s, the Watergate Hotel apartment, hotel and office complex became a household name after the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters by aides to Republican President, Richard M. Nixon, who eventually resigned in the wake of the scandal. At the start of the new century, Washington remains one of the most visited and most beautiful cities in the world. Visitors come to see the monuments and memorials and to revel in the nation's history. It is more than a city of government and politics; it's a place of distinctive, historic neighborhoods and an ever-changing, modern capital. © Wcities |
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