In Pursuit of a Capital: Long Weekend in D.C. 10.2018
Long Weekend in D.C.
Hollywood for Ugly People? The Federal City? The American Rome? City of Magnificent Distances? There are plenty of nicknames to Washington, D.C..
Founded in 1790, the nation’s capital has been a dynamic city with plenty of highs and lows to match its place in American history. Washington, DC is unique among American cities because it was established by the Constitution of the United States to serve as the nation’s capital.
Like many decisions in American history, the location of the new city was to be a compromise: Alexander Hamilton and northern states wanted the new federal government to assume Revolutionary War debts, and Thomas Jefferson and southern states who wanted the capital placed in a location friendly to slave-holding agricultural interests.
President George Washington chose the exact site along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, and the city was officially founded in 1790 after both Maryland and Virginia ceded land to this new “district,” to be distinct and distinguished from the rest of the states. To design the city, he appointed Pierre Charles L’Enfant, who presented a vision for a bold, modern city featuring grand boulevards (now the streets named for states) and ceremonial spaces reminiscent of another great world capital, L’Enfant’s native Paris. He planned a grid system, at which the center would be the Capitol building.
After more than 200 years as the nation’s capital, Washington has developed as a complex and layered city, with a distinctive character: both a town for locals, an international center of power and an amazing place to visit.
Today, you can have the best of both worlds by delving into the nation’s past with a visit on the National Mall and museums or adventuring into very modern, exciting neighborhoods.