After the American Revolution the United States needed a capital city. The selection of the site resulted from a compromise. Various cities and sections of the country wanted the honor of being the nation’s capital.
It was finally decided to create a new city. Congress passed a bill in 1790 giving permission for a site to be chosen. It was somewhere near the Potomac River and not over ten miles square. The ten- mile square section of the land was to be called the District of Columbia, after Christopher Columbus; and the city to be built on it was to be named Washington, in honor of the country’s first president.
In 1791 George Washington chose the place where the city now stands. He thought it was a good location because
The Potomac river was deep enough for ships to come as far as the city.
The land was given to the federal government by the states of Maryland and Virginia . About 64 square miles were given by Maryland and about 36 square miles by Virginia. Later , in 1846, the land given by Virginia was returned to the state at her request.
By 1800 the president's house was nearly completed.The capitol was built on a hill,renamed capitol hill,for the building in which congress was to meet.In 1800 President John Adam and other member of the government moved to the new federal city,Washington,D.C.
