Which State is Washington D.C in and How Did it Become the Capital of the U.S.?

Washington, D.C., often confused as part of the US state, occupies a unique position in the geography and governance of the country. It is not located within any state; Instead, it is a federal district, formally known as Columbia. The capital of the United States, Washington, D.C., was specifically created to serve as the nation's political center, independent from any one state's control. This was a planned choice to make sure no single state had too much power, just because it hosted the main government. D.C. was specifically created on land given by both Maryland and Virginia, along the Potomac River. However, the part that Virginia gave was returned in 1846.

Today, the district is home to the white house, U.S. Capital, Supreme Court, and dozens of federal agencies and national monuments, making it the symbolic and functional heart of American democracy.

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Which State is Washington, D.C in?

Washington, DC is not an American state. It is a federal district, which means that it operates under the direct authority of the US Congress. The land for the capital was originally selected in 1790 and included parts of Maryland and Virginia, but the Virginia part (now Arlington and Alexandria) returned to the state in 1846. Since then, Washington, D.C. located entirely on the ground that once belonged to Maryland. However, it is not considered part of Maryland today. Instead, it is a self-governing unit with a local mayor and city council, although the Congress still has the final right to its laws and budgets.

How Washington, D.C became the American Capital? 

The capital political agreement and deliberately planned to balance regional power through a political agreement and a deliberate plan to ensure a neutral place for the federal government. In the early years after American independence, many cities temporarily served as the country's capital, including New York City and Philadelphia. However, the need for a permanent capital became necessary as the new government tried to establish itself.

At that time, the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, came up with the compromise of 1790. The federal government wanted to receive the loans of the states from the Revolutionary War. Southern leaders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison agreed to support the idea, but in turn, they wanted the national capital to be located in the South. The Residence Act of 1790 was passed.

 A place was chosen by President George Washington, authorizing the construction of a new capital on the Potomac River. This land was contributed by the states of Maryland and Virginia. Construction soon began, and Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed the city's layout. In 1800, the US government officially marked the beginning of its role as the capital of the country.