| The War of Independence had left the fledgling | | | | a margin of just two votes and it was a bitter |
| America free, but in turmoil. There was as yet no | | | | defeat that left everybody unsatisfied and |
| President and the country was a loose | | | | searching for answers. |
| conglomeration of more or less independent | | | | Determined to see things through Hamilton sought |
| states. Many soldiers who had fought in the war | | | | out James Madison and Thomas Jefferson and |
| had yet to be paid for it and there was no official | | | | asked to talk to them about the problems their |
| center of government to pay them. Philadelphias | | | | country was facing. Jefferson graciously invited |
| Old City Hall was the only place the where the | | | | Hamilton and Madison to dinner at his home and |
| leaders of the revolution routinely met and in 1783 | | | | the men sat down to see if they could solve their |
| they decided it was time to designate a new | | | | differences on the issues of their day. At this |
| national capital. | | | | meeting Hamilton suggested that the nations |
| While most people agreed on the need for a | | | | capital stay in Philadelphia for the next ten years |
| national capital nobody could agree on just where | | | | and then be moved to a site on the Potomac |
| it should be. People who lived in the northern | | | | River near Georgetown as this would be more |
| states favored either New York City, Philadelphia | | | | acceptable to the southern states. In exchange |
| or Germantown which is now part of Philadelphia. | | | | for this he asked Jefferson and Madison to |
| People who lived in the southern states were | | | | convince two friends to reverse their votes on |
| unsure about a central government, especially one | | | | his proposal. Jefferson and Madison agreed to this |
| with a capital city located in the north. For a time | | | | and even President Washington was pleased with |
| Germantown was actually designated as the new | | | | the plan to place the nations capital on the |
| national capital but when no action was taken the | | | | Potomac River. |
| debate lingered on for years. When George | | | | And so it was that on July 16, 1790 an act of |
| Washington was elected President of the United | | | | Congress was passed that established the location |
| States in 1789 he was president of a country | | | | of Americas capital city at a place first known to |
| that had yet to agree on the location of its capitol | | | | the Native Americans as Conococheague or |
| city | | | | Conongocheague which is the name of a stream |
| The entire issue was further complicated when | | | | at the sites northern boundary. The capital city |
| Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton | | | | was, of course, named after President |
| proposed that all the state debts incurred while | | | | Washington and the act also gave President |
| fighting the War for Independence should be | | | | Washington the power to define the exact |
| assumed by the federal government. To the | | | | boundaries of the site with an area not to exceed |
| people of the northern states this sounded like a | | | | ten square miles. President Washington wisely |
| great idea since their sates owed quite a bit more | | | | enlisted the services of French born architect and |
| than the southern states. But the people of the | | | | engineer Pierre Charles LEnfant to survey and |
| southern states felt this might give the federal | | | | plan the city. The D C stands for District of |
| government too much power and there was | | | | Colombia and is in recognition of Christopher |
| even talk among some southern states about | | | | Columbus. Washington D C is now one of the |
| secession from the union. A vote was taken in | | | | worlds great national capitals and will always stand |
| the Continental Congress and the proposal lost by | | | | for freedom and democracy. |