Washington is the capital of the United States of America and is not part of any of the states. Its surrounding territories in the administrative section of the country are called the Federal District of Columbia.
History of origin
For a long time, the United States did not have a capital as such. The status of the main city, for various reasons, passed from one city to another. For a long time, Philadelphia was the capital, but in 1783, after a riot of soldiers who demanded to pay them salaries for the period of the Revolutionary War, the situation changed slightly. Then in Philadelphia there was Congress, which demanded that the state authorities deal with the rebels and provide them with normal working conditions. But the governor refused, arguing that one state should not provide the work of the government of an entire state.
This incident, the "Pennsylvania Rebellion", sparked serious discussions about the creation of the capital of the United States. On January 23, 1788, it was decided to create a city where the Congress would be located, while it should be independent from any of the states. But where the capital should be was not spelled out by the Constitution.
Several northern states, such as Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York, have offered their territories so that the capital is near one of the major cities. The southern states believed that the capital should be somewhere closer than the northern regions of the state. Alexander Hamilton suggested that if the southern states pay off most of the debt to the population, then the capital will be with them, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson supported such an initiative, due to the large debts of the northern states. But the quarrels continued.
On July 16, 1790, a compromise was made that the capital of the United States would be located in the area chosen by George Washington. Initially, the territory of the future capital was supposed to be square with a length of 10 miles, and Washington wanted to include its hometown of Alexandria in the metropolitan area. Therefore, he chose a location between the states of Maryland and Virginia, on the banks of the Potomac River.
And on September 9, 1791, it was decided to name the future capital city in honor of George Washington. And the district, which reports directly to Congress - Colombia, in honor of the female image personifying the country.
Modern District of Columbia
According to the US Constitution, Congress has the highest executive power in the district. But the problems that the city has faced throughout history have forced the authorities to create a municipal council that deals with the problems of the district. But all decisions of the city council can be overturned by Congress without special procedures.
All US authorities are located on the territory of the district: in the White House - the president, in the Capitol - Congress, the Supreme Court, the FBI and CIA, as well as all departments. The only exception is the Department of Defense, which is based in a neighboring state in the Pentagon.
Although it is correct to say District of Columbia, most Americans call their capital Washington, but in order not to be confused with the state of the same name, they make a small amendment - Washington DC.
