Arthur Spector, age 14, of Fairchild, Conn., for his question:
WHERE DID THE NAME "DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA" COME FROM?
Beautiful Washington, D.C., is the seat of our federal government and the ninth largest city in the United States. Within its boundaries are the White House, congressional buildings, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court Building and other landmarks too numerous to mention. The federal city spreads over an area of 68 square miles and is nestled between Virginia and Maryland on the Potomac River.
Naturally, when a new country is formed, people want it to have an appropriate name. After this, a permanent location for its capital must be decided upon. Before the United States of America was officially named, many people wanted to call it Columbia in honor of Christopher Columbus. The United States of America won out, however, and our nation's leaders began the arduous task of permanently locating the capital.
During and shortly after the American Revolution, Congress convened in eight different locations. In addition to Philadelphia, it met in the Pennsylvania cities of Lancaster and York. The New Jersey cities of Princeton and Trenton were also hosts, as well as Baltimore and Annapolis in Maryland. New York City, N.Y., rounded out the list. As you can see, a permanent capital for our fledgling government became a necessity.
The question of where to locate the seat of government soon became a major source of contention between the North and the South, with a few small side skirmishes thrown in for good measure. The major argument, however, was between the Northern states and the Southern states and slavery was the key issue. Those in the North felt that if a site in the South was selected, people would get the impression that the United States approved of slavery. The slave owners in the South did not want the Northern city of Philadelphia the proposed site to be the capital because there were religious groups there who opposed slavery.
In 1790 Alexander Hamilton worked out a skillful compromise, and in 1791 a bill was passed approving a site on the Potomac River. President George Washington chose the city's exact location and became its namesake. Then, to avoid controversy over which state could claim the capital, the name "District of Columbia" was added in honor of Christopher Columbus.
Washington, D.C., is an ever popular tourist treat for millions of people every year. In addition to the monuments and government buildings, some of the fascinating places to see include the Smithsonian Institution, the FBI Building and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving.