Inc. 5-3-1802; Elev. 25 ft.; Area 69 sq. miles
Georgetown Sources
In 1790 Congress passed an act authorizing selection of
a site for the national capital of this young, fledgling nation. No one
had the vaguest notion of where it should be placed except
George Washington, who wanted a location on the Potomac, just north of
his home at Mount Vernon. By placing the future capital there, it would
be midway between the Northern and Southern colonies, and would placate
all concerned. In January, 1791, he selected a region ten miles square
at the junction of the Anacostia River which contained the already
thriving communities of Georgetown and Alexandria. On March 15th he
laid the cornerstone for the Federal City, as it was then known.
Lots were first sold in October to finance construction-of the new
city being planned by Pierre L'Enfant. It was a grand design: avenues
named after the original thirteen colonies were to radiate from the two
principal structures, the Capitol and the Executive Mansion. At the
junction of those wide boulevards were located traffic circles or parks,
which have remained the bane of drivers ever since. The Federal City was
quartered off into four sections, NE, NW, SE, SW, the streets numbered
alphabetically running north and south and numerically east and west.
It was a radical departure from the other cities in the country, one that
would be copied in future years by other towns across the land. In 1792
the cornerstone for the White House was laid, and in September 1793,
Washington laid the foundation for the National Capitol. Right on schedule, Congress adjourned in June 1800 and all legislative offices were moved from Philadelphia; Congress met for the first time in November in the unfinished city. Two years later (May 3, 1802), Washington was chartered.
During the War of 1812, the British burned many public
buildings when they entered the city in August, 1814. Both the Capitol
and the White House were put to the torch (ASC opposition Mars, MC trine
Pluto) The Old Treasury Building burned in 1833 and was replaced by the
monstrosity that blocks the view down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White
House to the Capitol. In 1846 due to sparse settlement on the western
banks of the Potomac, it was decided to return that portion to Virginia.
Today, that region is known as Arlington County, home of the Pentagon,
Arlington National Cemetery and the Custis-Lee Mansion.
During the Civil War, Washington became an armed
encampment for over 150,000 soldiers and thousands of refugees fleeing
the surrounding countryside. The two battles of Bull Run (Manassas)
were fought only 25 miles away in neighboring Virginia during the early
days of the conflict, and in 1864, Confederate troops approached Washington
from Silver Spring, but were turned back. In 1871 Congress took away the
city's 1802 charter when it created the Territory of Columbia (ASC square
Uranus); seven years later, Congress formed a commission to run the local
government (MC quincunx Sun/Mars). Home rule didn't return to Washington
until 1975 (MC sextile Jupiter, ASC sextile Saturn).
In 1901 the McMillan Plan was
adopted to enlarge upon L'Enfant's original design. The city was growing
by leaps and bounds so new parks, avenues and public spaces were
constructed. The Mall was finally cleared of its unsightly structures,
and within the following four decades, the Lincoln Memorial (1922), the
Jefferson Memorial (1943) and the Federal Triangle (1935) were completed.
Washington now looked like the capital of the most powerful city on earth.
World War II and Roosevelt's New Deal greatly enlarged the scope of federal
government, and thousands of office seekers flooded into the city in search
of work. Many of those were women, and Washington soon had an imbalance
between the sexes.
During the 1960's Washington was the scene of
many demonstrations: some protesting the war in Vietnam while others dealt
with Civil Rights. In 1968 after civil disorder, much of Washington went
up in flames (MC square Pluto, ASC opposition Moon square Neptune). The
14th St. corridor was left in ruins and Washington became aware it needed
urban renewal. During the early 1970's thousands of sub-standard
structures in the SW sector of the city were torn down and replaced with
townhouses. Heretofore, it contained some of the world's worst slums, all
within eyeview of the National Capitol. In 1975 the first leg of the
city's new subway system, called the Metro, was completed (MC trine Moon):
when it's finished some years hence, it will link the surrounding counties
of Maryland and Virginia to Washington, thus greatly alleviating the
horrendous traffic jams that currently plague this beautiful city.
Being the capital city of the United States,
Washington is more than just another city: people make decisions here that
affect people's lives to some degree every day of the year. But where does
the Federal Government personality leave off and the intrinsic nature of
Washington begin? It's an often insoluble dilemma even natives cannot
often answer. Washington is a place you either love or hate: there's no
in-between. It's alternately scorned and hated or adored and worshipped,
depending on whether you live there or whether you come to visit during
vacation.
Washington is an overcrowded, high-pressure
city that can become maddening to those who try and deal with the vast
bureaucracy that runs this country. It should come as no surprise that
Washington has more psychiatrists per capita than any city in the U.S.,
and attorneys are a dime a dozen. Countless trade associations and
lobbyists all try to get their measures passed, while Congress sits on
the hill endlessly debating issues for hours on end (Mercury in Pisces).
Washingtonians are thought of as being paranoid (Uranus in 12th), cynical
(Virgo rising) and indifferent to the problems that lie beyond the
boundaries of this city. Intense competition makes natives tense and tough: it's literally a place that could drive you to drink (stellium in Pisces).
Until recent years, Washington had the
reputation for being provincial and unsophisticated (Virgo rising), even
though it housed over 130 embassies and consulates within its borders
(Jupiter rising). But with the completion of the Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts and the many branches of the Smithsonian Institution,
Washington now ranks as one of the world's great centers of culture.
Washington also contains more historical places than you can mention and
is an excellent place to research the nation's history.
Washington will always have the reputation for
being power-hungry (Pluto in 6th) and rather dull intellectually. Politics
is the chief topic of conversation at most social gatherings, which is
natural, since the government pervades most everything in town. Washington
can be a cold, smug and self-absorbed city (Virgo rising), interested only
in its own security, and cruel to all outsiders who don't have the right
connections (Moon in Cancer square Neptune). It can be either an
infinitessimal source of inspiration and information or a monumental
source of agony and frustration. It all depends on where you're coming
from, and what you expect to find there in Washington.
Population (1850) 40,001, (1900) 278,718,
(1980) 637,651 - 70% Black, 4% Other,
3% Hispanic, 1% Asian
Sources for Washington
July 16, 1790 12:01 AM LMT American Guide Series.
Act passed to select site for future national capital.
January 22, 1791 unknown DC Public Library.
Washington selects site
March 15, 1791 4:04 PM LMT AFA. Washington lays cornerstone of the
city
October 17, 1791 unknown Picturesque Washington by J.W. Moore.
First sale of lots held
October 12, 1792 Noon LMT AFA Cornerstone of the White House laid
September 18, 1793 10:41 AM LMT AFA. Cornerstone of the Capitol
Building laid
June 10, 1800 unknown U.S. Government. Congress moves to Washington
November 17, 1800 9:00 AM LMT U.S. Government.
Congress meets in Washington
May 3, 1802 12:01 AM LMT DC City Hall.
Washington chartered as a city
February 21, 1871 12:01 AM LMT U.S. Government.
Territory of Columbia formed
June 11, 1878 12:01 AM LMT U.S. Government. Commission government
formed
January 2, 1975 12:01 AM EST The Washington Post
May 15, 1751 unknown Chronicles of Georgetown by Richard Jackson
give the above date for the first settlement
December 25, 1789 12:01 AM LMT Georgetown Public Library.
Georgetown chartered as a city.
Merged with Washington in the late 19th century.
