Every Historic City in the United States earned it's Heritage during a particular Period in American History. The Period that Washington DC (then referred to as 'Washington City') begins with is it's establishment as America's "Capital City", in which our newly formed nation's officials, elected to the seats of power would sit (Executive [the President], Judicial [the Supreme Court], and Legislative [the Congress & Senate]). Washington City's first (of many) major construction projects (all built on a swamp) was the White House. It was built by freed slaves, during the presidency of the second person to hold that office, John Adams (a personal favorite of mine).
Soon after that, Washington City was invaded by Great Britain when the British decided to try to retake the American Colonies, thus starting the War of 1812. And one of their first attacks was to overrun Washington DC, burning down the barely finished White House almost to the ground. But America was already too powerful for any European power to conquer, and so we eventually won, with a young General, Andrew Jackson, defeating 2000 British forces with 80 American sharpshooters at the Battle of New Orleans. After this NO EUROPEAN NATION Ever Attempted to Invade America Again. Soon after this Victory, the White House was then rebuilt and Washington City continued to be constructed as America's Democratic Answer to the great and arrogant capital cities of the Old European World. Only our Capital would be the City of America's Elected Government, and NOT The City of the King.
Washington DC reached it's most significant apex with the construction of the Capital Dome (during the Lincoln Administration), a dome under which the US Congress was set to meet, in order to discuss, decide, and vote on the great matters that involved our nation. And because the States at that time all had their own governments (headed by a Governor, essentially the president of that state) and the states had their own constitutions (making them like smaller semi-independent nations onto themselves), Washington City became it's own district, the "District of Columbia". The "District of Columbia (DC)" was independent of any state without being a state itself, thus being non-partisan and unaligned with any governor or any other state's constitution. The only constitution that Washington City was bound to was the Federal Constitution: The US Constitution.
During this time of the final construction of the city of Washington DC, at the very beginning of Lincoln taking office, the American Civil War began (The War Between The States). It was a bloody, confused, and Terrible period for the Union and the Confederacy, both Children of America, and Washington DC was at the center of it all. Focus remained on Washington DC up until the End of the American Civil War & the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, making Washington DC essentially a Civil War City frozen in it's heritage. After this, the nation's focus began to shift to places like New York, Chicago, Texas, and California, all centers of finance and opportunity. Other eyes focused on Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma, and Oregon for expansion, land, and empire-building. Then Immigrants came pouring in, to fill America's many jobs & to enhance their own chances for success. America, once unimaginably vast, grew smaller, as trains replaced stage coaches, Cattle replaced Buffalo, and ambitious expansion replaced Native inhabitants. Soon all of America was conquered, at the expense of who was considered "Primitive Peoples". Yet during all of this growth and change, Washington DC has stoically remained both America's Seat of Government, and America's Greatest City-Symbol of our tragic Civil War, and of the many people who lost their lives during it, such as Lincoln.
Washington DC is a Great City because of it's many Museums, it's Buildings & Monuments, it's numerous Embassies & World-Class Ethnic Restaurants (all offering an abundance of International Cultures & Cuisines, which often use Fresh Seafood from the Chesapeake [clams, oysters, crabs, etc.] and from the nearby Atlantic Ocean [lobsters, halibut, sea-bass, etc.]), and lastly because of Washington DC's Close Proximity to so many other Historic Locations in the Eastern United States (Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Virginia, Charleston, etc.). But Washington DC is also one of America's Worst Cities, because of it's Corruption, it's Squalor, it's Crime, it's Disparity between Rich & Poor, it's being Trapped in Time, and it's many Homeless & Hopeless Inhabitants. Washington DC is "The American City" most closely associated with our Civil War, all combined make it both Majestic & Tragic, both International & Stuck-IN-Place, both Modern & Outdated, both Caring & Disinterested, both Rich & Poor. read more