Happy Anniversary, D.C.!
The first anniversary calls for a traditional paper gift. The 25th means a gift of silver, and the 50th means gold. But what do you get for a federal territory that is celebrating its 223 anniversary and already has it all?
Yes, the District of Columbia has formally been a territory for 223 years. President George Washington signed the Permanent Seat of Government Act on July 16, 1790, making D.C. the federal capital.
Happy birthday, D.C., as if any of us Washingtonians need more reasons to celebrate this great city and region.
In 1788, James Madison wrote about the importance of a central location for the government. In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, approving the creation of a capital on the Potomac River. Congress held its first session in D.C. in November 1800.
Land from Virginia and Maryland was donated to form Washington, although Virginia’s land was later returned to the Old Dominion. The city was named after that first president who chose this very location on the Potomac. Today, the metro area has a population of approximately 5.7 million.
No word yet on who gets to blow out all 223 candles.