The History of Washington, D.C.

Europeans first arrived and colonized the region in the early 17th century. In 1790 Congress passed the Residence Act which was signed by George Washington on July 16, 1790. This Act was established as a permanent seat location for the U.S. capital moving it from Philadelphia. Around 1800, the federal government moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., with the first session of Congress in the Capitol Building. On August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces invaded and occupied the city after defeating an American force in the Battle of Bladensburg. In retaliation for acts of destruction by American troops, the British set fire to government buildings in the city causing major destruction to the U.S. Capital, Treasury Building, and White House in what became known as The Burning Washington. Most of the government buildings were repaired quickly but it took until 1863 for the Capital to be fully restored. The American Civil War in 1861 led to the expansion of the federal government. President Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862 which ended slavery in the district which freed over 3,000 slaves in the district several months before the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1868, Congress granted the district’s African American male residents the right to vote in elections. In 1888, the city’s first motorized streetcars began service. This introduction led to an expansion of the district for decades to come.