When Was Washington DC Built?
The native Americans settled in Washington DC around 4,000 BC and developed an ancient city. The European expeditions began in the 17th century and on 16th July, 1790; the American government passed an act to establish the new capital on the Potomac River. The plan was to build a capital that would measure 10 miles on each side. The city was named in honor of the first American president George Washington on 9 September, 1791. the US Congress held its first session in the new capital in November, 1800.
The present day Washington DC is smaller than the old capital. The original capital spanned an area of 100 square miles but the current capital is confined within 68.3 square miles; the rest of the land is now under the jurisdiction of the government of Virginia. The first capital was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but because of security concerns, a decision was taken to build a new capital – Washington DC.
The population of the city is more than 600,000 and approximately 55% of them are African-Americans and one-half of the people in the DC regard themselves as Christians. The federal government accounts for around two-fifths of the jobs created in the city.
