US Capital City--Washington DC
The United States’ capital city is named Washington after George Washington, our first president. It is located in the District of Columbia, named after Christopher Columbus, a famous explorer. But our country’s capital city was not always located in Washington, D.C. The first capital of the United States was New York City, and in 1789, George Washington took his oath as the first president on the balcony at Federal Hall.
The President had to help decide on a permanent location for the country’s seat of government. As part of a compromise, it was decided that the capital would move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 for ten years and then to a suitable permanent location on the Potomac River.
President Washington chose an area that included land from the states of Maryland and Virginia, which was primarily farm and marsh lands at the time. Nevertheless, Congress was scheduled to meet in the new capital on the first Monday in December 1800, and our political center has remained there for more than 200 years.