The Appalachian Preservation Society
Washington, D.C.
Wildernet - District of Columbia. The District of Columbia lies along the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. Economically controlled by Congress, it offers excellent public transportation and internationally outstanding attractions. The President, Congress, Supreme Court, and nearly half million federal workers live or work in one of the country's most beautiful and historic cities. The site was chosen in 1791 and became the capital in 1800. It spans a distance of 68 square miles (177 square kilometers) with the average elevation a mere 25 feet above sea level. Ranked as one of the United States loveliest cities, many of its buildings are magnificent white marble structures surrounded by lovely lawns landscaped with blooming botanicals.
Guide to Washington DC - Washington DC's Search Engine, Travel Guide, Business and Community Directory. In an online world where everything is global, we try to connect people online to what others are doing at a local level. We simply provide the framework for the site that brings community resources and people together.
Welcome to the White House. The official web site for the White House and President George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States. This site is a source for information about the President, White House news and policies, White House history, etc.
The District of Columbia Genweb Project contains photos of the capitol; the Jefferson Memorial; the Lincoln Memorial; the Library of Congress; Early Seventh Street; and Early Pennsylvania Avenue.
Welcome To The White House. It might look like the official homepage for Pennsylvania Avenue's most famous address, but don't be fooled.
Streets and Wards. Generally the streets run three ways: east-west, north-south, and diagonally. East-west street are designated alphabetically; north-south streets are designated numerically; and diagonal streets have state names.
Canal Chronology and Statistics. The Potomac Company charted the canal in 1785.
Underground Railroad Special Resource Study. The Underground Railroad was neither "underground" nor a "railroad," but was a loose network of aid and assistance to fugitives from bondage. Perhaps as many as one hundred thousand enslaved persons may have escaped in the years between the american Revolution and the Civil War. In 1990, Congress authorized the National Park Service to conduct a study of the Underground Railroad, its routes and operations in order to preserve and interpret this aspect of United States history.
Temple of Liberty Building the Capitol for a New Nation. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were determined that the United States Capitol be a meaningful expression of America's new political and social order. The Constitution, ratified in 1788, had given the country its governing structure; the Capitol, begun three years later, was still incomplete when Congress first met there in November 1800. Construction of the original building took thirty-four years and was directed by six presidents and six architects. Opinions among statesmen and designers differed as to how to achieve a symbolically potent yet functionally efficient building within a Neoclassical framework. Conceiving of themselves as inheritors, guardians, and conveyors of Western civilization, they slowly built a Capitol that drew upon both American and European emblematic and architectural traditions.
Washington Navy Yard History. The land was purchased under an act of 23 July 1798, with two additional lots being purchased in 1801. The Washington Navy Yard was established on 2 October 1799, the date the property was transferred to the Navy.
DC History - Early Days. In 1789, Congress gave President Washington the authority to select a new location for the Nation's Capital. As a local landowner at Mount Vernon, the President did not need persuading of the virtues of the Potomac River area below the fall line. Before the Federal City was built, the Washington DC area was sparsely populated, consisting primarily of large agricultural holdings, forests, meadows and marshland. Contrary to popular belief, Washington was not a swamp, although there were many swampy and marshy areas. At this time there were two major towns, both Potomac River ports: Georgetown, originally called the "Town of George" and the city of Alexandria on the other side of the river.
The District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia. In 1789, Congress authorized President George Washington to select a location for the new National Capital. In 1790, the site was selected. The original District was a 10 mile square, created from land ceded by the states of Maryland and Virginia.
The Road to Washington - British Army Style. During the War of 1812, while a large force of British naval vessels kept a large portion of the American Navy bottled up in the Elizabeth River, British Navy Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn led a small fleet in the Chesapeake Bay, harassing local ports and shipping. To combat this force, Joshua Barney, an American naval hero of the Revolutionary War, devised a Chesapeake Flotilla of small boats and barges manned and armed to engage Admiral Cockburn's ships.
The War of 1812. The War of 1812 was fought from June 1812 to the spring of 1815. A peace treaty was signed in Ghent on December 24, 1814. No one really won this war. The United States was not able to invade Canada and the British did not take control of Baltimore and New Orleans. Historians say that the War of 1812 confirmed America's independence from England and gave the settlers a reason to be proud of being Americans.
Landowners. The land which became the City of Washington was acquired by eighteen people between 1663 and 1703.