Washington DC History

The Bargain For Our Nation's Capital all started with Politics.

It all started with a dispute- an intellectual grudge match between three of history's most effervescent and willful American personalities. Alexander Hamilton- he of the Broadway musical, and Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. President George Washington had tasked the trio with a mission: "Get me a capital!"

It turned into an intellectual yet free-for-all debate.

There was backstabbing, begging, blackmail, skulduggery, and just about everything you could expect for a Capitol Hill political event. Jefferson and Madison wanted a Capital close to southern rules in a location friendly to slave holdings. Hamilton wanted one up north. The deadlock was settled in what would eventually be called the "dinner table bargain". Who won? Just like everything in Washington D.C., that's up for debate.

Jefferson and Madison came out with a swath of land, close to Jefferson's stronghold in Virginia- the District of Columbia. Hamilton escaped with a prized position that gave him access to millions of dollars and the ability to pay state debts. The decision that created the capital was called the Compromise of 1790, and like all compromises, the measure of one is the fact that no party comes out of the affair happy. That, in a nutshell, is the spirit of Washington DC. and the beginning of its memorable history. In the political epicenter of the world will always be a spirit born of backroom dealings and concessions, and one where no party comes out smelling like roses.

Washington DC: The Swamp That Quickly Became the World's Political Capital

Located on the east bank of the Potomac River, Washington DC- named after perhaps one of the most famous and prolific leaders in history- was formally created in 1791. Since then, it has had a rather colorful history. Twenty-two years after its founding, the British stormed the Capital. A carefully strategized assault, which resulted from the War of 1812, burned much of it to the ground. The Capitol, the Treasury, and the White House were gutted during the raid. From that moment forward, as if caught in a loop, the nation's capital has seen all manner of passion plays, from the outset of the Civil War, The Emancipation Proclamation, hundreds of soldiers making the pilgrimage to the capital seeking their pay and encountering the first instances of "red tape" around the folders with their names on them. Individuals robbed of their rights and liberties trekked to the "city on a hill" to find answers and let their voices be heard. Assassination attempts were attempted and averted. Secrets and scandals saturated the lives of the elite and trickled down to the working class and the poor. Just about everything you could think of and expect from a land that drew such power has happened in its wonderful, and many times terrible, capital city.  However, forces for change were also given voice and lent a pulpit to not just speak but give birth to dreams and ideas that would change the world. More men and women than you could count, including Honest Abe, Abigail Adams, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Martin Luther King Jr., and more, have used this seat of power to change history.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single  garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Since its inception, hundreds of changes have swept the Washington landscape. Some were for the better and some were for the worst. However, like the eternal flame in Arlington, the city persevered and it grew as it tried to adhere to its values and better angels. Most importantly, it seeked to serve the citizens of its country and strived to embody the ideals this nation was built on- the ethos of the American Dream. The question is:  Was it successful?