DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, the national capital and its adjoining territory, owned and administered directly by the United States gov ernment, to prevent its action being hampered by conflicts with local jurisdictions. It con sists of 60 square miles of land and 10 of water on the eastern side of the Potomac, at the head of deep-water navigation; an enclave in Maryland, with three rectangular sides and the fourth following the lines of the river, be sides the islands in the tidal river. Near the southern side of the district, forming the east ern and southern boundary of the city of Wash ington, is the large tidal estuary of Anacostia River or the eastern branch of the Potomac; the northwest boundary is formed by Rock Creek, separating Washington proper from Georgetown. There are several brooks. The district is flat and marshy for some distance back, then rises into gentle hills and swells; there is pleasing scenery along Rock Creek. The geological formation is Cretaceous, overlaid with drift; in the latter has been found the conglom erate called breccia, from which handsome col ums have been carved, used in the capitol. The soil is light, and especially suitable for market gardening, to which with dairying and the pas turage for the cows it is chiefly devoted, outside the built-up sections. The nature of the capital as a °court city') gives flower-gardening a great importance, and over $500,000 worth are sold annually. The farms are very small — about 35 acres for white and 18 for colored occupants. But little over a fifth of the surface is in farms, however; the city and its suburban village, the great National Park, and reserved grounds of various kinds, taking up most of it. The climate is excessively variable, but generally humid and warm. The rainfall averages 50 inches a year.
The District originated in the politics of the Confederation time. Until the adoption of the Constitution, the Continental Congress assem bled on 10 occasions at eight different places in succession, at Philadelphia, Baltimore, Phila delphia, Lancaster, Pa., York, Pa., Philadelphia, Princeton, N. J., Annapolis, Md., Trenton, N. J., New York. The first five were during the Revo lution. On 21 June 1783, a band of unpaid mili tia broke up the session in Philadelphia by hooting the members and pointing muskets in at the windows. This emphasized the need of a district guarded by Federal troops, and on 7 October Congress resolved to erect a build ing near the falls of the Delaware (Trenton). The jealousy of the South, however, demanded one also near the falls of the Potomac, and alternate meetings in the two. Finally a ma jority abolished the second proposition, and a committee was appointed to lay out a town as first voted. There was no money under the Confederation, however, to build or do any thing else, and no action was taken on the committee's report. It had been voted to meet in New York till the Federal town was ready; but this was disliked from fear of the "money power) corrupting or overbearing Congress. Philadelphia was proposed, but objected to by the Southerners because the Quakers favored abolition. The first Congress under the Con stitution revived the government-district plan, but on the banks of the Susquehanna. Finally Jefferson gave a dinner and arranged a "log roll): two anti-Federalists from the Potomac region, who had voted against the assumption of the State debts by the national government, changed their votes on condition of the Federal ists voting to fix the new capital on the Poto mac, after remaining 10 years at Philadelphia. The act was passed as agreed 28 June 1790, for establishing the seat of government "at some place between the mouths of the Eastern Branch and the Connogocheague." The first session of
Congress was to be held in the new place the first Monday in November 1800. Maryland in 1788 ceded Washington County, and Virginia in 1789 Alexandria County, forming a district 10 miles square; Washington in person laid it out under the act of 30 March 1791 (having previously sold all his lands in the vicinity). The territory selected included the site of Pow hatan's village, Anacostan or Nacochtank; also the existent village of Georgetown, laid out in 1751 and incorporated in 1789 —both 'on the Maryland side; and on the Virginia side, Alex andria, formerly Belhaven. The site of the new capital itself had been the plantation of one Pope, classically inclined, who by a curious pre vision called his hill the Capitol and a brook near by the Tiber. Until 9 September the site was called "The Federal City"; then, by order of three commissioners appointed by President Washington, the district was named. "The Ter ritory of Columbia," and the city "The City of Washington." For the latter, see that title; also CAPITOL, where is noted the project, after its burning by the British, of removing the capital north, which was carried by the speaker's casting vote, hut buried in committee. In 1846 no Federal buildings having been erected on the Virginia side, nor likely to be, Alexandria County was retroceded to that State upon the petition of the inhabitants thereof, by a vote of 763 to 222. In 1871 the business men of the District, fretting under their political nullity, it was constituted a Territory with a governor and legislature, and delegates in Congress; but was at once seized upon by a ring of speculators who obtained control of its government and plundered it into bankruptcy. In 1874 the ter ritorial government was abolished and direct government by Congress restored through three commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The commission of 1874 was a temporary government; in co-operation with Congress and the citizens of the District, it framed as a per manent system the act of June 1878, which the Supreme Court has pronounced "the constitu tion of the District of Columbia.) Under this act half the expenses of the District, previously laid entirely upon the residents, are paid by the national government, as the owner of more than half the real estate. There is no popular suf frage, the entire executive government being in the hands of commissioners appointed by Congress; they recommend legislation and ap propriations to the latter, which in turn con sults them in the same matters. The govern ment, though not appointed by popular vote, is nevertheless swayed by public opinion; and so excellent that agitations for restoration of suf frage meet no support. The judiciary of the District dates from 1801.
1800: Washington, 8,144; Alexandria, 5,949. 1810: Washington, 15,471 ; Alexandria, 8,552. 1820: Washington, 23,336; Alexandria, 9,703. 1830: Washington, 30,261; Alexandria, 9,573. 1840: Washington, 33,745; Alexandria, 9,967. 1850: Washington, 51,687; 1860 (same), 75,080; 1870 (same), 131,700; 1880 (District of Columbia), 177,624; 1890 (same), 230,392; 1900 (same), 278,718, of whom 218,196 were in Washington proper and 14,549 in Georgetown. Of these, 20,119 only were for eign born; but 87,186 were colored; (1910), 331,069. In 1913 the population was (police census), 353,297. There was in 1913 a very small foreign-born population, but the negro element was large-98,144.