Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., is the capital city of the United States and the seat of its federal government. It is a federal district rather than a state.
District of Columbia: The federal district that contains Washington, D.C., and is governed under authority granted by the U.S. Constitution. The city occupies this district, whose boundaries and legal status define its relationship to the federal government.
Residence Act of 1790: A U.S. federal law that authorized a permanent national capital along the Potomac River. It gave the president authority to select the site for the federal district.
Frederick Douglass: An abolitionist, writer, and statesman who escaped slavery and became a leading advocate for equal rights. He lived in Washington and used its national institutions to press for Black citizenship and political equality.
Washington metropolitan area: The urban region surrounding Washington, D.C., spanning parts of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The metropolitan region extends beyond the city and district into neighboring states.
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom: A 1963 civil rights demonstration in Washington, D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. The capital’s public spaces became a national stage for demands for racial equality.
Federal district: A territory governed directly by a national government rather than forming part of a constituent state or province. Washington’s federal-district status distinguishes it from state capitals and shapes local authority.
George Washington: The first president of the United States and commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He selected the Potomac site and lent his name to the capital city.
Marion Barry: An American politician who served four terms as mayor of Washington, D.C., and became a prominent local political figure. His career reflected the rise and controversies of Black-led municipal politics in the capital.
State capital: A city designated as the seat of government for one of the states of a federation. Unlike a state capital, Washington is a federal district and is subject to congressional authority.
January 6 United States Capitol attack: The 2021 attack on the United States Capitol by a crowd seeking to disrupt the certification of the presidential election. The assault exposed the vulnerability of institutions concentrated in the capital.