What is Washington D.C.?
The United States’ capital is Washington D.C. “D.C.” stands for District of Columbia. Many people shorten this to D.C.
Is Washington D.C. a state?
No, Washington D.C. is a federal district. What this means is that the Constitution created this special district in order to house the government. Even though it is not a city or state, it has many of the same features of a city. Washington D.C. has its own police and fire departments and a mayor. However, the police department has extended duties. Each state police force is broken down into state wide, city wide and county wide. Washington D.C.’s police force constitutes all three.
Some facts about Washington D.C.
- George Washington founded the land and shape of the district.
- It resides in no state. However, it is located between Maryland and Virginia.
- The first state of Congress was held while the construction of the White House was still underway.
- The old White House building was burned during the war of 1812.
- Wars helped grow the district.
What makes Washington D.C. different?
Every state in the Union has representatives. However, in Washington D.C., however, citizens are not represented in Congress. One of the greatest things about our political system is that the power is within the hands of the people. Each state is given a certain amount of voting power. For example, Texas has 38 college electoral votes. D.C. only has 3.
Citizens of Washington D.C.
The citizens of D.C. have the exact same rights as every United States citizen, except for the fact that they do not have the right to vote in Congressional elections. After the 23rd Amendment, citizens were given rights to vote in the Presidential elections. The House of Representatives for citizens of D.C. has a shadow senator and representative.
Shadow Senator and Representative
These people are not voted into their seats. They have no other job than to represent the District of Columbia. The very first shadows were William Blount and William Cocke.
Trivia about Washington D.C.
- The Washington Football team has predicted every presidential electoral. This is not a myth. At a 95 percent rate, the Redskins have been very accurate with their home games.
- J street was left out intentionally so as not to confuse people with the letter I.
- The Potomac River resides in Maryland. Yes, there was a fight for the rights over the river with Virginia.
- The CIA headquarters’ statue does indeed have a secret code that has never been cracked.
Closing Thoughts
Washington D.C. has a lot going for it, especially the ever going battle between the citizens and the right to vote. However, its citizens know that they live within a dynamic city that prospers through tragedy and perseveres through time. The capital of the United States has a rich and bold history that sometimes brings myth into fruition, but its truths is what makes it unique.