Taxation Without Representation: Washington DC Explained

History was made yesterday. As the US house of Representatives, finally voted in favor of statehood for Washington DC. Yet, many people don't seem to really know the struggles, or calls, for statehood for the nations capital. Even with the citizens of said district screaming "Taxation without representation" And in this video, we will be covering Washington DC, DC history, and it's quest to become the 51st state in the United States.

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The District was created in 1790 out of necessity. During the Revolutionary war, the seat of the national congress changed many times, with Philadelphia, being the first fixed location post independence. However, this would not stay the case for long. In June of 1783. A mob of angry soldiers stormed the capital, demanding payment for their service during the war, in what is called the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783. Since congress lacked the ability to have a standing army, protection landed at the feet of the states, however, Pennsylvania's governor John Dickenson, was sympathetic to the soldiers cause, and refused to raise the militia to protect the national congress. While the Mutiny was eventually put down, the location of the congress would shift a handful of times over the next few years, eventually coming back in Philadelphia in 1787. However, one of the major effects from this, was that the congress decided that they needed to create a federal district, not reliant on any states military protection.

In comes the Residence Act of 1790, which created the District of Columbia, located on the banks of the Potomac River, this district would be created from land belonging to Maryland and Virginia, making the capital somewhat in the center of the nation. In creating the district, the national congress gave them this power via the Constitution: in Article 1, section 8. Stating in quote “To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District not exceeding ten Miles square (This will be important later), as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States.” Plus a bit more, but that's not important... least not to me. Multiple states would offer land up for the creation of this district, but eventually the Potaomic river was agreed on after a compromise over state debt. With a small section from Maryland, and a smaller section from Virginia, forming Washington DC.