Washington used to be a shrubby land, with only a few farmhouses scattered among it. 1789, the federal government of the United States was formally established and George Washington was elected as the first president. When Congress held its first session in new york, there was a heated debate about the location of the capital. Members from both the north and the south wanted to set the capital on their own territory. Congress finally reached a compromise, and President Washington chose the area on the Potomac River, the natural dividing line between the north and the south, which is 16 kilometers long, as the capital address, and asked Pierre Charles Longfang, a French engineer, to take charge of the overall planning and design of the capital. The new capital has not been built yet, and Washington is convenient to die in 1799. In memory of him, the new capital was named Washington when it was completed the following year.

Proposed by the first President Washington, 1790 was designated as the capital (1800 moved here at his own expense), 18 12 was occupied by the British army, and the parliament and presidential palace were destroyed. Built as a modern city since the 20th century, it has become the political, cultural and educational center of the United States, including the US Congress (Capitol), the Presidential Palace (White House), the State Council, the Pentagon, the Library of Congress, the National Museum, the Old National Art Museum, the New National Art Museum, Georgetown University (built at 1789) and George Washington University (built at 65438). Famous memorial buildings include Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial. Tourism and related services are the main economic sectors.