{"id":13711,"date":"2013-12-07T22:00:46","date_gmt":"2013-12-08T03:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=13711"},"modified":"2024-12-03T16:14:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T21:14:00","slug":"the-soup-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=13711","title":{"rendered":"The Soup Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>\"07<\/a>Linda Burton posting from Washington, DC <\/i>\u2013 I call it \u201cDC.\u201d When I lived in Seattle if you said \u201cWashington\u201d folks thought you were referring to the state; Washington DC is considered the \u201cother Washington\u201d there. But I\u2019m on the east coast today, easing into \u201cthe District\u201d from Maryland and headed for the US Capitol, an icing-on-the cake\u00a0post-stop in the Journey Across America<\/i>. The majestic dome loomed tall as I approached; I circled in confusion and landed a parking spot on the other side. The Washington Monument was a few blocks to my right, covered in scaffolding due to earthquake repair. I coaxed the cats to the window to \"07<\/a>look; then tied my red wool scarf tight around my head before stepping out into the\u00a0wind. Not a day for sightseeing. But people were out; a Chinese chorus was performing across the street; cameras were in evidence in every hand. Washington, DC! What is so special about this place? Why do 19 million visitors come every year? It\u2019s exciting, and vibrant, that\u2019s why; a bubbling soup bowl brimming with a little bit of everything. The resident population is 601,723 (US Census 2010<\/i>), but that jumps to a million throughout the workweek; commuters pour in from the suburbs of Maryland and Virginia. After all, the centers of all three branches of the federal government are \"07<\/a>here \u2013 the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court. Flags from all over the world fly here; count 176 foreign embassies. The headquarters of international organizations, trade unions, non-profits, and lobbying groups are here. There are more museums here than you could visit in a year; 19 within the Smithsonian alone. The architecture, park spaces, and memorials are stunning. You\u2019ll find both inspiration and controversy here; it’s all in the soup.<\/p>\n

Washington, DC is the capital of the United States. The US Constitution says so; the District is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and is not part of any US state. Go back to July 16, 1790 for that decree, but first, get the timeline in your mind. We\u2019ve recently been in Delaware, and learned of Caesar Rodney and his ride to Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, to vote Yes for Independence, and to sign that famous Declaration. We\u2019ve recently been to the \"01<\/a>Maryland State House, which served as the National Capitol for a time, and where George Washington resigned his post as commander of the Continental Army on December 23, 1783, before heading back to his Mt Vernon farm as a private citizen. We know how long that lasted \u2013 he was inaugurated as our first President in New York City on April 30, 1789. Philadelphia, Annapolis, New York?<\/p>\n

Well yes, the meeting places of our various Congresses moved around quite a bit; all in all, eight cities in four different states served as \u201ccapital\u201d until the decision was made to set aside a specific, non-state spot. Here\u2019s the list.<\/p>\n