PROCEEDINQS 



OF THE 



WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Vol. I, pp. 161-1S7. December 29, 1899. 



THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT 

 OF COLUMBIA/ 



By Carroll D. Wright, LL.D. 



contents : 



Selection of Site for the Nation's Capital 161 



Acquisition of the Land and Beginnings of the City 164 



Status of Population from 1800 to 1900 168 



Economic Growth from 1800 to 1900 . 171 



Forms of Government and City Improvements 174 



Unique Conditions of Employment 181 



Tables 185 



The American Congress organized under the Articles of Con- 

 federation was obliged to meet at various places, but generally, 

 except when prevented by the movements of the armies engaged 

 in the War of the Revolution, its meetings were held in Phila- 

 delphia. It was in session in that city in June, 1783, when it 

 was threatened by a mob of dissatisfied soldiers, in consequence 

 of which the Congress moved to Princeton, after which sessions 

 were held at Annapolis, Trenton, and New York, but Philadel- 

 phia was not again the sitting place during the continuance of 

 the Confederation. This migratory condition resulted in vari- 

 ous attempts between 1783 and 1790 to settle upon a permanent 

 location for the Federal capital. Under the new Constitution of 

 1787, which went into effect March 4, 1789, it was provided 

 that " Congress shall have the power to exercise exclusive legis- 

 lation in all cases whatsoever over such district (not exceeding 



1 Read before the Washington Academy of Sciences, April 22, 1899. 

 ^Sources of Information : The Constitution of the United States ; the com- 

 piled statutes of the District of Columbia ; reports of the Federal census, 1790 

 Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., December, 1899. (161) 



