Residence Act

Residence Act. The Residence Act of 1790 was a pivotal federal statute enacted by the 1st United States Congress and signed by President George Washington on July 16, 1790. It authorized the establishment of a permanent national capital along the Potomac River and designated Philadelphia as the temporary seat of government. The act resolved a major political compromise between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, known as the Compromise of 1790, which also involved the federal assumption of state debts from the American Revolutionary War.

Background and legislative history

Following the ratification of the United States Constitution, the location of a permanent capital became a contentious issue, deeply entwined with the financial policies of the new republic. Northern states, having accrued substantial war debts, favored the Funding Act of 1790 proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Southern states, led by figures like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, opposed this assumption of state debts and sought a capital in a more agrarian, southern region. The deadlock was broken by a private dinner negotiation, the Compromise of 1790, where southern congressmen agreed to support Hamilton's Assumption Bill in exchange for locating the permanent capital on the Potomac River. The bill passed the United States Senate after intense debate and was signed into law by President George Washington.

Provisions of the act

The act contained several key provisions. It granted the President the authority to appoint three commissioners to oversee the surveying and acquisition of land for a federal district, not exceeding ten miles square, along the Potomac River. It stipulated that the government would reside in Philadelphia until December 1800, after which the permanent seat would be occupied. Furthermore, the act allocated funds for the construction of public buildings, including a President's House and buildings for the United States Congress. It also mandated that laws of the state from which the district was ceded, initially Maryland and Virginia, would remain in force until Congress acted otherwise.

Selection of the site

President George Washington personally selected the exact site, choosing a area encompassing the existing ports of Georgetown and Alexandria. The location was strategically chosen for its centrality between the northern and southern states and its potential for waterway commerce via the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. In 1791, Washington appointed Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker to survey the boundaries, and he commissioned French-born architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant to design the new city. The District of Columbia was formally established on land ceded by both Maryland and Virginia, though the portion from Virginia was later retroceded in 1846.

Implementation and impact

The implementation began with the survey and the ambitious L'Enfant Plan for the capital city. The cornerstone for the President's House was laid in 1792, and construction began on the United States Capitol in 1793. The federal government officially moved from Philadelphia to the new capital in 1800, during the presidency of John Adams. The rapid development of the city, later named Washington, D.C., had significant economic impacts on the surrounding region and established a powerful, independent federal enclave. The creation of the district also immediately placed the governance of its residents under the direct authority of the United States Congress.

Legacy and historical significance

The Residence Act had a profound and lasting impact on American political geography and governance. It solidified the concept of a federal district independent from any state, a model reflected in other nations like Australia with its Australian Capital Territory. The establishment of Washington, D.C. as the capital anchored the nation's political identity and became the stage for pivotal events from the War of 1812 to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The compromise it embodied set a critical early precedent for sectional bargaining in the United States Congress. Furthermore, the unique status of the district continues to fuel ongoing debates and legislation concerning District of Columbia voting rights and District of Columbia home rule.

Category:1790 in American law Category:History of Washington, D.C.