Communities are Built for Government Why would location be important in choosing where to build a capital city? Unit 2 Lesson 6

Potomac River  The early leaders of the U.S. wanted to create a city where laws would be made.  The people of Virginia and Maryland gave the U.S. some land along the Potomac River so that this new city could be built.

Capital City  The capital city was the place where the leaders of the country wanted to meet and work.  George Washington rode along the riverbank of the Potomac River to try and find a good place to build the capital city.

Washington, D.C.  George Washington chose an area with low wetlands and woods for the new capital.  It was halfway between Vermont and Georgia, which was right in the middle of the United States in  Pros: Lawmakers from all over the country could easily get to the capital.  Cons: The place was a swamp. It was hot and there were mosquitoes.

Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker  Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker were clock makers who measured the land.  Thomas Jefferson told George Washington that Banneker would be a good person to help mark where the streets of Washington, D.C. would go.

Pierre L’Enfant  Pierre L’Enfant used the measurements of Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker to plan the city’s streets and buildings.

Capitol  The capitol was the building where the lawmakers met.  It was the first thing built in Washington, D.C.  Today, the capital city of every state has a capitol building.

State Capital  A state capital is a city where lawmakers meet to make laws for a state.  The U.S. has one capital city for the whole country. There are 50 state capitals, one for each of the 50 states in the U.S.  The symbol of a star represents a state capital.  The symbol of a star in a circle represents the nation’s capital (Washington, D.C>)

Sacramento, California  A city does not have to be the biggest in the state to be the state capital.  Sacramento is the capital of California.

County  A part of a state is called a county.

County Seat  A county seat is a city or town where county leaders meet.

Juneau, Alaska  Juneau, Alaska is one of the hardest state capitals to reach because no roads lead to it.  Lawmakers get there by airplane or boat.  It was chosen because it is near a resource – gold.

Borders and Boundaries  Borders are the lines on a map that show where one country or state ends and another begins.  Borders are also called boundaries.