1. The date is: May 3, 1802

2. Discussion questions
• Why does Congress have ultimate authority to govern Washington, DC? • Why did Congress grant the people of DC a measure of “home rule” early in the city’s history? • Should DC residents have complete authority to govern their own city? Why or why not?

3. Washington, dc: city life begins

4. The First City Government
1801—Congress divides the District into two counties: Alexandria County and Washington County
1802—Washington City is granted a municipal charter by Congress
Voters (white male property owners)—elected a City Council
A Mayor was appointed by the President
First Mayor: Robert Brent
1812—a new charter provided for election of the mayor by an expanded 20-member council

5. Early Neighborhoods Navy Yard
Inhabited by construction workers in the Navy Yard and Marines in their barracks
Churches, markets, taverns
Capitol Hill
Inhabited by Congressmen and their staffs
Boardinghouses, small shops and service businesses
City Center
Pennsylvania Avenue, between the Capitol and the White House
Brick houses and commercial buildings
F Street
Residential area for the city’s elite
Rested on a ridge above swampy Penn Ave. and the Mall
Georgetown
Still a separate city, but becoming more connected with official Washington