神马文学网美国游记-华盛顿
来源：百度文库 编辑：神马文学网 时间：2024/04/30 10:50:48
The history of Washington, D.C. (officially known as the District of Columbia) is tied to its role as the capital of the United States. The site along the Potomac River was chosen for the capital city by President George Washington. The city came under attack during the War of 1812 in an episode known as the Burning of Washington. Upon the government's return to the capital, it had to manage reconstruction of numerous public buildings, including the White House and United States Capitol. The McMillan Plan of 1901 helped restore and beautify the downtown core area, including establishing the National Mall, along with numerous monuments and museums.
Slavery was abolished throughout the District on April 16, 1862. Since the city government was run by the federal government, black and white school teachers were paid at an equal scale as workers for the federal government. It was not until the administration of President Woodrow Wilson, a southerner who had numerous southerners in his cabinet, that federal offices and workplaces were segregated, starting in 1913. This situation persisted for decades: the city was racially segregated in certain facilities until the 1950s.
During the early 20th century, the U Street Corridor served as an important center for African American culture. Following World War II, many whites, the first group to be able to afford it, moved out of the city to newer suburban housing, with commuting eased by highway construction. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 sparked major riots in chiefly African American neighborhoods. Following the riots, large sections of the city remained blighted for decades. The Washington Metro opened in 1976. A rising economy and gentrification in the late 1990s and early 2000s led to revitalization of many neighborhoods.
Article One, Section 8, of the United States Constitution places the District (which is not a state) under the exclusive legislation of Congress. Throughout its history, Washington, D.C. residents have therefore lacked