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74-720: Minority The Council of the District of Columbia (or simply D.C. Council ) is the legislative branch of the government of the District of Columbia . As permitted in the United States Constitution , the district is not part of any U.S. state and is overseen directly by the federal government . Since 1975, the United States Congress has devolved to the Council certain powers that are typically exercised by city councils elsewhere in

148-502: A 25-member legislative assembly. Local officials opposed this form of government, insisting that the district's status as a municipality be respected. On December 24, 1973, Congress obliged the demands of local residents and enacted the District of Columbia Home Rule Act , providing for an elected mayor and the 13-member Council of the District of Columbia. The council has the ability to pass local laws and ordinances. However, pursuant to

222-477: A budget, which Congress must approve. According to the District of Columbia's Department of Human Resources, 20% of the DC government workforce will be eligible for retirement in 2021. The DC government offers a host of internship opportunities for recent graduates seeking employment. The Code of the District of Columbia is the subject compilation of enacted legislation, and also contains federal statutes which affect

296-415: A candidate for council an individual must be resident of the District of Columbia for at least one year prior to the general election, a registered voter, and hold no other public office for which compensation beyond expenses is received. Candidates running for a ward position must be a resident of that ward. Like other legislatures, the council has several standing committees and a full-time staff, including

370-524: A celebrated and influential member of the city's society. In 1876, however, he declared personal bankruptcy and, once his accounts were settled, moved with his family to Batopilas , Mexico , where he made a fortune in silver mining and instituted many of the same reforms he had championed in the District of Columbia. Shephered died in Batopilas in Mexico , on September 12, 1902, from complications of

444-478: A century. Although Grant nominated Shepherd to the first Board of Commissioners, the appointment was rejected by the US Senate on the same day. The appointment of Shepherd became one of the many corruption scandals surrounding Grant's administration. The civic improvements, however, had sufficiently modernized the city that relocation of the capital was never again discussed as a serious option. It also created

518-471: A council secretary, auditor, and general counsel. Given the limited number of council members, nearly every member of the council has, in effect, the opportunity to chair a committee. Commentators have questioned the legislature's structure noting that with 13 members nearly any piece of legislation can pass with just seven votes, leading to accusations that the council can too easily overreach in its powers. However, this unique governing structure has also allowed

592-532: A decades-long real estate boom in Washington (until about the turn of the 20th century), with wealthy Americans coming from all over the United States to build large and expensive mansions, some for year-round residency and some for winter vacation only (leading Washington to be called "the winter Newport "). Shepherd remained in Washington, D.C. for a further two years, still a real-estate magnate and

666-409: A four-year term. One member is elected from each of the district's eight wards . Four at-large members represent the district as a whole. The chairman of the council is likewise elected at an at-large basis. The terms of the at-large members are staggered so that two are elected every two years, and each D.C. resident may vote for two different at-large candidates in each general election. According to

740-477: A job as a plumber's assistant, eventually working his way up to becoming the owner of the plumbing firm. He then invested the profits from that firm in real estate development, which made him a wealthy socialite and influential citizen of the city. One of his luxurious properties was Shepherd's Row, a set of rowhouses on Connecticut Avenue designed by Adolf Cluss ; Cluss was later the star witness at Shepherd's congressional investigation hearings. Two days after

814-547: A leader to such an extent that he often did not bother to consult the other members of the Board before he made decisions and took sweeping action. His abilities as a political operator, according to D.C. journalist Sam Smith , were formidable: Boss Shepherd's persuasive skills were such that upon being called to account by the president of a railroad whose tracks on the Mall had been torn up one night by 200 of Shepherd's men, he left

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888-564: A legislative branch, and a judicial branch. The Mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the council. In addition, the Mayor oversees all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and the District of Columbia Public Schools . The mayor's office oversees an annual city budget of $ 8.8 billion. The Mayor appoints five Deputy Mayors:

962-581: A result of the efforts of Rimensnyder and those he persuaded, the Shepherd statue was returned in January 2005 to its previous place of honor. The statue now stands on its pedestal next to the sidewalk of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, close to 14th Street, NW , and the northwest corner of the Wilson Building. The D.C. neighborhood of Shepherd Park , where Shepherd once lived, is named for him, as

1036-489: A state claim that such a move would destroy the notion of a separate national capital and that statehood would unfairly grant Senate representation to a single city. The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 is an organic act enacted by Congress under Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution that formally placed the District of Columbia under the control of Congress and organized

1110-535: A surgery to remove his appendix . His body was returned to Washington and buried in a large personal (not family) vault in Rock Creek Cemetery . Shepherd's legacy has been a matter of some debate since his death more than one hundred years ago. He has long been maligned as a corrupt, cronyist political boss, often compared to Boss Tweed , the leader of the Tammany Hall political machine of

1184-534: Is also elected at-large. The Superior Court of the District of Columbia is the local trial court . It hears cases involving criminal and civil law . The court also handles specialized cases in the following areas: family court , landlord and tenant , probate , tax , and traffic offenses . The Court consists of a chief judge and 61 associate judges . The Court is assisted by the service of 24 magistrate judges and retired judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges. Judges are appointed to

1258-521: The Battle of Fort Sumter that initiated the American Civil War , Shepherd and his brother each enlisted in the 3rd Battalion of the District of Columbia volunteers. The term of enlistment at that time was only three months, after which Shepherd was honorably discharged. On January 30, 1861, he was married to Mary Grice Young, with whom he raised seven children. Her niece, Marie Grice Young ,

1332-477: The District of Columbia Home Rule Act . The Home Rule Act devolves certain powers of the United States Congress to the local government, which consists of a mayor and a 13-member council . However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs. Similar to the Federal government of the United States, the District of Columbia has an executive branch,

1406-676: The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (PCSB) was created in 1996 as a second, independent agency with authorization authority for public charter schools. The DC Council passed legislation in 2007 giving the DC Mayor direct authority over the DCPS and transferred the oversight responsibility for the charter schools previously authorized by the DC Board of Education to the PCSB. Independent agencies often work with subordinate agencies and

1480-617: The House floor . The District has no official representation in the United States Senate . Neither chamber seats the District's elected "shadow" representative or senators . D.C. residents are subject to all U.S. federal taxes. In the financial year 2012, D.C. residents and businesses paid $ 20.7 billion in federal taxes; more than the taxes collected from 19 states and the highest federal taxes per capita . A 2005 poll found that 78% of Americans did not know that residents of

1554-708: The John A. Wilson Building in downtown Washington, D.C. Under the Constitution, Congress has the power to legislate for the district "in all cases whatsoever," which has long been interpreted to vest Congress with ultimate authority over the capital. However, the Founding Fathers envisioned that Congress would delegate this authority to local officials. At various times in the district's history, Congress has devolved some of its authority to district residents and their elected representatives. When Congress passed

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1628-529: The Residence Act on July 16, 1790, they called for a new permanent capital of the United States to be located on the Potomac River . The federal district originally comprised land in the form of a square measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia. The Residence Act also provided for the selection of a three-member board of commissioners, appointed by

1702-574: The inherent sovereignty of the states . The Court of Appeals should not be confused with the District's federal appellate court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit . The Court of Appeals is authorized to review all final orders, judgments, and specified interlocutory orders of the associate judges of the Superior Court, to review decisions of administrative agencies, boards, and commissions of

1776-580: The Congress granted the City of Washington a new charter, which allowed for an elected mayor. This piecemeal governmental structure remained essentially intact until the passage of the Organic Act of 1871 , which created a new government for the entire District of Columbia. This Act effectively combined the City of Washington, Georgetown, and the unincorporated area then known as Washington County –

1850-514: The Department of Health Care Finance, Department of Human Services, and the Department of Disability Services. There are two types of agencies as laid out by the Code of the District of Columbia. The first are called "subordinate" agencies and answer to the Mayor's Office. They may also be called "public agencies" or "government agencies". Most of these subordinate agencies are organized under

1924-479: The Deputy Mayor for Education, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, and the Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure. Each Deputy Mayor's office has oversight over certain relevant government agencies. For example, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services oversees D.C. agencies including

1998-492: The District government, and to answer questions of law presented by the Supreme Court of the United States , a United States court of appeals , or the highest appellate court of any state. The court consists of a chief judge and eight associate judges. The court is assisted by retired judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges. Despite being the District's local appellate court, judges are appointed by

2072-551: The District of Columbia have less representation in Congress than residents of the 50 states. Efforts to raise awareness about the issue have included campaigns by grassroots organizations and featuring the city's unofficial motto, " No taxation without representation ", on District of Columbia vehicle license plates . There is evidence of nationwide approval for D.C. voting rights; various polls indicate that 61 to 82% of Americans believe that D.C. should have voting representation in Congress. Despite public support, attempts to grant

2146-669: The District of Columbia to local government. It enacted the District Charter (also called the Home Rule Charter), furthering District of Columbia home rule . 38°54′17″N 77°00′59″W  /  38.90472°N 77.01639°W  / 38.90472; -77.01639 Alexander Robey Shepherd Shepherd was born in Southwest Washington, D.C. , on January 30, 1835. He dropped out of school at age 13. After dropping out of school, Shepherd took

2220-543: The District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) is the publication and compilation of the current regulations. The District of Columbia Register (DCR) gives brief information of actions of the Council of the District of Columbia (such as resolutions and notices of council hearings) and actions of the executive branch and independent agencies (such as proposed and emergency rulemaking). The District observes all federal holidays and also celebrates Emancipation Day on April 16, which commemorates

2294-476: The District voting representation, including the D.C. statehood movement and the proposed District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment , have been unsuccessful. Opponents of D.C. voting rights propose that the Founding Fathers never intended for District residents to have a vote in Congress since the Constitution makes clear that representation must come from the states. Those opposed to making D.C.

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2368-466: The District. The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 repealed the individual charters of the cities of Washington and Georgetown and established a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia. Though Congress repealed the territorial government in 1874, the legislation was the first to create a single government for the federal district. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 devolved certain congressional powers of

2442-494: The Home Rule Act all legislation passed by the D.C. government, including the district's local budget, remains subject to the approval of Congress. After signing the bill, President Richard Nixon said, "I believe the legislation skillfully balances the local interest and the national interest in the way the District of Columbia is governed." The council is composed of thirteen members, each elected by district residents to

2516-458: The Home Rule Act, of the chair and the at-large members, a maximum of three may be affiliated with the majority political party. In the council's electoral history, of the elected members who were not affiliated with the majority party, most were elected as at-large members. In 2008 and 2012, Democrats such as David Grosso , Elissa Silverman , and Michael A. Brown changed their party affiliation to Independent when running for council. To become

2590-652: The Mayor's office, and their members may be appointed by the Mayor. For example, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) is an independent adjudicatory body responsible for the District's regulatory authority for alcoholic beverage and cannabis. Other independent agencies include: There are 37 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs can issue recommendations on all issues that affect residents; government agencies take their advice under careful consideration. The mayor and council set local taxes and

2664-415: The U.S. president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for 15-year terms. The DC Courts are a federal agency and do not answer to the District government. The Attorney General of the District of Columbia is the chief legal officer of the District. Until a charter amendment in 2010 that made the office an elected position, the post was appointed by the Mayor. Following numerous election delays , Karl Racine

2738-419: The abolition of the elected governments of Washington City and Georgetown , as well as the appointed justices of the peace for Washington County , to be replaced with a unified territorial government to administer the entire District of Columbia. The Shepherd machine was easily able to sway popular support in favor of that notion. In 1871, Shepherd was able to convince Congress to pass a bill that established

2812-408: The chairperson of the committee at the start of the council period and are voted on by the existing committee members. If a vacancy of a member occurs, the seat is filled by a vote on a nomination by the chairperson. If a vacancy of a councilperson occurs, the vacancy will be temporarily. As of December 2018, the eight ward and four at-large council members receive an annual salary of $ 140,161, while

2886-470: The city's five-man Board of Public Works. The most powerful public entity in the District of Columbia, the Board of Public Works was actually an independent entity from the territorial government, reporting directly to Congress, but kept within the territory's sphere of influence by making the governor its chairman. Cooke, however, rarely attended the Board's meetings (probably at Shepherd's urging), allowing Vice-Chair Shepherd to preside. He asserted himself as

2960-421: The city. In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed the board's most influential member, Alexander Robey Shepherd , to the new post of governor. Shepherd authorized large-scale projects to modernize Washington but overspent three times the approved budget, bankrupting the city. In 1874, Congress abolished the district's local government in favor of a direct rule. A three-member Board of Commissioners replaced

3034-504: The colored race when he was in a position to help them." By 1870, war and mismanagement had caused the finances and infrastructure of the city to deteriorate so badly that the Mayor of Washington , Sayles J. Bowen , had his furniture seized in an attempt to pay the city's debts. Democrats and Republicans were in a rare agreement that a drastic change was needed from Bowen's regime. As a solution, Shepherd and his allies began agitation for

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3108-460: The control of Congress but did not establish an overarching government for the entire district as recommended. In 1802, the original board of commissioners was disbanded, and the City of Washington was officially incorporated. The city's incorporation allowed for a local municipal government consisting of a mayor appointed by the president and an elected six-member council. The local governments of Georgetown and Alexandria were also left intact. In 1820,

3182-476: The council chairman receives an annual salary of $ 210,000. According to a 2011 article in The Washington Post , the DC council were the second-highest-paid local representatives of large cities in the United States. Government of the District of Columbia The District of Columbia has a mayor–council government that operates under Article One of the United States Constitution and

3256-406: The council to operate more efficiently in comparison to some state legislatures with regard to consideration and passage of laws. Committees of the council consider legislation relevant to specific policy matters and are responsible for oversight on relevant local government agencies. Special committees are convened to consider investigations, ethics, and other matters. The members are nominated by

3330-428: The country, as well as many powers normally held by state legislatures . However, the Constitution vests Congress with ultimate authority over the federal district, and therefore all acts of the council are subject to congressional review. They may be overturned by Congress and the president . Congress also has the power to legislate for the district and even revoke the home rule charter altogether. The council meets in

3404-564: The court by the President of the United States, without any District (mayoral or council) input, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for fifteen-year terms. All appeals of Superior Court decisions go to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals , which is the highest court . Established in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court , except that its authority is derived from the United States Congress rather than from

3478-477: The east of the established settlement at Georgetown. In 1800, Congress created a joint commission to recommend the governance for what was then called the Territory of Columbia. The joint commission recommended a governorship and a 25-member legislative assembly. This would have been the federal district's first legislature. However, the Organic Act of 1801 officially organized the entire federal territory under

3552-484: The end of his term or not, it is the universal belief that Mr. Shepherd will be the second governor of the District of Columbia." Sure enough, that September, Cooke resigned as Governor of the District and Shepherd, having befriended Grant, was promoted by the President to the governorship. Once in office, Governor Shepherd engaged in a series of social reforms and campaigns that were progressive even by Radical Republican standards. He "integrated public schools, supported

3626-499: The end of slavery in the District. The flag of the District of Columbia was adopted in 1938 and is a variation on George Washington's family coat of arms . The city's local government, particularly during the mayoralty of Marion Barry , was criticized for mismanagement and waste. During his administration in 1989, The Washington Monthly magazine claimed that the District had "the worst city government in America." In 1995, at

3700-444: The lack of finances, the massive public works project continued and intensified during Shepherd's term as governor of the District of Columbia. Although the Organic Act of 1871 had given the governor power to issue construction bonds in the city to the consternation of white landowners, but Shepherd put it to a referendum to demonstrate his widespread popular support in the city thanks to the black voters, who backed him. The cost of

3774-453: The meeting with an offer to become the line's vice president. His cunning was such that when he heard reports of a planned injunction against the removal of what he called a "wretched old market building" on Mt. Vernon Square , he got a friend to take the one judge currently in the city out for a long ride in the country while the Boss accomplished his mission.... As The Cincinnati Enquirer of

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3848-447: The mid-1980s near an otherwise-obscure D.C. Public Works building on Shepherd Avenue, S.W., in the District's remote Blue Plains neighborhood. Near the beginning of the 21st century, Washington historian Nelson Rimensnyder started to argue for a restoration of Shepherd's reputation, calling him an "urban visionary" who single-handedly transformed Washington into a major American city and championed aggressive social reform. Largely as

3922-416: The modifications was excessive. Initially, Shepherd had estimated them at a $ 6.25 million budget, but by 1874, costs had ballooned to $ 9 million, despite the national Panic of 1873 . District residents gathered 1,200 signatures to petition an audit from Congress; when the audit was conducted, the legislature discovered that the city was in arrears by $ 13 million and declared bankruptcy on its behalf. Shepherd

3996-423: The office of the relevant Deputy Mayor: Subordinate agencies differ from independent agencies that, while created by the legislature, do not answer directly to the Mayor's Office. The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch. Each of the city's eight wards elects a single member of the council and residents elect four at-large members to represent the District as a whole. The council chair

4070-450: The operation of the local justice system ; however, analysts claim that the payments do not fully resolve the imbalance. The District is not a U.S. state and therefore has no voting representation in the Congress. D.C. residents elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives , currently Eleanor Holmes Norton (D- D.C. At-Large ), who may sit on committees, participate in debate, and introduce legislation, but cannot vote on

4144-516: The oversight board's operations were suspended. The Government Accountability Office and other analysts have estimated that the city's high percentage of tax-exempt property and the Congressional prohibition of commuter taxes create a structural deficit in the District's local budget of anywhere between $ 470 million and over $ 1 billion per year. Congress typically provides additional grants for federal programs such as Medicaid and

4218-541: The portion south of the Potomac River had been returned to Virginia in the late 1840s – into a single municipality as Washington, D.C., exists today. In the same Organic Act, Congress created a territorial government which consisted of a legislative assembly with an upper-house composed of eleven council members appointed by the president and a 22-member house of delegates elected by the people, as well as an appointed Board of Public Works charged with modernizing

4292-458: The president, charged with overseeing the construction of the new capital. Two other incorporated cities that predated the establishment of the district were also included within the new federal territory: Georgetown , founded in 1751, and the City of Alexandria, Virginia , founded in 1749. A new "federal city" called the City of Washington was then constructed on the north bank of the Potomac, to

4366-552: The railroad companies refit their tracks to fit new citywide grading standards for the District. In 1873, the Mary Clemmer Ames wrote that, "the majority of people believe that Governor Cooke would retain his position only until the fusion of irritated factions, including whites and blacks, Washington, Georgetown, and Washington County, was effected, and that in the event of his resignation, Mr. Shepherd would be appointed his successor. Whether Governor Cooke retires before

4440-544: The same time period. A statue of Shepherd currently stands on Pennsylvania Avenue , NW , in front of the John A. Wilson Building , which now houses the offices and chambers of the Council and the Mayor of the District of Columbia ), and has served as a symbol of his fluctuating reputation. In 1979, during the first year of Mayor Marion Barry's administration, the statue was removed from its perch on Pennsylvania Avenue and warehoused in city storage. It reappeared in

4514-444: The start of Barry's fourth term, Congress created the District of Columbia Financial Control Board to oversee all municipal spending. The same legislation created a Chief Financial Officer position for the District, which operates independently of the mayor and council. Mayor Anthony Williams won election in 1998 and oversaw a period of urban renewal and budget surpluses. The District regained control over its finances in 2001 and

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4588-414: The street at the second-floor. In addition, Congress discovered that Shepherd had given preference to neighborhoods and areas of the District in which he or his political cronies held financial interests. Although none of his actions was found to have violated any laws, the territorial government was abolished in favor of a three-member Board of Commissioners, which remained in charge of the city for nearly

4662-636: The territorial government that he desired. The Organic Act of 1871 merged the various governments in the District of Columbia into a single eleven-member legislature, including two representatives for Georgetown and two for the County of Washington, to be presided over by a territorial governor. The legislature and governor would all be appointed by the President . Both frontrunners for the governorship were initially Shepherd, from Washington, and Colonel Jason A. Magruder, from Georgetown; although popular support

4736-598: The territorial government; two members were appointed by the president after approval by the Senate and a third member was selected from the United States Army Corps of Engineers . One of the three members would be selected to act as President of the Board. This form of government continued for nearly a century. Between 1948 and 1966, six bills were introduced in Congress to provide some form of home rule, but none ever passed. The commissioner form of government

4810-411: The time put it: " Boss Tweed and his gang, to whom Shepherd's enemies are so given to comparing him, were vulgar villians [sic], stupid sneak thieves, by the side of this remarkable man." The warworn condition of Washington City in the late 1860s and the early 1870s, when it was little more than a hamlet of dirt roads, wooden sidewalks and open sewers and surrounded by farmland and large country estates,

4884-448: The unincorporated territory within the District into two counties: Washington County to the north and east of the Potomac River and Alexandria County to the west and south; left in place and made no change to the status of the charters of the existing cities of Georgetown and Alexandria ; and established a court in each of the new counties, with the common law of both Maryland and Virginia continuing to remain in force within

4958-405: The vote for women, sought representation for D.C. in Congress and a Federal payment to the city." Generally, however, his gubernatorial term was "principally occupied in avoiding embarrassments in the conduct of the District's official business due to the inadequacy of the revenue which had been entailed by the demands for funds to meet the cost of executing street improvements." However, despite

5032-411: Was behind Shepherd, US President Ulysses S. Grant feared that either appointment would cause a sectional divide that might make governorship of the full district impossible. Thus, Grant's inaugural appointment to the governorship was his friend, the financier Henry D. Cooke , "a gentleman of unimpeachable integrity" and secretly a close political ally of Shepherd. Shepherd was appointed vice-chair of

5106-432: Was elected in 2014 and sworn into office in January 2015. In the District of Columbia, independent agencies are those which are not under the direct control of the Mayor's office. They may also be called "quasi-public" or "quasi-governmental" agencies. For example, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the local public school system and answers to the Mayor through the Deputy Mayor for Education. However,

5180-443: Was investigated for financial misappropriation and mishandling, and it was discovered that the project and its funding had been carried to absurd extremes. Shepherd had raised taxes to such a degree that citizens had to sell their own property to pay them. Street grading had been executed such that some homes' front yards were as much as 15 feet (4.6 m) lower than the front door, and others found their homes standing in trenches with

5254-426: Was replaced in 1967 by a mayor-commissioner and a nine-member city council appointed by the president. Due to public pressure and the demands of handling the district's complex day-to-day affairs, Congress eventually agreed to devolve certain powers over the district to an elected local government. However, lawmakers in Congress during the early 1970s had originally sought to re-institute the post of governor and create

5328-530: Was responsible for the demolition of the Northern Liberties Market. Two individuals, a butcher who was still on the premises at the time of the demolition and a young boy who had come with his dog to chase the rats who fled the structure, were killed in the process. Under his direction, the city also planted 60,000 trees, built the city's first public transportation system in the form of horse-drawn streetcars , installed street lights, and had

5402-579: Was such that Congress had for several years discussed relocating the seat of the Federal government westward to St. Louis , which would have led to ruin for the District of Columbia. Shepherd believed that if the government was to remain in Washington, the city's infrastructure and facilities had to be modernized and revitalized. He filled in the long-dormant Washington Canal and placed 157 miles (253 km) of paved roads and sidewalks, 123 miles (198 km) of sewers, 39 miles (63 km) of gas mains, and 30 miles (48 km) of water mains. In 1872, Shepherd

5476-555: Was the piano teacher of Theodore Roosevelt 's children and a Titanic survivor. He was an early member of the Republican Party and a member of the Washington City Councils from 1861 to 1871, during which time he was an important voice for D.C. emancipation, then for suffrage for the freed slaves. Frederick Douglass later said, "I want to thank Governor Shepherd for the fair way in which he treated

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