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46-681: The Residence Act of 1790 , which established the District of Columbia as the site for the capital of the United States, provided for the appointment of three commissioners by the President (without the need for Senate confirmation) to govern the District of Columbia, survey its land, purchase property from private landowners, and construct federal buildings. On December 24, 1793, James Greenleaf and Robert Morris purchased 6,000 lots from

92-607: A plan for the capital city that identified the future sites of the "Congress House" (the United States Capitol ) and the "President's House" (the White House ). Design competitions were then held to solicit designs for each of those structures. Architect James Hoban was selected to design the President's House, and no satisfactory drawings were submitted for the Capitol. A late submission by William Thornton

138-596: A capital in the North and vice versa. Another suggestion was to have two capitals: one in the North and one in the South. The United States Congress was established in 1789, after the ratification of the United States Constitution , and New York City remained the temporary capital. Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 , of the new constitution authorized Congress to create a federal district outside of

184-525: A committee of the whole, to take into consideration, respecting a place for the permanent residence of Congress. The following day, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts motioned "that buildings for the use of Congress be erected on the banks of the Delaware near Trenton or of the Potomac, near Georgetown, provided a suitable district can be procured on one of the rivers as aforesaid, for a federal town". During

230-784: A conflict between the text of the Statutes at Large and the text of a provision of the United States Code that has not been enacted as positive law, the text of the Statutes at Large takes precedence. Publication of the United States Statutes at Large began in 1845 by the private firm of Little, Brown and Company under authority of a joint resolution of Congress . During Little, Brown and Company's time as publisher, Richard Peters (Volumes 1–8), George Minot (Volumes 9–11), and George P. Sanger (Volumes 11–17) served as editors. In 1874, Congress transferred

276-504: A dinner to bring Madison and Hamilton together. Subsequently, a compromise was reached, in which the northern delegates would agree to the southerly Potomac River site, and in return, the federal government would assume debts accumulated by the states during the American Revolutionary War. Jefferson wrote a letter to James Monroe explaining the compromise. Congress agreed to the compromise, which narrowly passed as

322-670: A majority to pass the measure through Congress. Meanwhile, Hamilton was pushing for Congress to pass the Assumption Bill , to allow the Federal government to assume debts accumulated by the states during the American Revolutionary War . With the compromise, Hamilton mustered support from the New York State congressional delegation for the Potomac site, while four delegates (all from districts bordering

368-567: A petition to Congress by the residents of the Virginia portion of the District ( Alexandria County ) and the City of Alexandria, the area of 31 square miles (80 km ) which was ceded by Virginia was returned, leaving 69 square miles (179 km ) of territory originally ceded by Maryland as the current area of the District in its entirety. United States Statutes at Large The United States Statutes at Large , commonly referred to as

414-542: The Statutes at Large and abbreviated Stat. , are an official record of Acts of Congress and concurrent resolutions passed by the United States Congress . Each act and resolution of Congress is originally published as a slip law , which is classified as either public law (abbreviated Pub.L.) or private law (Pvt.L.), and designated and numbered accordingly. At the end of a congressional session,

460-638: The Articles of Confederation in 1781, the Congress of the Confederation was formed, and Philadelphia became the new nation's first seat of government . However, Congress did not remain in the city long, for in June 1783, a mob of angry soldiers converged upon Independence Hall demanding payment for their service during the war. Congress requested John Dickinson , the governor of Pennsylvania to call up

506-550: The Burning of Washington by British troops in 1814, President James Madison and his wife, Dolley, lived in the building from October 1815 to March 1817 while the White House was restored. It had the nickname of "House of a Thousand Candles" after the Madisons hosted a reception for General Andrew Jackson and his wife in the building in late 1815. It was also known as the "Gerry House" because Elbridge Gerry lived in it while he

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552-512: The Embassy of Mexico . 38°54′03″N 77°02′39″W  /  38.9007°N 77.0441°W  / 38.9007; -77.0441 Residence Act of 1790 The Residence Act of 1790 , officially titled An Act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States (1  Stat.   130 ), is a United States federal statute adopted during

598-678: The Statutes at Large includes the text of the Declaration of Independence , Articles of Confederation , the Constitution , amendments to the Constitution , treaties with Native American nations and foreign nations, and presidential proclamations . Sometimes very large or long Acts of Congress are published as their own "appendix" volume of the Statutes at Large . For example, the Internal Revenue Code of 1954

644-729: The Statutes at Large . Since 1985 the Statutes at Large have been prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Until 1948, all treaties and international agreements approved by the United States Senate were also published in the set, but these now appear in a publication titled United States Treaties and Other International Agreements , abbreviated U.S.T. In addition,

690-550: The United States Code . Once enacted into law, an Act will be published in the Statutes at Large and will add to, modify, or delete some part of the United States Code. Provisions of a public law that contain only enacting clauses, effective dates, and similar matters are not generally codified . Private laws also are not generally codified. Some portions of the United States Code have been enacted as positive law and other portions have not been so enacted. In case of

736-604: The "raw and unfinished" cityscape, the president found the public buildings "in a much greater forwardness of completion than expected." The Senate (north) wing of the Capitol was nearly completed, as was the White House. The president moved into the White House on November 1. First Lady Abigail Adams arrived a few weeks later. The Senate of the Sixth Congress met in the Capitol for the first time on November 17, and on November 22, Adams delivered his fourth State of

782-893: The Potomac) switched from opposition to support for the Assumption Bill. At the outset of the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania State House . On account of British military actions, the Congress was forced to relocate to Baltimore , Lancaster, Pennsylvania , and then York, Pennsylvania for a time before it returned to Philadelphia. Upon ratification of

828-718: The Residence Act. Jefferson got the Virginia delegates to support the bill with the debt provisions, and Hamilton convinced the New York delegates to agree to the Potomac site for the capital. The bill was approved by the Senate by a vote of 14 to 12 on July 1, 1790, and by the House of Representatives by a vote of 31 to 29 on July 9, 1790. Washington signed the Act into law one week later on July 16. The Assumption Bill narrowly passed

874-838: The Senate on July 16, 1790, followed by passage in the House on July 26. The Residence Act specified that the capital be located along the Potomac River between the Eastern Branch (the Anacostia River ) and the Connogochegue (near Williamsport and Hagerstown, Maryland ), and encompass an area of no more than "ten miles square" (10 miles (16 km) on a side, for a maximum area of 100 square miles (259 km )). The Act gave US President George Washington

920-528: The Seven Buildings to be razed was 1913 Pennsylvania Avenue NW which was replaced in 1898 with a new four-story building. The next three buildings, consisting of the addresses 1901-1907 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, were razed in 1959 and a large, modern office building was constructed on the site. In 1986, the last two remaining buildings were gutted and their facades incorporated into a $ 4.5 million, nine-story office building. The office building now houses

966-711: The Susquehanna River site in September 1789, and the Senate bill specified a site on the Delaware River near Germantown, Pennsylvania. The House and Senate were not able to reconcile their two bills. The selection of a location for the capital resurfaced in the summer of 1790. At the same time, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was pushing for Congress to pass a financial plan. A key provision of Hamilton's plan involved

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1012-484: The Union Address to a joint session of Congress in the Senate chamber . The House (south) wing was not completed until 1811. Nonetheless, the House of Representatives began meeting there in 1807. In February 1801, Congress approved the District of Columbia Organic Act , which officially organized the District of Columbia . Congress then became the district's exclusive governing authority. In 1846, based on

1058-507: The authority to decide the exact location and hire a surveyor. The President was required to have suitable buildings ready for Congress and other government offices by the first Monday in December 1800 (Monday, December 1, 1800); the federal government would provide financing for all public buildings. The Act specified that the laws of the state from which the area was ceded would apply in the federal district. Thus, Maryland laws applied on

1104-662: The authority to publish the Statutes at Large to the Government Printing Office under the direction of the Secretary of State. Pub. L.   80–278 , 61 Stat. 633, was enacted July 30, 1947 and directed the Secretary of State to compile, edit, index, and publish the Statutes at Large . Pub. L.   81–821 , 64 Stat. 980, was enacted September 23, 1950 and directed the Administrator of General Services to compile, edit, index, and publish

1150-446: The capital. Washington began scouting the area to the southeast of Georgetown, near the Anacostia River (Eastern Branch). Some property owners told him they would sell land for the capital. Washington also looked at other sites along the Potomac. He decided that a few sites should be surveyed to provide specific details about the land and its ownership. Washington returned to Philadelphia in late November 1790 to meet with Jefferson. Then,

1196-485: The commissioners and began marketing them for sale and development. In November 1794, General Walter Stewart purchased the seven lots at 1901 to 1913 Pennsylvania Avenue and constructed seven three-story townhouses on the property. They were not the first residences to be constructed in the District of Columbia. Many of the residences in Georgetown , Hamburgh Village (the current neighborhood of Foggy Bottom ), and on

1242-550: The decision to designate Philadelphia as the temporary capital city of the United States federal government for ten years until the permanent capital was ready. Congress reconvened in Philadelphia on December 6, 1790 at Congress Hall . Soon after signing the act, George Washington began work on the project. He and Thomas Jefferson personally oversaw the process as plans were developed and implemented. Even as

1288-525: The decision was reached to locate the capital at or adjacent to Georgetown, just below the Fall Line and the farthest inland point for navigation . In January 1791, the President proceeded to appoint, in accordance with the Residence Act, a three-member commission consisting of Daniel Carroll , Thomas Johnson , and David Stuart , to oversee the surveying of the federal district, and appointed Andrew Ellicott as surveyor. Washington informed Congress of

1334-488: The eastern side of the Potomac, and Virginia laws applied on the western side in the District of Columbia until the government officially took residence. Upon assuming control of the federal district in 1800, Congress would have full authority over local matters within the District of Columbia. To garner enough votes to pass the Assumption Bill, Hamilton also needed votes from the Pennsylvania delegates. That led to

1380-547: The federal government assuming states' debts incurred during the American Revolutionary War . Northern states had accumulated a massive debt during the war, amounting to 21.5 million dollars, and wanted the federal government to assume their burden. The Southern states, whose citizens would effectively be forced to pay a portion of the debt if the federal government assumed it, balked at this proposal. Some states, including Virginia, had paid almost half of their debts and felt that their taxpayers should not be assessed again to bail out

1426-477: The less provident. Further, they argued that the plan exceeded the scope of the new constitutional government. James Madison , then a representative from Virginia, led a group of legislators from the south in blocking the provision and preventing the plan from gaining approval. When Jefferson ran into Hamilton at President Washington's residence in New York City in late June 1790, Jefferson offered to host

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1472-417: The many farms in what became D.C. preceded them. However, they were among the earliest residential homes to be constructed in the new "Federal City" in the District of Columbia. They were certainly among the finest: They were exquisitely detailed, and an ornamental lintel with a sculpted woman's head was placed above each front door. 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW was the most famous of the seven structures. After

1518-631: The mid-1780s, numerous locations were offered by the states to serve as the nation's capital, but the Continental Congress could never agree on a site because of regional loyalties and tensions. Proposed sites included Kingston, New York ; Nottingham Township in New Jersey; Annapolis; Williamsburg, Virginia ; Wilmington, Delaware ; Reading, Pennsylvania ; Germantown, Pennsylvania ; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; New York City; Philadelphia; and Princeton. The Southern states refused to accept

1564-628: The militia to defend Congress from attacks by the protesters. In what became known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 , Dickinson sympathized with the protesters and refused to remove them from Philadelphia. As a result, Congress was forced to flee to Princeton, New Jersey on June 21, 1783, and met in Annapolis and then Trenton , before ending up in New York. On October 6, 1783, while still in Princeton, Congress resolved itself into

1610-460: The nation's temporary capital while the new seat of government was being built. At the time, the federal government operated out of New York City . Congress passed the Residence Act as part of the Compromise of 1790 brokered among James Madison , Thomas Jefferson , and Alexander Hamilton . Madison and Jefferson favored a southerly site for the capital on the Potomac River , but they lacked

1656-413: The project began to move forward, some held out hope that it would fail and that the capital would remain permanently in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania's congressional delegation attempted to undermine the plan by introducing legislation allocating funds for federal buildings and a house for the president in Philadelphia. Although the legislation did not specify an exact location, Georgetown was assumed to be

1702-521: The public buildings otherwise than on the Maryland side of the river Potomac." On March 30, 1791, Washington issued a presidential proclamation that established " Jones's point , the upper cape of Hunting Creek in Virginia" as the starting point for the federal district's boundary survey and the method by which the survey should determine the district's boundaries . During the early spring of 1791, Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant began working on

1748-573: The quality of work done thus far. The original intention of the Residence Act was to use proceeds from selling lots in the District to cover the costs of constructing federal buildings in the capital. However, few were interested in purchasing lots. A shortage of funds further contributed to the delays and problems in building the Capitol and other federal buildings in Washington. In early June 1800, President John Adams made his first official visit to Washington, which lasted for several days. Amid

1794-444: The second session of the 1st United States Congress and signed into law by President George Washington on July 16, 1790. The Act provides for a national capital and permanent seat of government to be established at a site along the Potomac River and empowered President Washington to appoint commissioners to oversee the project. It also set a deadline of December 1800 for the capital to be ready, and designated Philadelphia as

1840-403: The site selection on January 24. It suggested that Congress amend the Act to allow the capital to encompass areas to the south of the Eastern Branch, including Alexandria, Virginia . Congress agreed with the suggestion, passing an amendment to the Act that Washington approved on March 3, 1791. However, consistent with language in the original Act, the amendment expressly prohibited the "erection of

1886-543: The state structure as the nation's permanent seat of government and granted Congress exclusive governing jurisdiction over it. The choice of a site was left for the new Congress to decide. During the debate, two sites became serious contenders: one site on the Potomac River near Georgetown ; and another site on the Susquehanna River near Wrights Ferry (now Columbia, Pennsylvania ). The House approved

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1932-532: The statutes enacted during that session are compiled into bound books, known as "session law" publications. The United States Statutes at Large is the name of the session law publication for U.S. Federal statutes. The public laws and private laws are numbered and organized in chronological order. U.S. Federal statutes are published in a three-part process, consisting of slip laws, session laws ( Statutes at Large ), and codification ( United States Code ). Large portions of public laws are enacted as amendments to

1978-594: Was his first home in D.C. During the American Civil War , General George B. McClellan and General Martin Davis Hardin both had their headquarters in the Seven Buildings. Some time after 1865, a fourth story was built atop 1903 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. During their first 50 years, the Seven Buildings were some of the most fashionable addresses in the city. But by the 1890s, they were being used as commercial structures rather than homes. The first of

2024-516: Was selected for the Capitol. Stephen Hallet was hired to oversee construction, which got underway in September 1793. Hallet proceeded to make alterations to the design against the wishes of Washington and Jefferson and was then dismissed. George Hadfield was hired in October 1795 as superintendent of construction but resigned three years later in May 1798 due to dissatisfaction with Thornton's plan and

2070-526: Was vice president from 1813 till his death in 1814. Vice President Martin Van Buren lived for a short period in this house as well, just before he was elected. He stayed in it until shortly after his inauguration. It is often reported, such as on the plaque erected on the remaining facades, that the corner house served briefly as the State Department headquarters from 1800 to 1801, and thus

2116-705: Was where the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were stored, but this is due to confusion between this row and the "Six Buildings" further down the street. The "Six Buildings" had a seventh building added on later and this is the source of the confusion. From 1804 to 1811, the corner house was the French Embassy and from 1811 until the outbreak of the War of 1812 it was the British Embassy. Stephen Decatur purchased 1907 and 1909 Pennsylvania Avenue in 1816 and lived in one of them in from 1817 to 1818. It

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