The Residence Bill, written and passed by the United States Congress in 1790, provided for the establishment of the temporary and permanent seats of government for the United States. The bill made Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the last temporary capital of the country. It also gave the power to select the surveryers for the new capital's site to the President, George Washington. The permanent capital was to be located along the Potomac River between the Eastern Branch (the Anacostia River)and the Connogochegue. It was to encompass an area of no more than "ten miles square". The laws of the state from which the area was ceded would apply there. This means that Maryland laws applied on the eastern side of the Potomac while Virginia laws applied on the western side in the District of Columbia until the government officially took residence. This bill helped lead the process that disenfranchised residents of the District of Columbia. Realizing their disenfranchisement residents of the Virginia portion of the District, Alexandria County, successfully petitioned Congress to retrocede their portion of the federal capital to Virginia. This happened on July 9th, 1846. Alexandria County is now Arlington County and a portion of the City of Alexandria. The more than 570,000 residents of the current District of Columbia are the only residents of a national capital of a democracy in the world to be denied full voting rights.

See also: Voting rights in the United States

External links

DC Vote DC Statehood Green Party