The history of the District of Columbia includes many different topics throughout various time periods. Stretching from its early days as capital of the newly-formed United States, to its modern day identity as a destination for tourists around the world, the District has seen many people and ideas that have shaped the city.
One topic that I find interesting in the history of the District of Columbia is the planning and construction of the Metrorail system. After years of planning for a transportation mode in and around the city, the first section of track opened in 1976. Although more modern than much of the cities’ other historical events, I think the Metro is important to how the cities functions today. Aside from being a source of transportation in the city, it brings huge amounts of people in and out of the city limits. This allows for some people to move out into the suburbs while still being able to work and commute into the city effectively. To do initial research on this topic, finding articles and other sources that talk about the early planning of the transit system would be helpful. Also, sources that discuss the overall impact that the Metro has on the inhabitants of the city would be useful. Many of these sources can be found of online databases like JSTOR or by simply using Google.
Another intriguing topic in the history of D.C. is the city’s role as an important place for African American culture. Although modern demographics have seen some change, the Shaw and Columbia Heights neighborhoods were historically predominantly African American. The famous U Street corridor was the center of riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, which shaped the area for decades to come. The history of African American culture in D.C. is important because its role in the history of the city is central to African American culture throughout the country. Many famous branches of the civil rights’ movement took place in the city, making it a background to important events. To learn more about the history of African American culture in D.C., it would be useful to look at the 18th and early 19th century history of these neighborhoods. Looking at the way the neighborhoods and the city were shaped early on in their history gives an idea of how the current situation was developed.
A large part of the modern District of Columbia, the redesign of the National Mall and surrounding monuments also was an interesting point in time of the history of the city. The early 20th century marked a new point in history for the world, so a redeveloped area around the current National Mall area was sought. Central to this plan was the McMillan Plan, which contained ideas on how to change the existing landscape of the National Mall. This period of history is important because it greatly shaped how the city is viewed today. The National Mall and the monuments located around it are a major tourist attraction as well as a piece of nature in a big, fast-paced city. To find more information about this time, researching the McMillan Plan would be very helpful. Looking at primary sources would also give good insight into the feelings that were around while the redeveloping was going on.
