Charlotte Dupuy was an enslaved African American woman owned by Congressman and Secretary of State Henry Clay. Clay, with Dupuy and her family, lived in Lafayette Square, just north of the White House. In 1829, Dupuy sued Clay for her freedom and the…

Thomas Jefferson worked with President George Washington to advocate that the nation's capitol be situated on the banks of the Potomac. His sketch of a layout for the federal city is the oldest known plan of Washington, DC, and he shared his ideas…

Among the items Captain Zebulon Pike sent to President Thomas Jefferson from the western United States was a pair of grizzly bear cubs. Jefferson kept them in a garden on the south side of the White House for a short time before sending the animals…

By 1800, the new capital city had begun to develop near the Potomac in the view down the river from the port of Georgetown. Rolling hills, prolific vegetation, and the powerful Potomac river promised a beautiful Capitol city and vibrant commercial…

On August 21, 1800, the Marine Band gave its first public concert in Washington on a hill overlooking the area which became the National Mall. At the time, the band probably consisted of two oboes, two clarinets, two French horns, a bassoon, and a…

This plate from an American series shows men on horseback on what would become the National Mall with the Capitol building in the background. The plate shows the original design for the Capitol by Dr. William Thornton, which would be redesigned after…

The Center Market, one of the first formal markets in Washington City, opened in mid-December 1801. The market's location was proposed in the early plans of the city and George Washington had set aside land for its establishment in March 1797. Laws…

James McGirk, also spelled McGurk, was hanged on October 28, 1802, near the Capitol in the same area today occupied by the statues of Presidents Garfield and Grant. He was the first person executed in the District of Columbia. In April 1802, McGirk…

After defeating American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg in 1814, British troops under the command of Rear Admiral George Cockburn and Major General Robert Ross entered Washington, intent on destroying government property. First Lady Dolley…

The United States Marine Band was established by an Act of Congress in 1798 and has been based in Washington, DC, since 1800. They are known as "The President's Own," and played at the first Inauguration in Washington (1801), the first Inaugural Ball…