Why is the US capitol, Washington DC, called the “District of Columbia”?
Before answering the question it is important to say that the city name is “Washington” and it belongs to the “District of Columbia”, creating the short version “Washington DC”. Now to answer the question, the city was named after President George Washington and the district was named after Christopher Columbus, who discovered America. For the ones who like to read history, here you have a summary of the foundation and history of the City of Washington in the District of Columbia: The Federal Government established the District in 1790 on land ceded by Maryland and Virginia. About 3,000 citizens lived in the area–far less than the 50,000 required to be a state. The people living in the federal district continued to vote in Maryland and Virginia respectively. President George Washington took a personal interest in developing the new capital. The Commissioners called the new city “The City of Washington”. During the next ten years, the city of Washington was developed, and, in 1800, tho
