Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., also known as the District of Columbia, has been the capital of the United States since 1800. [1] Pierre L'Enfant designed much of the city, including the city's interesting quadrant formation. The city is divided into four quadrants with a central point at the United States Capitol Building. The Northwestern quadrant is by far the largest quadrant, and locations in this quadrant include the White House, Ford's Theater (where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865), the National Zoo, and a number of the Smithsonian Museums. L'Enfant was fired over a dispute involving Thomas Jefferson before the city's design was completed. [2]
In 1814, the British army attacked the city as a part of the War of 1812 and burned a number of public buildings in the city, including the White House. First Lady Dolly Madison famously saved a portrait of George Washington from the White House before the building was burned. [3]