“No Taxation Without Representation”
An early (1789) act of the first U.S. Congress provided for the creation of a permanent seat of government on the Potomac River, and there “prior to the first Monday in December, in the year one thousand eight hundred, provide suitable buildings for the accommodation of Congress, and of the President, and for the public offices of the government of the United States.”
The District of Columbia was established on land ceded by Maryland and Virginia. The Virginia land included Alexandria with its thriving river port and commercial center. Administration of affairs in Alexandria changed little until the federal government took residence in December 1800.