On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act provided for a new permanent capital located at the Potomac River. Land donations from Maryland and Virginia.	On September 9, 1791, the federal city was named in honor of George Washington, and the district was named the Territory of Columbia.

     

On February 27, 1801, an Organic Act officially organized the District of Columbia and placed the entire federal territory, including the cities of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria, under the exclusive control of Congress. Further, the unincorporated territory within the District was organized into two counties: the County of Washington to the east of the Potomac and the County of Alexandria to the west.

By an act of Congress on July 9, 1846 the area south of the Potomac River (Alexandria County) was returned to Virginia effective in 1847.

  

On June 1, 1871, the elected mayor and council of Washington City and Georgetown, and the County Levy Court are abolished by Congress and replaced by a governor and council appointed by the president. An elected House of Delegates and a non-voting delegate to Congress are created. In this act, the jurisdiction and territorial government came to be called the District of Columbia, thus combining the governments of Georgetown, the City of Washington and the County of Washington.
	Seal of the District of Columbia, adopted on August 3, 1871 (present-day version)
	Lady Justice hanging a wreath on a statue of George Washington; motto of the District of Columbia,"JUSTITIA OMNIBUS" ("Justice for All"); "1871", the year in which the District was organized in its present form; steam train crossing a viaduct at sunrise (left); United States Capitol (right).
	Flag of the District of Columbia, adopted on October 15, 1938
	The flag is based on the design of the coat of arms of the Washington family, first used in the twelfth century, when one of George Washington's ancestors took possession of Washington Old Hall, then in Durham County, northeast England.