Washington, D.C., was established in 1790 as the permanent capital of the United States, providing a neutral location for the nation's federal government. Selected by President George Washington and carefully planned by French engineer Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, the city was designed with broad avenues, public spaces, and prominent government buildings that reflected the ideals of the new nation. Despite being damaged during the War of 1812, Washington, D.C., grew into the political and historical center of the United States and is now home to many of the country's most important monuments, museums, and institutions, symbolizing the nation's government, history, and democratic principles.

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