Pennsylvania Avenue

When L'Enfant planned the city of Washington, Pennsylvania Avenue was designed to link the older settlement of Georgetown to the President's House and the Capitol. Bridges were to be built over Rock Creek; Tiber Creek and the Eastern Branch (Anacostia River). The route loosely follows an earlier track which took advantage of the ridges in the area known as the Georgetown Ferry Road.

Today Pennsylvania Avenue runs for seven miles from Georgetown (it begins at the junction of 29th and M Streets [NW]) to the South Eastern boundary of the District of Columbia. In Maryland it continues past Andrews Air Force Base (Maryland Route 4). It's most famous stretch links the White House to the Capitol. This part is sometimes referred to as "America's Main Street". The Inauguration Parade and well as other national parades and protests use this avenue. Streetcars ran along Pennsylvania Avenue from Georgetown to the Anacostia for 100 years, ending in 1962.

VA 11

Perhaps the most interesting place to be this election season is the Eleventh District of Virginia. Not only is the State of Virginia in play for the Presidential Election (with 13 Electoral College votes); but the Senate seat, currently held by John Warner, a moderate Republican, will be open. The Cook Political Report on 31st July called it as "Likely Democratic". The 11th District will also be an Open Seat, with the retirement of Tom Davis. Cook listed this on 7th August as "Leans Democratic". This November offers the voters of this increasingly marginal seat an opportunity to replace three Republicans with three Democrats. In 2004 Bush gained 51% of the vote and Kerry 49%.

VA11 includes part of Fairfax and Prince William Counties and the City of Fairfax. Many residents work in Washington DC - either directly for the Federal Government (Executive; Legislative and Judicial branches) or for private companies linked to government. It has the highest Asian population in Virginia (11%); and significant latino/hispanic(9%) and black (10%) communities.

The two major candidates are Keith Fimian [Republican] http://www.keithfimian.com/
and Gerry Connolly [Democrat] http://www.gerryconnolly.com/

On a personal note this is my favourite district in the country - I stay there with friends when I visit Washington; and love the district's history (it includes Mt Vernon - Home of George Washington). Each November I stay up on election night and watch the results for Mount Vernon District as they are posted on http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/returns.htm. Details of each precinct can be found at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/pcts/mtvrn/mtvrnon.htm. I wish I could be there for this election!

John Milton

This morning we visited the cottage in which John Milton lived while the Plague raged in London (1665-6) - and where he wrote his most famous book "Paradise Lost". If you have the opportunity, do visit the cottage. It is also a museum - and the guided tour was both fascinating and stimulating. Details of the cottage, which is in the South Buckinghamshire village of Chalfont St Giles (not far, but out of sight or sound of the M25 Jnt 17), can be found at http://www.miltonscottage.org/index.htm

John Milton - apart from being one of the most important poets in English history - was a democrat and a republican. He argued in 1644 for freedom of the press in his "Areopagiticia", and his political ideas have influenced modern political practice, particularly in the United States. My visit has prompted me to download and start reading some of his political works. You can do the same by visiting http://oll.libertyfund.org/readinglists/view/138-the_political_thought_of_john_milton

Some gems from his writings -

"It may be well wonderd that any nation, styling themselves free, can suffer any man to pretend hereditarie right over them as thir lord; whenas by acknowledging that right, they conclude themselves his servants and his vassals, and so renounce thir own freedom."

"The happiness of a nation must needs be firmest and certainest in a full and free Councel of their own electing, where no single person, but reason only sway[e]s."

During the period of the Commonwealth, Milton was a senior civil servant, and pamphleteer for the principles of republican democracy. When the monarchy was restored he was imprisoned and his books burned. I found it a little odd that the visits of recent monarchy (including a visit by Charles and Camilla three weeks ago) were given such prominence in the cottage. Queen Victoria was the first on the subscription list for the establishment of the trust (perhaps she wasn't acquainted with his republican writing!).

We drove on to the nearby (a mile or so away) village of Jordans where William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, was buried - and, where a barn stands which was built of timbers bought from Rotherhithe from a ship which had been broken up called the "Mayflower", perhaps the same ship which had been used by the Pilgrim Fathers to take them to America.

The Site of Washington DC

One of the issues that the first Congress (1789-91) had to resolve was the residence of the Capital for the new nation. This was a very controversial issue for Congress - and the battle over the Residence Bill is described in Robert Remini's "The House" (Chapters 2 & 3). Eventually a compromise was agreed and legislation passed (on July 16th 1790) which gave George Washington the right to choose a permanent place on the banks of the Potomac between Conococheague Creek in Maryland and the Eastern Branch (now the Anacostia River), while Congress temporarily moved to Philadelphia.

The first President settled upon the area at the very south of the area designated by Congress (in fact the Residency Act had to be amended slightly to allow the incorporation of Alexandria). By August 1790 Jefferson was drafting tentative plans; Madison and Jefferson visited Georgetown in September and in October Washington himself looked at various sites. During that winter Commissioners were appointed and Andrew Ellicott was asked to begin a detailed survey of the Federal District and to mark its boundaries.

Ellicott began his survey at Jones Point, to the south east of Alexandria, which was a well-known landmark used by navigators, and the square was measured from there. A boundary stone was laid there on April 15th 1791 - and 40 stones laid to mark off the miles on the perimeter of the Federal District. Apparently 38 still remain! Further information can be found at http://www.boundarystones.org/

The District included the Potomac; Eastern Branch (Anacostia River); Tiber Creek (Goose Creek); and Rock Creek, as well as a host of smaller streams. A ridge to the north of Tiber Creek became the site for the President's House (The White House). The western part of Jenkins Hill who chosen for the Capitol Building.

Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer and architect, who had come to America in 1777 with Lafayette, submitted plans for the city in June 1791 (having arrived in the area only in March). A number of attempts were made to sell land within the District but these were less successful than had been hoped for. The Cornerstone of the Capitol was laid on 18th September 1793, on a day which began with a parade and concluded with the third public auction of lots (which fared even worse than the previous two).

Washington DC became the Federal Capital on 1st December 1800, but the new city was not yet ready. The Senate wing of the Capitol Building had been built, but only the foundations of the House of Representatives existed. The House had to use the west side of the second floor (the library) of the Senate wing.

Congressional Elections

In the UK we limit the number of elections that can be held on the same day. The last three General Elections have coincided with County Council Elections - and there are some who still argue that two elections (possibly three if there is a district council by-election) is too much for the poor voter to cope with.

In the US Election Day can cover a whole host of elections - from the Presidency to the local dogcatcher. On November 4th US citizens will have a number of federal; state and local positions to vote on (and some will have votes on issues).

Over the period from now until Election Day I will post entries on some of the key Congressional races. A few points to note. In the US the incumbancy factor is greater than in the UK. Being a Senator or Congressman gives one greater name recognition; and more opportunities to raise campaign funds (who'll invest more in a challenger - when the incumbent has power to affect Government spending - British MPs may weep at this point!!!)). As a result "Open" seats are the more competitive. Americans are also more prepared to cross-vote - voting for a Democratic Congressman but a Republican for President. In fact some people take the American view of balanced powers so seriously that they deliberately cross vote.