District of Columbia History and Government

Driving Concept 1: Early Settlement and Geography of Washington, DC (1400- 1790) 

Driving Concept 2: Birth and Early Development of the Nation’s Capital (1790- 1865)

Driving Concept 3: Emergence of Modern Washington, DC (1865-1968)

Driving Concept 4: Self-Determination in the District (1968-1998)

Driving Concept 5: Contemporary Washington, DC (1998-present)

This concept engages students in analysis of historical evidence through an analysis of historical evidence of early life in the region that would become the nation’s capital, with a focus on the region’s early geography and ecology, indigenous cultures, colonial structures and free and enslaved black life. Students analyze the history of the Indigenous Nations through different perspectives and primary sources, including a discussion of the limitations of European perspectives in understanding the societies of Indigenous Nations and enslaved peoples, as well as the limitation of the written historical record. Students should use sourcing to critically evaluate how we know what we know about the past, and to understand the ways in which Indigenous Nations and enslaved Black people experienced, challenged and resisted colonialism.

This concept engages students in an analysis of the founding of Washington, DC as the nation's capital and the extent to which Washington, DC both embodied and contradicted the ideals of the American Revolution. Students should understand that Washington, DC developed as both a seat of government and an emerging American city with its own unique identity and culture. Students should evaluate the efficacy and tactics of activists who challenged the idea of the city as a haven of democracy in their attempts to abolish slavery.

This concept engages students in an analysis of the political development of Washington, DC and the ways in which local Washingtonians fought for economic, political and social equality. Students should evaluate the political context for the loss of local governance in the 1870s, and the impact of the loss of local democracy on life in the District. Students should understand this time period through a study of the perspectives of different segments of the Washington, DC population including but not limited to immigrants, giving agency and voice to different segments of the DC community as historical actors.

Through this driving concept, students should understand that self-determination for DC residents has been and continues to be an ongoing struggle for political power. Students should study the ways in which groups with varied interests and different goals have struggled to gain self-rule from Congress. Students should analyze the various historical, economic, political, social, and cultural dynamics that have impacted that struggle. Students should understand the form, structures and power of the DC government under home rule. Using historical context, students should evaluate the modern fight for self-determination and statehood. Students should also explore other kinds of struggles for self-determination in the city during this time, including struggles for the rights of D.C. immigrants, LGBTQ people, and tenants.

Through this driving concept, students will evaluate the modern geography, culture and politics of Washington, DC. Students will identify opportunities for creating change in the District and consider the impact of Washington, DC history on their lived experiences. Students should evaluate the modern District from a variety of perspectives and experiences.

Evaluate different geographic representations of Washington, DC and the Chesapeake region to develop claims about how the city and region have changed over time.

Analyze the social, cultural, and political lives of Nacotchtank (Anacostan) and Piscataway societies, using archival and archaeological evidence.

Evaluate the impact of the local environment, ecology and natural resources of the Potomac region on agricultural and economic structures of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan) and Piscataway societies,and compare the way in which these societies used land with early colonial land use practices.

Analyze the initial interactions between European colonists and Indigenous Nations in the Potomac Region, from the perspectives of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan) and Piscataway and the Europeans, and the ways Nacotchtank (Anacostan) and Piscataway nations resisted and were impacted by colonization.

Use primary sources to evaluate the lived experiences of different individuals in Washington, DC in the 17th century, including the different experiences across race, gender, class and religion.

Analyze different political statuses of enslaved and free Black Americans in the region, and evaluate how their labor shaped the development of local colonies and how they resisted European enslavement.

Evaluate the reasons for and consequences of the establishment of a federal district during the Constitutional Convention, as well as the factors that resulted in the choice of the location for the new nation’s capital, including the role of slavery. 

Evaluate the ways in which the creation of Washington, DC both embodied and failed to embody the ideals of the American Revolution.

Evaluate the reasons for and opposition to the Organic Act of 1801, and the impact of federal legislation on the lives of DC residents.  

Evaluate the reasons for and consequences of the movement for retrocession.

Analyze the ways in which Washingtonians, including immigrants as well as both free and enslaved persons of African descent, responded to the economic and political opportunities and challenges in the early history of the city.

Evaluate how Washingtonians, both free and enslaved, along with Black and white abolitionists from across the country, organized in the long struggle to resist and ultimately abolish slavery in the nation’s capital.

Evaluate the ways in which the sale and trade of enslaved individuals impacted the geography and development of Washington, DC.

Analyze the impact of federal policies, including the Fugitive Slave Act and the Compromise of 1850 on the lives and experiences of Washingtonians, including enslaved Washingtonians and free Black Washingtonians, before and during the Civil War.

Evaluate L’Enfant’s symbolic design for the capital city, the growth and development of the early capital, and the impact of the Civil War on the city’s physical and political life.

Analyze reasons for, and the impact of, the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, along with its impact on federal policy.

Evaluate the impact of Radical Reconstruction and the Freedmen's Bureau on the District.

Analyze the expansion of suffrage rights in Washington, DC during Reconstruction, and the impact of biracial democracy on the political structure of Washington, DC.

Evaluate reasons for and the impact of the establishment of territorial government and the end of home rule in the 1870s. 

Evaluate the impact of city planning and federal policy on the geography of Washington, DC in the late 19th and early 20th century, including the city’s alley dwellings and local efforts at housing reform and the development and displacement of the city’s first Chinatown.

Analyze the origins and the impact of segregation and Jim Crow laws on the culture, geography and economics of Washington, DC.

Evaluate the reasons for, and impact of, the New Negro Renaissance on the Washington, DC community between 1900 and 1930.

Analyze the reasons for the growth of the Asian American community in Washington, DC, and evaluate the methods used by the community to resist displacement resulting from urban planning and federal policy.

Analyze the impact of World War I, the New Deal, and World War II on the District’s population, geography, and residents.

Analyze the impact of the Lavender Scare on LGBTQ life in Washington DC, and the actions taken by William Dorsey Swan, as well as the Gay Liberation Front-DC, to increase visibility and equality for LGBTQ individuals in Washington.

Analyze the reasons for and the efficacy of different forms of political activism and cultural achievements of Black and immigrant Washingtonians during and between the world wars.

Evaluate the global forces that spurred the growth of a Latinx community in Washington in the 1960s, 

Analyze the rise of Latinx owned businesses and non-profit organizations and the methods by which different individuals have exercised political power in Washington, DC.

Evaluate the tactics and goals of different movements for freedom, economic justice and equality within Washington, DC, including boycott campaigns, sit-ins, direct action, and court cases.

Evaluate the successes and shortcomings of the fight for racial equality in Washington, DC including the impact of Washington’s status as the nation’s capital and a federal district on the movement for equality.

Explore the rationale for, and the impact of, urban planning decisions — including urban renewal policies and city infrastructure — on communities in Washington, DC, as well as how communities resisted some of these policies. 

Evaluate the roots and impact of cultural changes to Washington, DC in the 1970s, including the rise of go-go.

Evaluate the reasons for and impact of immigration to Washington, D.C. at the end of the 20th century, including the impact of immigration from Central America, Asia, and Africa.

Evaluate the efforts and opposition to the struggle for greater self-determination and suffrage for Washington, DC residents in the 1960s and ‘70s, culminating in the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1973. 

Evaluate the executive and legislative powers of the DC government, as established by the Home Rule Act, and analyze the extent to which limited government under home rule addressed issues facing the District.

Evaluate the roles different grassroots community organizations played in fighting for the expansion of political and economic power in the District and nation from the mid- to late 20th century including local organizing for tenant protections, LGBTQ rights, and immigrant rights; national struggles for welfare rights and against poverty; and international fights against the Vietnam War, Apartheid and U.S. imperialism in Latin America.

Analyze the causes and effects of the city’s financial crisis in the mid-1990s, and the role of the federal and city government in responding to the crisis.

Use a case study approach to evaluate the history of at least two different communities in Washington, DC and how the communities have grown and changed over time (e.g., Chinatown, Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant, Shaw, Southwest, Anacostia).

Evaluate the contemporary relationship between the federal government and the District of Columbia, and the impact of this relationship on the rights and privileges of District residents.

Analyze the current structure of District government, and identify important public officials in Washington and how they impact change.

Evaluate the origins of the movement for statehood for Washington, DC, and evaluate the reasons for national support and opposition to the movement. 

Assess the multiple ways people in the Washington community can influence their local government. 

Evaluate the history and legacy of cultural institutions and monuments that are unique to Washingtonians.

Compare contemporary ward maps and the distinct features of each of Washington, DC’s wards and evaluate the different resources available across Washington, DC.

Evaluate financial resources and opportunities available to District residents to increase financial independence, and critically evaluate information from a variety of sources to make informed consumer decisions. 

Assess successful efforts for creating change in Washington, DC, and evaluate the efficacy of methods for achieving change in the District.

Evaluate the credibility of online sources and claims about contemporary political and social issues in Washington, DC using strategies like lateral reading.

Compare multiple accounts from different news or media sources about an issue of concern, with attention to the credibility and perspective of each account.

Evaluate the current challenges and opportunities facing Washingtonians and propose a solution for District residents.