Western District of Columbia

I don´t know if this has been tried before, but..what would be the consequences of moving the capital of the United States to the Western District of Columbia? (Western District of Columbia: area between the current Metropolis in Illinois and Capytol City in Kentucky)
 
Hopefully they wouldn't use the title 'Western District of Columbia'. Why not come up with a new name? Just name the new capital Columbia.

What would be the status of the District of Columbia? Would it just be abolished and the land returned to Maryland? The problem with roving capitals is the expense of the infrastructure and buildings.
 
Hopefully they wouldn't use the title 'Western District of Columbia'. Why not come up with a new name? Just name the new capital Columbia.

What would be the status of the District of Columbia? Would it just be abolished and the land returned to Maryland? The problem with roving capitals is the expense of the infrastructure and buildings.

Well, I don´t know how to call the new city. Metropolis...Capytol City...this looks like a fight between Superman and Homer Simpson..., and well...I like Columbia but, Washington is so implausible naming to the city?
 
-How the change of capital would have affected the Civil War? This would damage the Confederates or the Union?

-The railroad would have a greater impulse? Could we have a rail network in the form of spider web? Could have caused a change in the distribution of the population of the USA after the war? How could this affect the economic development of the US?

-Would cause a higher speed of integration as states to territories like Colorado, Montana..etc? How it would affect the cicizens of West to have the capital so close? And to the citizens of the East? Would have any effect on Canada?
 
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I don´t know if this has been tried before, but..what would be the consequences of moving the capital of the United States to the Western District of Columbia? (Western District of Columbia: area between the current Metropolis in Illinois and Capytol City in Kentucky)

You know that D.C.'s site was chosen because it was the closest suitable spot to the geographical center of the original 13 colonies (ironically the true center is Mt. Vernon).

A western move while certainly an interesting idea is rationalized why? It is like in Medieval Japan when the Capital was moved (IIRC Nara period) to remove corruption. That certainly won't help, all the Congressmen will still be there:D seriously all this means is a longer train ride for office seekers and lobbyists. The motive seems to be because of geography correct? Any other reason?
 
A western move while certainly an interesting idea is rationalized why? It is like in Medieval Japan when the Capital was moved (IIRC Nara period) to remove corruption. That certainly won't help, all the Congressmen will still be there:D seriously all this means is a longer train ride for office seekers and lobbyists. The motive seems to be because of geography correct? Any other reason?

In fact, what I was thinking about is something like the Brazilian way, something to better control the new territories and even populate them. I know that something like this has never been needed, but I think by that time may be an issue to consider. Even the railway itself could have been a factor, and the investment necessary for it could have been a major boost. Although of course, to the USA all has been beautifullly with its current capital, I believe that a move west would not be unreasonable.
 
In fact, what I was thinking about is something like the Brazilian way, something to better control the new territories and even populate them. I know that something like this has never been needed, but I think by that time may be an issue to consider. Even the railway itself could have been a factor, and the investment necessary for it could have been a major boost. Although of course, to the USA all has been beautifullly with its current capital, I believe that a move west would not be unreasonable.

Certainly reasonable but for a good twenty or thirty years the whole Brasilia move was seen as a massive boondoggle and just a general waste of money in a time when the economy was in the dumps, at least that was the impression I got from Dad when he was living their in 60s and 70s. So what do you do with old one? pack it up brick by brick and then give the land back? Besides if you are moving this to the center of the US you end up in like Kansas or Nebraska not Illinois.
 
I think that suggestion in the other thread about Populists and, possibly, a new Constitutional Convention, would be the most plausible route.
 
Well, I don´t know how to call the new city. Metropolis...Capytol City...this looks like a fight between Superman and Homer Simpson..., and well...I like Columbia but, Washington is so implausible naming to the city?

I laughed so loud people looked at me!!!

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Hopefully they wouldn't use the title 'Western District of Columbia'. Why not come up with a new name? Just name the new capital Columbia.

What would be the status of the District of Columbia? Would it just be abolished and the land returned to Maryland? The problem with roving capitals is the expense of the infrastructure and buildings.

Yes

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Omahaw

Today the geographic center of the United States is closer to Omahaw Nebraska. If you want to have another District of Columbia how about Omahaw?
 
Today the geographic center of the United States is closer to Omahaw Nebraska. If you want to have another District of Columbia how about Omahaw?

It is Omaha, unless the "W" was intentional.

The new capital was probably most likely either around the time of the Civil War or the Progressive Era. Problem with moving it is that DC itself was a designed city. This would work better if the original capital city was like Baltimore, Richmond or Philadelphia or something and then have a movement for a new, designed city later in history.

That idea I like better. Say the District of Columbia fails to catch on but then say movement/party brings the idea back? So after America is goes from coast to coast, and railroads have been developed a populist movement happens to create a new capital. Assuming a very similar TL, butterfly free, that right after the Spanish-American War (America's bar mitzvah in to international manhood, if you will) politicians want to create it as a monument to its greatness? Something like that seems more probable than leaving a purpose made city for another.
 
I'm curious as to what would happen to Washington in this scenario? Without the capital there would it just become another small town or would it continue to grow and become a smaller (or larger?) demographic rival of Baltimore.
 
Well, another option would be to have some external military threat force the movement of DC, a British victory in 1812, complete with total destruction of DC, not just the burning of the White House, perhaps, (as unlikely as that is, given the military situation and all, and sshhhh, no one steal my idea for a TL...) could sway public opinion to place the capital in a different location, without the planned city, and with the knowledge that it had been destroyed once, it could be moved.

Just a thought.
 
I'm curious as to what would happen to Washington in this scenario? Without the capital there would it just become another small town or would it continue to grow and become a smaller (or larger?) demographic rival of Baltimore.

Just a well designed small town.
 

Japhy

Banned
IIRC there was a proposal once for a "Summer Capital" to get away from the awful heat of Washington for the middle part of the year, while it wouldn't be the permanant seat of Goverment for a few months of the year we would see the President, Congress, and Supreme Court move to a cooler district. I think the proposal was to have the new capital in Colorado but I may very well be pulling that out of my arse.

Even if the proposal wasn't legitimate there were plenty of times before the invention of Air Conditioning that people suggested that Washington's Malarial Swamp not be used from May to September so there's a decent basis for a Western DC.
 
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