How Did Washington City Change Throughout The 19th Century

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In the later 19th century, after the Civil War, DC reinvented itself as a grand, international city, fit to be the capital of the great nation of the United States. Many factors facilitated this change, such as the fact that the capital had defended itself from Confederates in the Civil War. There were many geographical changes and changes in demographics throughout the time period; as technology became more advanced, so did Washington. Before the Civil War, in the earlier part of the 19th century, DC was a divided place. It could not agree on slavery, and did not really prove itself to be a good capital. After the Civil War, people saw how it had defended itself and flocked to Washington for many reasons, such as its climate and tolerance. …show more content…
One suburb, formed by John Newlands, was too far out of the city to achieve much success at the time it was subdivided, but now is very successful. Chevy Chase brought the idea that the workplace and home should be in separate places. The first suburb of Washington City was LeDroit Park. It started off as a very white, elitist gated community. The differences between it and the city were highlighted, such as a different street angle from the grid and a rural feel. Transportation played a big role in the allure of LeDroit Park, as it was very close to the city proper and only a block away from a streetcar line. As an adjacent development, Howard Town, which was predominantly black, grew, LeDroit Park and Howard Town threatened to intersect. LeDroit Park residents did not want this change to happen, and wanted to stay segregated, but eventually LeDroit Park became integrated, and eventually became a majority African American neighborhood. This change in demographics mirrored the changes that were going on in DC in a broader sense.
After the Civil War, after slavery was abolished, DC became more attractive to African Americans looking for a better life. An influx of African Americans came to DC during the later part of the 19th Century. This was called the Black Migration. Because there were so many African Americans flocking to DC’s public education and government system, the city became majority African American. This change was also facilitated by old, elite Southern families leaving DC because of the Civil War. Before the Civil War, some African Americans came to DC to free slavery. They also stayed in DC after the Civil
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