If you’ve ever looked at a map of Washington DC, or the District of Columbia as it’s more properly called, you’ll have noticed that it looks like a large diamond with a bite taken out of the south-west corner.
That’s because Washington DC was founded as a federal capital city independent of any state via the Residence Act of 1790. Congress took a portion of Maryland (69 sq miles) and a portion of Virginia (31 sq miles) astride the Potomac River to create the new territory.
But in 1846 Virginia decided it wanted its bit back – arguably because some of its residents wanted to continue benefiting from the slave trade, which they feared would be abolished in DC – and Congress acquiesced. That’s why there’s a chunk hacked out of one edge of the diamond.
But now a Republican congressman wants Virginia to hand back the land it once ceded. Richard McCormick from the state of Georgia wants to make DC square again. He argues that the 1846 Retrocession Act, which returned the land to Virginia, was unconstitutional. He contends that the US constitution’s obscure enclave clause gives Congress authority to establish a federal district up to 10 miles square, but does not grant the power to subsequently give back those territories to state governments.
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In April he introduced a bill to redress what he believes is a grave wrong. “It’s an obvious and simple concept,” he says. “DC was meant to be square. The Make DC Square Again Act restores the District of Columbia as the founders envisioned it.”
However, others suspect McCormick has an ulterior motive. Most of the 250,000 voters in that part of Virginia, namely Alexandria and Arlington County, lean Democrat in congressional elections. But citizens of Washington DC have no congressional representation. If Alexandria and Arlington became part of DC again, those citizens would no longer be allowed to vote, thus benefitting McCormick’s GOP.
“Gerrymandering on an epic scale,” said Justin Wilson, a former Democrat mayor of Alexandria. Janice Zwestra, a Democrat voter from Arlington County, was more blunt. “Total bullshit,” was her assessment. “McCormick just wants to take away my vote because I don’t vote the way he wants me to.”
The legislation has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. And although no vote has been scheduled in either the House or the Senate, McCormick is hopeful it may come to the floor some time next year.
“I reckon McCormick has got OCD,” says Jeannine Young, from Alexandria. “Everybody alive today has lived with DC the shape it is.”
Meanwhile, Claude Cloonan from Silver Springs, Maryland says: “Y’know, I think this might just backfire. Instead of Virginia giving back its land, Maryland might demand their bit of DC back instead.” Zelda McKinnon, another Maryland resident, thinks along similar lines. “Why didn’t Maryland also request its territory back in 1846?” she wonders. “I can see a claim for reparations coming. Congress owes Maryland a whole lot of rent.”
Don Beyer, the Democratic congressman who represents Alexandria and Arlington, called the proposed act “a stunt. A political tantrum. A stupid, stupid waste of time. An attempt to distract voters from more pressing issues.”
If the law were to pass, some things in Virginia might have to change drastically. No building in Washington DC can nominally be taller than the 555-ft Washington monument (about 12 storeys). But in Rosslyn, Virginia, just across the Potomac, skyscrapers dominate. “They’re gonna have to lop the tops off those,” said Zwestra.
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And gun laws are far tighter in DC. All guns must be registered with the police, whereas that’s not a requirement in Virginia. “The GOP are supposed to protect Second Amendment rights,” said Miles Hamlin, a gun owner in Virginia. “I’ll be contacting the National Rifle Association if this goes ahead. I can see one mighty scrap brewing.”
Oh, and Virginia has the death penalty – only Texas, Oklahoma and Florida fry more convicted felons. DC doesn’t (although Donald Trump would like to see it imposed). Virginia’s would-be hitmen might welcome the opportunity to switch sides.
However, it seems not everyone is vexed by the thought of DC changing shape. Apathy is in abundance too. “I just want my trash collected. Will it change that? No,” says LaShawn Fredricks, who lives in Virginia. “Makes no difference to me,” says Nicole Aguilera of Tenleytown, on the DC side of the Maryland border.
“I still ain’t going south of the river.”
