Founding of Washington, DC: A Reading List

On this day in 1790 the United States Congress passed the Residence Act, selecting a site on the Potomac River as the permanent U.S. capital. In celebration of the establishment of Washington, DC as the capital of the United States, we've put together a reading list of books about the history and culture of the District of Columbia.

A Song to my City by former dean of Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service Carol Lancaster takes readers on a tour of the nation's capital from it's swamp-infested beginnings to the present day with an insider’s view of the gritty politics, environment, society, culture, and larger-than-life heroes that characterize her beloved hometown.

The familiar history of jazz music in the United States begins with its birth in New Orleans, moves upstream along the Mississippi River to Chicago, then by rail into New York before exploding across the globe. That telling of history, however, overlooks the pivotal role the nation's capital has played for jazz for a century. DC Jazz by Maurice Jackson and Blair Ruble and spotlights that little-known history, bringing the people, places, and the music to life.

The Capital of Basketball by John McNamara is a celebration of DC area high school hoops that uncovers the turmoil in the lives of the players and area residents as they dealt with prejudice, educational inequities, and politics.

In George Washington’s Final Battle, historian Robert Watson tells the little-known story of George Washington’s key role in the establishment of Washington, DC as the US capital.

A Georgetown Life by Grant Quertermous is an annotated edition of the memoirs of nineteenth-century Georgetown socialite Britannia Wellington Peter Kennon of Tudor Place.

Between Freedom and Equality tells the story of Captain George Pointer, a man who was born enslaved and found his way to freedom, and six generations of his family in Washington, DC.

Facing Georgetown's History, edited by Adam Rothman and Elsa Barraza Mendoza, is a compilation of documents that, taken together, provides essential insight into Georgetown University's involvement in the slave trade—and how we can reckon with that history today.

Sixteenth Street NW by John DeFerrari and Douglas Peter Sefton is a richly illustrated architectural “biography” of one of DC’s most important boulevards.

Black Georgetown Remembered tells the story of how Georgetown's little-known Black heritage shaped Washington, DC, a community long associated with white power and privilege.

Of the Land: The Art and Poetry of Lou Stovall presents a series of prints and accompanying poems that showcase the artist’s work during the 1970s, when he was developing the silkscreen technique that he is known for and exploring both natural and abstract elements.

The Black Side of the River by University of Tennessee, Knoxville professor Jessi Grieser is an insightful exploration of the impact of urban change on Black culture, identity, and language.

When Washington Burned by Robert Watson is an insightful re-examination of one of the most dangerous moments in US history, the British assault on Washington, DC.

Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC by Kim Prothro Williams tells the remarkable architectural and social history of an oft-overlooked feature of the city.