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Potential for Promise: Washington Before the Civil War:
Despite being specifically planned as the nation's capital, at the start of the Civil War Washington was a small city of a few thousand residents and was virtually deserted during its hot summers. Washington had not yet grown into its prescribed boundaries. Georgetown, to the west, was an independent town separated from Washington by Rock Creek. Most of present-day Washington DC was located in what was then called Washington County and usually did not even appear on the maps of the time.
After the war, many of the forts built on the hills surrounding Washington became residential settlements, expanding the city's physical boundaries and creating new homes and neighborhoods for many recently freed African Americans.
The war also brought other migrants into the city. Among them were entrepreneurs and civilian workers -- including women, soldiers, and the war wounded.
The Civil War changed the status quo, expanding the city and the opportunities within it. |