1964 : D.C. residents cast first presidential votes
On this day in 1964, residents of the District of Columbia cast their
ballots in a presidential election for the first time. The passage of
the 23rd Amendment in 1961 gave citizens of the nation's capital the
right to vote for a commander in chief and vice president. They went
on to help Democrat Lyndon Johnson defeat Republican Barry Goldwater
in 1964, the next presidential election.
Between 1776 and 1800, New York and then Philadelphia served as the
temporary center of government for the newly formed United States. The
capital's location was a source of much controversy and debate,
especially for Southern politicians, who didn't want it located too
far north. In 1790, Congress passed a law allowing President George
Washington to choose the permanent site. As a compromise, he selected
a tract of undeveloped swampland on the Potomac River, between
Maryland and Virginia, and began to refer to it as Federal City. The
commissioners overseeing the development of the new city picked its
permanent name--Washington--to honor the president. Congress met for
the first time in Washington, D.C., on November 17, 1800.
The District was put under the jurisdiction of Congress, which
terminated D.C. residents' voting rights in 1801. In 1961, the 23rd
Amendment restored these rights, allowing D.C. voters to choose
electors for the Electoral College based on population, with a maximum
of as many electors as the least populated state. With a current
population of over 550,000 residents, 61-square-mile D.C. has three
electoral votes, just like Wyoming, America's smallest state,
population-wise. The majority of D.C.'s residents are African
Americans and they have voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates
in past presidential elections.
In 1970, Congress gave Washington, D.C., one non-voting delegate to
the House of Representatives and with the passage of 1973's Home Rule
Act, Washingtonians got their first elected mayor and city council. In
1978, a proposed amendment would have given D.C. the right to select
electors, representatives and senators, just like a state, but it
failed to pass, as have subsequent calls for D.C. statehood.
history.com/tdih.do
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1903 : Panama declares independence
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5490
1957 : The Soviet space dog
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5491
1979 : Communists and Klansmen clash in Greensboro
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5492
1986 : Iran arms sales revealed
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7070
#########################################
On this day in 1964, residents of the District of Columbia cast their
ballots in a presidential election for the first time. The passage of
the 23rd Amendment in 1961 gave citizens of the nation's capital the
right to vote for a commander in chief and vice president. They went
on to help Democrat Lyndon Johnson defeat Republican Barry Goldwater
in 1964, the next presidential election.
Between 1776 and 1800, New York and then Philadelphia served as the
temporary center of government for the newly formed United States. The
capital's location was a source of much controversy and debate,
especially for Southern politicians, who didn't want it located too
far north. In 1790, Congress passed a law allowing President George
Washington to choose the permanent site. As a compromise, he selected
a tract of undeveloped swampland on the Potomac River, between
Maryland and Virginia, and began to refer to it as Federal City. The
commissioners overseeing the development of the new city picked its
permanent name--Washington--to honor the president. Congress met for
the first time in Washington, D.C., on November 17, 1800.
The District was put under the jurisdiction of Congress, which
terminated D.C. residents' voting rights in 1801. In 1961, the 23rd
Amendment restored these rights, allowing D.C. voters to choose
electors for the Electoral College based on population, with a maximum
of as many electors as the least populated state. With a current
population of over 550,000 residents, 61-square-mile D.C. has three
electoral votes, just like Wyoming, America's smallest state,
population-wise. The majority of D.C.'s residents are African
Americans and they have voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates
in past presidential elections.
In 1970, Congress gave Washington, D.C., one non-voting delegate to
the House of Representatives and with the passage of 1973's Home Rule
Act, Washingtonians got their first elected mayor and city council. In
1978, a proposed amendment would have given D.C. the right to select
electors, representatives and senators, just like a state, but it
failed to pass, as have subsequent calls for D.C. statehood.
history.com/tdih.do
Find thousands of your favorite shows from The History Channel on DVD! Shop Now>>
store.aetv.com/html/referer_entry.jhtml?vid=THC_Email_
TDIH&dest=/html/home/index.jhtml
1903 : Panama declares independence
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5490
1957 : The Soviet space dog
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5491
1979 : Communists and Klansmen clash in Greensboro
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5492
1986 : Iran arms sales revealed
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7070
#########################################
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