▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁some ▁members ▁of ▁Congress ▁wished ▁to ▁move ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁capital ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia . ▁Cor cor an ▁swift ly ▁offered ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁executive ▁branch ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁Ge or get own ▁College ▁while ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁and ▁United ▁States ▁Capit ol ▁were ▁being ▁re built . ▁ ▁The ▁Th ir teen ▁Col on ies ▁declared ▁their ▁independence ▁from ▁Great ▁Britain ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 7 7 6 , ▁and ▁achieved ▁it ▁with ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁( which ▁ended ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War ). ▁With ▁rat ification ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 8 , ▁a ▁new ▁national ▁capital ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁chosen . ▁On ▁July ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 7 9 0 , ▁Congress ▁passed ▁the ▁Res idence ▁Act , ▁which ▁approved ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁national ▁capital ▁on ▁the ▁Pot om ac ▁River . ▁The ▁exact ▁location ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁selected ▁by ▁President ▁George ▁Washington , ▁who ▁chose ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Maryland ▁and ▁Virginia ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 7 9 1 . ▁The ▁Maryland ▁land ▁was ▁already ▁owned ▁by ▁David ▁Burn s , ▁Daniel ▁Car roll , ▁Samuel ▁David son , ▁Robert ▁Peter , ▁and ▁Not ley ▁Young ▁( l ater ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" original ▁pat ente es "), ▁and ▁Washington ▁needed ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁with ▁them ▁for ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁their ▁property . ▁He ▁tra ve led