What is a cause and effect relationship that takes place in the Article? A The capital was moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D. C., so that Pennsylvania Avenue could connect all the roads.
B The Capitol building would be placed on the highest point to remind everyone that America was a government by the people.
C The Capitol building would be placed on the highest point to establish businesses along a well-traveled route.
D The capital was moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D. C., so that the city could mimic Paris or Rome.

A country needs a capital. After the United States Constitution was written in 1787, Philadelphia was being used as America's capital. Unlike some other U. S. towns and cities, Philadelphia was highly developed. It was full of city services and a network of roads which made it an ideal capital, in some people's eyes. But historians say that other Americans objected to Philadelphia's capital status, in part because so many of the city's residents didn't support enslavement. So, in 1790, Congress decided that an area along the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia would become the nation's new headquarters. A massive construction project began. What would eventually become Washington, D. C., would take centuries to complete.

The location was ideal. The Potomac River allowed for easy access to the West. The area was also right between the Southern and Northern states. The land had rolling hills covered with tobacco fields along the banks of the Potomac. Yet, the area looked nothing like a city. In fact, it was sparsely populated compared to a city.

To solve this problem, President George Washington turned to French architect Pierre L'Enfant and tasked him with coming up with a plan for the city. Historians says that L'Enfant was expected to draw up something simple. Thomas Jefferson, for example, envisioned a small town with a few buildings here and there. But L'Enfant had something else in mind.

L'Enfant proposed a sophisticated metropolis like Paris or Rome. His design made use of the hilly landscape and subtly reflected the democratic ideals of the new nation. Unlike in Europe, where the king's castle occupied the best real estate, D. C.'s Capitol building would be placed on the highest point with the best view, reminding everyone that America was a government by the people. This "Capitol Hill" would be the center, and all the roads would radiate from it in a grid pattern. L'Enfant located the White House 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Capitol, connected by Pennsylvania Avenue, believing that if the president had to travel back and forth every day, people would start businesses along the well-traveled route.

L'Enfant also included details in his design to inspire people to visit. All the roadways would be wide and dotted with monuments, parks, and town squares. There would also be a large National Mall, which wasn't a giant climate-controlled building with a food court, but rather a sprawling public green.

President Washington loved L'Enfant's plan, and construction started in 1793. At first, officials tried to recruit inexpensive labor from Europe. Eventually, they turned to free and enslaved Black Americans to do much of the work. The enslaved were involved in almost all aspects of the construction, from masonry, carpentry, and painting to working in the stone quarries.

But construction proved to be slow and problematic. Land had to be purchased from the people living on the site, and disagreements about construction added to the delays. L'Enfant was fired for refusing to show anyone his plans for the Capitol, claiming it was all "in his head." Materials had to be transported from miles away, and unfortunately, power tools hadn't been invented yet, so there were no giant bulldozers and cranes to speed things up. Even worse, the hyped National Mall was, for a long time, open land where cows would graze. And then, during the War of 1812, the British burned down large areas of the city.

It wasn't until 1901 that the country made a plan to finish the city. L'Enfant's original vision can be seen all over Washington, D. C., today, but it's perhaps nowhere clearer than the National Mall. After all those cows were herded out, the park was landscaped, and a reflecting pool was added. Eventually, the site became a gathering place, home to celebrations, picnics, and protests: a symbol of the democratic heart of America.