So Arlington and Alexandria were once part of the District of Columbia..."Whoodathought?" (school, college)

[still_waiting]

Just saw this on a Discovery Channel show last night. They separated from D.C. due to a disagreement over slavery. I find American history to be very interesting...especially when it is presented truthfully.

[statecollege]

Originally Posted by still_waiting

Just saw this on a Discovery Channel show last night. They separated from D.C. due to a disagreement over slavery. I find American history to be very interesting...especially when it is presented truthfully.

How has this been presented untruthfully? I certainly was taught this in school in new England and have read/heard this multiple times in various media as an adult. If you look at a map, the original square layout of DC is obvious when the borders of Arlington and Alexandria are viewed.

[Caladium]

That's what I was always taught in school, too. There were other issues, too, of course. It also had to do with regaining representation (which you don't have as part of DC) and economic competition with Georgetown.

I'm kind of surprised that you were surprised. Why else would it have happened? Slavery, representation, and economic issues were the main reasons most things were done back then.

[still_waiting]

Originally Posted by statecollege

How has this been presented untruthfully? I certainly was taught this in school in new England and have read/heard this multiple times in various media as an adult. If you look at a map, the original square layout of DC is obvious when the borders of Arlington and Alexandria are viewed.

Hey try not to look too deeply into my statement in order to create dissonance. By the way there is nothing obvious when it comes to borders.

I meant history in general by my statement "especially when it is presented truthfully" ,not what I just learned about Arlington and Alexandria. I am not ignorant to the geopolitics of early America, but I was not aware that Arlington and Alexandria were part of The District.

[brooklynborndad]

BTW, its called "retrocession" and the term and the history were tossed around a bit back when DC was in receivership, and some folks in NW DC wanted to retrocede back to Maryland.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...AAAKoEBU_QAw0T

[still_waiting]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

BTW, its called "retrocession" and the term and the history were tossed around a bit back when DC was in receivership, and some folks in NW DC wanted to retrocede back to Maryland.

retrocession ward 3 - Google Search

Thanks for that information Brooklynborndad!! I love learning, it's a never ending process. I learned about the Wards and the sections each one represents not too long ago. Side note: I was born in Kings County as well.

[ShadowBat]

Originally Posted by still_waiting

Hey try not to look too deeply into my statement in order to create dissonance. By the way there is nothing obvious when it comes to borders.

What is not obvious? With the exception of one corner of Alexandria, the district would be a near perfect square.

[still_waiting]

[quote=ShadowBat;16092927][quote=still_waiting;16092544]Hey try not to look too deeply into my statement in order to create dissonance. By the way there is nothing obvious when it comes to borders.quote]

What is not obvious? With the exception of one corner of Alexandria, the district would be a near perfect square.

Because if you knew anything about the history of borders in the formative years of the US then you would realize that there is nothing obvious about them. For one borders many times were formed as a result of a waterway (river, lakes, etc.). So a person that didn't already know that Arlington and Alexandria seceded could make the assumption that the Potomac river was a logical border/boundary for the southern portion of the District.

It's so easy to say what is "obvious" if you already knew that they were once part of the District and could make out a "perfect square", which in and of itself is not true because straight lines on a map using the projection that we commonly use for political boundaries are not necessarily straight because a political map does not take into account the fact that earth is in fact a geoid. Now I could say that is "obvious" but I know better than to assume everybody knows the same thing.

[brooklynborndad]

but the land boundaries of arlington and the northern section of Alex ARE straight, in a region where few other county boundaries are. And yes, the NW boundary of Arlington DOES extend the NW boundary of DC. And meets the SW boundary of arlington at a right angle, just as the NW boundary of DC meets the NE boundary of DC at a right angle.

I mean it kinda jumps out at you, no? That is if you look at a map that shows the county boundaries, as WELL as state boundaries. I think that is the assumption we make around here. If you only look at a US map that doesnt show the county boundaries of Arlington, than the retrocession wouldnt jump out at you.

[still_waiting]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

but the land boundaries of arlington and the northern section of Alex ARE straight, in a region where few other county boundaries are. And yes, the NW boundary of Arlington DOES extend the NW boundary of DC. And meets the SW boundary of arlington at a right angle, just as the NW boundary of DC meets e NE boundary of DC at a right angle.

I mean it kinda jumps out at you, no?

I'll say it again, from an overall perspective when taking boundaries into account things aren't always obvious, and that was the perspective I was referring to.

I am a Geospatial major that graduated Summa *** Laude with a 3.9 Cumulative GPA, member of the International Geographic Honor Society, a member of the American Society of Photogrammerty and Remote Sensing, a member of the Association of American Geographers in which I made it to the regionals as a contestant in the AAG Geography Bowl. So when I look at matters of the sort I tend to look at it from a Macro perspective and not so much into the minutiae, so please forgive me for not seeing the "obvious" in relation to Arlington and Alexandria and their relation to D.C. The border could have very well been the result of the Potomac in the eyes of someone who did not know that they seceded.

I could say that is is OBVIOUS that the land that Tennessee occupies was once a part of North Carolina because I know that fact, but there is almost nothing that you can see from a political map alone that would make it obvious.