225th Anniversary of the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801

By: Miriam Edelman

            February 27, 2026, was the 225^th anniversary of the approval of the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 (the Act). DCNOW’s blog’s piece, entitled “Presidents’ Day is Reminder of Prior Strong Bipartisan Support for D.C. Residents,” mentioned the Act, which forever changed Washington, D.C.

            Through the Act, the federal government gained control of the District of Columbia. The Act stripped the area’s residents of their right to vote for Members of Congress. Before the Act, they had voted for Members of Congress representing Maryland and Virginia depending on where they lived. Since the Act incorporated D.C., these people became residents of D.C., not of Maryland and Virginia.

            It is past time for D.C. residents to have voting representation in the U.S. Congress. In a democracy like the U.S., it is imperative to respect the will of D.C. residents, who overwhelmingly voted for D.C. statehood. D.C. statehood must occur. Nothing else is sufficient, as the federal government continues to attack our nation’s capital.