Question 22-24. Choose A, B or C as the best answer. 22. Washington DC was chosen as the US capital:

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The capital's location resulted from a political compromise between competing regional and policy interests, so the correct answer is B: for political reasons.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- The Residence Act of 1790 authorized a federal district along the Potomac River as the national capital.
- The decision was part of a broader political compromise (the Compromise of 1790) between Alexander Hamilton (favoring federal assumption of state debts) and southern leaders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (who wanted a southern capital).
- A purpose-built federal district was chosen to avoid giving any existing state undue influence over the national government.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- After the Revolution, New York and Philadelphia had both served as temporary capitals, but there was no permanent seat.
- Northern states (and financial interests) supported Hamilton’s plan for the federal government to assume state debts to stabilize finance.
- Southern leaders opposed assumption unless the capital would be placed nearer the South.
- Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison reached a bargain: Congress would pass the assumption plan; in return, the permanent capital would be located on the Potomac (what became Washington, D.C.).
- Congress passed the Residence Act and the capital was established on land ceded by Maryland and Virginia.

3) Calculations/intermediate steps
- No numerical calculations are required for this historical question.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- The selection was explicitly negotiated as part of political bargaining to balance regional power and secure legislative support for fiscal policy—i.e., a political decision.

5) Why the other options are incorrect
- (a) For its historic importance: Incorrect because the District of Columbia was newly created rather than chosen for existing historical significance (unlike Philadelphia or Boston).
- (c) To reduce congestion: Incorrect because traffic congestion was not a consideration; the priority was federal control and regional compromise, not urban traffic management.

6) Conclusion
- Therefore, the capital was chosen for political reasons; the correct answer is B, which matches the provided answer.

Question 22-24. Choose A, B or C as the best answer. 22. Washington DC was chosen as the US capital:Single choice

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