Researching DC Statehood

Democracy Deferred: Race, Politics, and D.C.'s Two-Century Struggle for Full Voting Rights by George Derek Musgrove and Chris Myers Asch, a report for Statehood Research DC, March 2021

'Statehood Is Far More Difficult’: The Struggle for D.C. Self-Determination, 1980–2017 by George Derek Musgrove
Washington History Vol. 29, No 2, Fall 2017

The desire for self-determination, representation in Congress, and freedom from federal controls that keep Washington a colony have animated local activists since the city’s inception. Washingtonians have differed, however, on the shape that self-determination would and could take. After 1973 the idea of DC as the 51st state became the most popular strategy. Musgrove details how, between 1980 and 2017, statehood advocates flourished amid increasing Republican Party hostility yet consistently seemed unable to advance the cause. While the essay ends in 2017, and the future looks brighter for statehood today, the background remains essential reading.

The Debates over the Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1801-2004 by Mark David Richards
Washington History Vol. 16 No. 1, Spring/Summer 2004

In 1846 what is now Alexandria and Arlington County were detached from the original diamond-shaped federal city and returned, or retroceded, to Virginia. Over the years since, opponents of Congress’s control of DC have looked at retrocession of the remaining territory back to Maryland, whence it originated, as a quick fix to the lack of citizenship rights. Richards looks back to the city’s beginning to uncover long-standing debates among DC residents and members of Congress over how to nullify Congress’s exclusive jurisdiction through returning the land given for the nation’s capital.

'To Sell Their Birthright for a Mess of Potage’: The Origins of D.C. Governance and the Organic Act of 1801 by William C. diGiacomantonio
Washington History, Vol. 12, No. 1, Spring/Summer 2000

The City under the Hill by Steven J. Diner
Washington History, Vol. 8, No. 1, Spring/Summer 1996

This closely argued discussion of the relationship between Washington, D.C., and  Congress summarizes why it has been marked by dysfunction, partisanship, and racism from the outset. The history of congressional neglect and intervention, of Congress members’ meddling in “local matters that mirrored national political issues,” and the sheer inefficiency of the arrangement make the case for separating local Washington from the seat of federal government.

'In Whose Interest?' Congressional Funding for Washington in the Home-Rule Era by Charles Wesley Harris
Washington History, Vol. 8, No. 1, Spring/Summer 1996

Washington History is the only scholarly publication devoted exclusively to the history of our nation’s capital. First published in 1989, the magazine replaced the Records of the Columbia Historical Society (1897-1989). Washington History is filled with scholarly articles edited for the general reader. It is written and edited by distinguished historians and journalists, and offers a rich array of images as well as reviews in addition to scholarly research articles. 

Anyone can access the full run of Washington History journal through JSTOR by registering for a free account that allows online-only access to a certain number of articles per month. DC History Center members have unlimited access via JSTOR through their membership accounts. In addition, DCPL library cards provide access. Washington History is also available via the DC History Center’s online store. If you have any issues accessing any articles, please contact library@dchistory.org to request a copy from the library.