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Constitution Took Effect
The United States Constitution was adopted and took effect on this date. It officially established the District of Colombia as our nation’s capital. Its purpose was to serve as a territory separate from any states and just for the federal government to operate. -
District of Colombia Founded
The nation's capital was founded in Washington DC to be a distinct district from the rest of the states. President George Washington chose the site along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. From the beginning Washington and the other framers wanted the city to be separate from the rest of the country. It was meant to be a place for the federal government to exclusively operate. -
DC Voting Amendment Fails
An amendment to give the district some representation in federal elections was introduced. It gained no traction in Congress and was rejected very quickly. -
Amendment is Proposed
The amendment was proposed to Congress by Estes Kefauver. He was a democratic senator from Tennessee. The proposal aimed to give the district the ability to participate in presidential elections. It reflected a growing recognition in Congress that DC residents deserved a voice in federal elections. -
Passed by Congress
The amendment was passed by Congress. The House passed it on June 14th and the Senate passed it on June 16th. While it was mostly Democrats in favor of it, there was significant bipartisan support. This showed that many people agreed that the citizens of DC deserved the right to vote for the president. -
The First State Ratifies
June 23, 1960. Hawaii was the first state to ratify the amendment. Ultimately 40 total states made action to ratify. The other 10 states either rejected it or took no action on the matter. -
Iowa Ratifies
The state of Iowa was the 33rd state to ratify the amendment. -
Amendment is Ratified
The Twenty-third Amendment was ratified to the United States Constitution. The amendment gives the District of Colombia electors in presidential elections. This grants the citizens of DC the power to vote for the president of the United States. -
DC's first Election
The first presidential election in which residents of D.C. had a say in the presidential election. Their three electoral votes have been cast for the democratic candidate ever since. This Amendment ensured hundreds of thousands of US citizens could participate in our democracy at the highest level. -
Alabama Ratifies
40 years after it was first ratified by ¾ of states, Alabama ratified the amendment. The state initially opposed it due to concerns about expanding voting rights in a way that could cause more civil rights expansion. Over time, the state became less conservative on the issue and decided to ratify the amendment.