A Brief History of Arlington, Virginia

In 1791, the U.S. Congress established the final limits of the area which would house the capital of the United States. Unfortunately, due to the same legislation that restricted the maximum area of this territory, the U.S. Government could not locate any federal offices within the area which Virginia had ceded. When Congress moved to the District of Columbia, the territory it had once used was divided into Washington county and Alexandria county, the river being the dividing line. Being a part of the District of Columbia, citizens of Alexandria county could not vote in federal elections, and had no representation in congress. The economy became idle, and fear of further economic suffering came when talk of abolishing slavery began, as Alexandria was a port and market in the slave trade.

In 1846, Alexandria County was returned to Virginia, and the economy slowly became more stable again. In 1820, Alexandria County renamed itself Arlington County, after the Arlington National Cemetery, which had been named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee's home (Arlington House) which was located within the cemetery.