mouth of a bay or inlet called Tiber . . . and now laid out for 400 acres more or less."
Whether this nomenclature in the title attests
the dream of this pioneer or was adopted
by him in a spirit of whimsical humor may be
left to the fancy of the reader, but the fact
that 237 years ago Capitol Hill was called
Rome, and a stream at its base the Tiber,
gives dramatic interest to the reputed prophecy.
It is one of the several beautiful traditions
that impart a romantic interest to the
genesis of Washington.
The record of the complicated circumstances resulting in the final location of a site for the capital is one of the most fascinating chapters in American history. The Continental Congress was a migratory body. It had no abiding capital, the exigencies of war forcing it from city to city. During the stress of the Revolution it convened its sessions at Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton and New York City.
For four years prior to the capitulation of Cornwallis, Congress had held its sessions in Philadelphia, and the city seemed destined to become the permanent capital. Public sentiment favored such selection, for the Quaker
