A Night At the Movies...

As you all know, summer is coming up and we here at the Luckie Street Tribune would like to give you a little insight into the best movies to look for when the time comes.

First, I'd like to submit going back in time to review a classic film, Disney's Toy Story. Granted, you've seen the film before, but I have a feeling you'll never see it the same way again -- and isn't that just like watching it for the first time?



Now to the main edition, the heart of the story. We all remember just a few months ago when the "Miracle on the Hudson" took place and captured our hearts, we'll get ready for the feature film. According to sources, Christian Bale has signed on to play the leading role. Here is a quick trailer.



I bet you're dying to see that film.

Gaming on a Budget:Playstation 2

The PlayStation2 was released in the United States Fall of the year 2000 and over the past 9 years has become the greatest selling video game console of all time. Given the the success of the PlayStation2, Sony has official lowered the price of the PlayStation2 to $99, which is a great price for anyone that does not have this console.The main reason why this would be a great purchase for a person just getting into video games is its large catalog of games. Which is much stronger catalog with a wide variety of genres then the current gaming king the Nintendo Wii.Here are some of the best games that should be on the top of the list for anyone who does or does not have a PlayStation2.

Ratchet And Clank series

An action platformer created by Insomniac Games one of the most consistent developers in the video game industry.Stars series heroes Ratchet the rodent that wields a a wrench as a weapon and Clank the sarcastic robot. These games are just plan fun with well written funny dialogue. Ratchet And Clank is a great platformer and shooter with hundreds of well imagined guns to spread destruction around the galaxy.

Sly Cooper Series

I have already expressed Sly Cooper as one of my favorite games of all time. But the whole Sly Cooper series brings back old school platforming with modern gameplay mechanics that led to a great experience.Also Sly Cooper and his friends are great characters and is a game that can be played by people of all ages.

Ico

Simply a work of art and many people think ICO is one of the greatest games of all time. Immersion was one of the big things in ICO with its simplistic gameplay and great presentation.Its hard to describe ICObut, if you can find it ICO is a experience that you will not regret.

Shadow of the Colossus

The spiritual sequel to ICO developed by the same developers of ICO. The protagonist with the help of his horse travel around the world to kill 16 colossi to save the life of a girl. The cool thing about Shadow of the Colossus is the only enemies you have to face are the colossi which plays like a puzzle game were you have to find the weak points to defeat them.Its a great game and like Ico it is a beautiful game and shows that games can be art.

God of War series

God of War puts all the conventions of Greek mythology and turns it on its head. You play Kratos and his attempts to revenge his families death and deals with the consequences of his actions. Its one of the best action games with awesome weapons,characters and epic boss battles. Simply God of War series makes you fell like a bada**.

Grand theft Auto III, Vice City, San Andreas

If you have been living underneath a rock Grand Theft Auto series has been one of the top selling games of the past decade and one of the most controversial.It is the definitive sandbox game. Were you can go anywhere and do what you want,it might have a few flaws here in there but since Grand Theft Auto series has so much variety it can be easily ignored.

Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3 :Snake Eater

Developed by Hideo Kojima one of the best developers in the world, Metal Gear Solid is a Stealth Action game that has cooled heroes in gaming Solid Snake.Also is famous for its stealth games play, truly amazing cinematic cut scenes and one of the most complex story lines in gaming. The two things that standout in the Metal Gear solid series is the fell of being in a movie and unique boss fights.If you want to have a game that makes you think and don't mind cut scenes Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 will be up your alley.

EA Sports and 2K Sports

The two juggernauts of sports gaming from Madden Series, Tiger Woods Golf and NHL series are all great games in the EA catalog.For the 2k series NFL
2K5 is one of the best football games of all time,also great are the NBA 2K,NHL 2K and MLB 2K series.EA sports still releases new sports games on the PlayStation2 so if you don't have a modern console this might be a good way to get your sports fix.


I could go on for awhile so I decided to just list a few other games based on genres. For people who want to start playing video games or just want to checkout games they might have missed.

Role playing game-RPG's
Final Fantasy X,XII
Persona 4

Action
Devil May Cry 1 and 3(avoid two like the plague!)
Zone of the Enders 2
Mercenaries

Shooter
Black
TimeSplitters series
Freedom Fighters
Twisted Metal:Black

Adventure

Okami
Yakuza Series
Bully
Prince of Persia Series
Jak and Dexter Series
Silent Hill 2,3
Resident Evil 4
Psychonauts

Music

Rock Band 1,2
Guitar Hero 2, Metallica
Rez
Amplitude
Frequency


Fighter

Tekken 5
Soul Caliber 2,3
Smackdown vs.Raw 2006
Virtual Fighter 4
RAD
Mortal Kombat Series

Sport And Racing

Gran Turismo 4
Burnout 3,4
SSX tricky
Need For Speed Hot pursuit,Underground Series
Midnight Club 3
NCAA Football
Tony Hawk Pro skater 3,4 and Underground
NBA Street

These are just a few of the games some are easy to find some are not. Games such as REZ and ICO Have a high resell value.

Things On the Horizon

Over the Past weekend Rafael and I saw a play called Experimental,written and directed by Justin Smith.It's one of those plays that you have to see to believe. We will be posting the play on Luckie Street Tribune with are first audio discussion with Rafael ,Justin and I to give our thoughts on Experiemental. This update should be up in a few days but we will keep you posted on the details.

Retro Games- Sly Cooper

Long over due, I give you my review of Sly Cooper and the Thieves Raccoonus. Sly Cooper and the Thieves Raccoonus was developed by Sucker Punch and was released in 2002. Sly Cooper revolves around a Raccoon by the name Sly Cooper and his two allies, Bentley a Turtle that is a technology wiz and bumbling idiot with a heart of gold named Murray. Sly Cooper does not give a complex plot but its simplicity is one of Sly Coopers strong points since this game is meant to be played by people of all ages. In short, Sly Cooper comes from a long linage of thieves that have passed down their craft from generation to generation in a book titled the Thieves Raccoonus. With the Thieves Raccoons stolen by the Fiendish Five when Sly Cooper was a child, he vowed to bring back the book to its rightful owners. Think of this as Hannah Barbara version of Kill Bill minus the several thousand gallons of blood. In order to get revenge Sly must retrieve all five parts of the Thieves Raccoonus. Since Sly is a thief he is chased throughout the world by detective Carmelita Fox as well.

It’s been little over six years since I originally played this game yet it has aged very well. The graphics in this game uses cell shading which was one of the hot things at the time, but this style has died down in recent years. Sucker Punch was one of the developers to use cell shading graphics to their success. The game is colorful and makes you fell that you are in a cartoon, yet still has that cool look to it. Each chapter of Sly Cooper is presented with still animation intro sequences were Sly explains were they are going and what villain Sly must face. The presentation is great and Sucker Punch really wanted to give the player the felling that they are a part of a cartoon. I really thought Sly Cooper was going to show its age when compared to the games of today, but holds its own and the cell shading design choice is perfect. The animation works well and fills smooth and moves very well.

In the sound department, the voice acting is good and does its job. Sly Cooper is a brash, sarcastic character and the voice actor achieves it very well; especially dialogue between Sly and Carmelita throughout the game. The Music is okay but not mind blowing; it has good ambient sounds but does not rock the boat to much. The real winner in the sound department is Sucker Punch, as they made every sound fit the Sly Cooper universe. From Sly’s sneaking footsteps to the sounds of water and fire it was able to suck me in to the game even more then I had expected. The first time I heard the sneaking noises that Sly makes when he is behind an enemy made me laugh because it felt like an old Looney Tunes episode. It’s hard to explain, but little touches in a game can go a long way in my book.

Before this game came out I was not really into platforms since Super Mario World back on the SNES. Sly Cooper was able to get me back into this genre of games. The controls are simple which helps make the game accessible and fun. Overall, it’s a simple game to operate. Sly has a one button melee attack, a special move button, a contact specific button and since this is a platformer, a jump button. The game works similar to old school games were one hit equals death for most enemies for Sly, but the use of the special horseshoe allows Sly to be able take damage once or twice before death. When I was playing, I thought it would be a breeze to go through the game but I found myself dying a lot mainly eventually due to human error on my part. I would try to rush and make careless mistakes but was eventually able to get through it. Similar to other 3D platformers, the camera can be cumbersome which led to a few deaths, but overall it works well and can be easily adjusted. Throughout the game, you can collect clues scattered throughout the level which allows the character to upgrade special abilities. This is important because it give Sly Cooper more shelf life. Since the game can be beaten in less then ten hours, I found my self wanting to stay in the level and find clues. It was very rewarding to find all the special items in the level and crack the code to new abilities, but it was also frustrating to find 29 out of 30 clues throughout the level and search for that last clue that cannot be found. The level design in Sly Cooper and gameplay is spot on. There are five overarching levels and mini-levels inside each location. These mini-levels will run the gamut from straight platforming to mini-games; my favorite being the arena battles and boss battles that all have their distinct differences and are fun and challenging. The pacing of the game is perfect, especially towards the end were the game mixes all the different gameplay mechanics into the final stage.

Overall Sly Cooper and The Thieves Raccoonus is a must play for anyone that still has a Playstation 2.I would also like to mention to give the two sequels a try as well. Sucker Punch should be commended for their efforts in bringing back the nostalgia of old platformers and introducing modern gameplay mechanics into the fold. Also Sly Cooper still looks good even after six years. Let’s hope that Sucker Punch can do as good of a job on their new game Infamous.

BOOM... The end of two eras

Every so often, someone comes along and changes the very face of the sporting world. Unfortunately, two of these legends will no longer be with us...

Earlier this week, the world was forced to say goodbye to one of the most heralded voices to ever grace the announcer's booth, as Harry Kalas passed away. With his gracious heart and baritone voice, Kalas quickly became the signature voice of the Phillies, as well as the voice of NFL Films. In an era of changing owners, players, and coaches, Kalas was the one of the few announcers who could fully represent their team. As a Ford C. Frick award recipient, Kalas was considered to be the one of the last true announcers in the game. With his signature catchphrase ("That Ball Is Outta Here"), and his close ties to players like Michael Jack Schmitt (Kalas had a habit of stating a player's full name), Kalas became the voice of the entire city of Philidalphia.

Fellow Ford C. Frick winner, Marty Brennaman (Reds Announcer) had this to say about Kalas. "As much as we will remember Harry as a broadcaster, many of us will remember him even more as being a hell of a guy."

Vin Scully, widely considered to be the best broadcaster in history, said, "He was not only a multi-talented fellow with a wonderful voice. He was a lovely guy. I mean, everybody liked Harry. The city of Philadelphia will just be in mourning because they loved him so much. I'm happy for him that his team was world champions last year, so he had the thrill of that."

Though he was the voice of NFL Flims, Kalas was not afraid to mock himself, as he was also the voice of Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl.

Steve Sabol, the president of NFL Flims, said that Kalas was the voice of the people. "In many ways, Harry is the narrator of our memories. His voice lives on not only on film, but inside the heads of everyone who has watched and listened to NFL Films."

Harry Kalas, you will be missed...

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In other news, John Madden announced today that he will be stepping down from the announcer's booth.

In a move that shocked the world, Madden said, "It’s time. I’m 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and my five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I’m home and, more importantly, when I’m not…"

Aside from his time in the booth, Madden is best known as the figure head of EA Sports: Madden Football, the most successful sports video game in history. Madden also has the highest winning percentage (.750) of any coach in NFL history. After retiring, Madden soon established himself as the premier football analyst in the sporting world. To this day, he is the only broadcaster to be named the head analyst on each major network (CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC). His accolades have not stopped there however, as he is also a successful spokesperson as well as a four time New York Times best-selling author.

Many people often try to imitate his mannerisms because of his high energy and signature catchphrase of "BOOM!". Though there are many people who try to imitate his voice, there is no one who can imitate his heart.

NBC announced that Chris Collinsworth would replace Madden in the booth.

So... though we will not be able to hear their voice from week to week, we will still be able to appretiate all of the memories that they have been able to give us for so long.

Here It Goes Again...

As you know, baseball season is upon us yet again.

With the smell of hot dogs in the air, hope is in the minds and hearts of kids and adults alike. There is no better time of the year than the beginning of baseball. The sun has broken through the winter clouds, the days are getting longer, and the flowers are beginning to bloom in bright and radiant colors. Pretty soon, the sound of wonder will fill giant cathedral-like stadiums. Cheers will ring as the crack of the bat will bring fans to their feet. Sons will call fathers, engulfed in joy, as their beloved Red Sox have come back in the 9th to beat the hated Yankees. Kids will race home from school, hoping to see a glimpse of Manny as he lifts his arms, triumphant, as another ball goes deep.

With so many outcomes left to be determined, there is nothing to do but speculate and watch. Who will be the dark horse to win it all? Which rookie will emerge as the next hall of fame candidate? Who will take home this years Cy Young award?

As the year progresses, all of these questions will be answered. As pennant races tighten, hopes and dreams are dashed. More often then not, your team will be sitting at home, watching as the next champions are crowned. This is why the beginning of the year can be so exhilarating. There is no heartbreak. Nothing is certain, nothing is guaranteed. If your team loses, well... there is always tomorrow.


As for the home opener... I can't wait to be there.

Better know a constituent

Recent Phone Conversation
(Phone Rings, I proceed to answer)

Me: Thank you for calling Congressman Griffith’s office
Constituent: (in a dense southern accent) Hello? Any one there?
Me: Yes sir, how can I help you?
Constituent: Yah, I wanna taulk to yew ‘bout that darky in the white house.
Me: Excuse me?
Constituent: Ya, know, that Obamer feller.
Me: Ok sir, go ahead
(Constituent proceeds to bash the president, then moves on to gun control, then moves on to socialism)… story picks up here.
Constituent: and one other thing, damn this country for going towards that Chavez, Russia style
Me: Sir, are you aware that Chavez never lived in Russia
Constituent: What! I reckon I heard wrong on the TV then, well you know Chavez in Cuba…
Me: Sir, you mean Castro
Constituent: Same thing… but look, I am tired of my country which I love going towards communism. This Obamer feller is making us communists! I hate this socialist, communist shit! Ya know, they want to take my guns and my Medicare away, and I wont let ‘em!
Me: Did you say you were on Medicare?
Constituent: Yuppp..and I refuse to let that Obamer feller and his socialist agenda take it away!
Me: Sir, are you aware that Medicare is a social program…in turn, a socialist ideal
(a long pause of silence)
Constituent: Huh?
Me: Sir, do you understand the word “Hypocrisy”?
(I crumple up a piece of paper, making it seem like static and hung up the phone)
*and yes, I know I was on a land line and there isn’t static, but I was rather confident he didn’t

Gotta love that AL-05!
K dubs

Chuck Norris Ain't Got S@#t on Him!!!

In what very well may be the most awesome news story in the history of man, Tsutomu Yamaguchi was formally recognized by Japan as the first documented survivor of both atomic blasts, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In both instances, he was located at "Ground Zero," a radius of roughly 3 kilometers from the initial blast site. Perhaps the most remarkable fact regarding this story is the fact that Yamaguchi is still alive, at 93.

The first blast occurred while Yamaguchi was finishing up a business trip when he noticed a plane fly over his head. Then, out of the blue, he was knocked over with a force he had never felt before; an atomic bomb had just been dropped on Hiroshima. When he woke up, he was severely burned, was partially deaf in one ear (blew out his ear drums), and temporarily blind. The radiation caused his hair to fall out. In spite of his injuries, he returned to his home in Nagasaki two days later... just in time to relive his experience.

While talking to his supervisor, who did not believe that a single bomb could do so much damage, another atomic bomb dropped on him. Again, he was inside "Ground Zero," within 3 kilometers of the blast.

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Side Note: that has to be one of the greatest "I told you so" moments in the history of man, right? I imagine the conversation went something like this:

Boom!!! (atomic bomb drops)
Yamaguchi -- "To answer your question, something like that."

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Today, the former engineer is enjoying retirement. His son and wife, both survivors of the second blast, have since passed, with his son dying of cancer at the age of 59.

He is also (in the mother of all "No Shit Sherlock" moments) an anti-nuclear activist.

Retro games

Given the climate of the current economy there seems to be a trend to end are ways of spending to tighten the belt.Which is a good thing but also a double edged sword, we need to consume but also stay fiscally secure. This goes for gaming as well, the video game industry was once scene as "recession proof" but in the recent months that has not been true .

I don't have the remedy for Electronic Arts and several other companies that just laid off workers. I think Electronic Arts was doing the right thing looking at the long term and creating new franchises (Dead space,Mirror's Edge), rather then Activisions approach of flooding the market with sequels every year(Guitar hero I am looking at your direction). Don't get me wrong Electronic Arts does do sequels every year, look at all there ea sports franchises(Madden, FIFA,Tiger Woods), but at least they are trying to have a balance of old and new.

Now to people like you and me, we can't take as many risks now instead, we focus on games that we are comfortable with and have long shelf life(fallout 3, WOW, GTA4). But, I think we need to know that there is alternatives to those games either try something new or heck even go back to old games.I would say many people still have their old video game consoles.If you have an old SNES,Genesis or Playstation1 or N64 blow the dust off of it and play your old games or even find a copy of a game you always wanted to play.

Places like Play-n-Trade and Ebgames have sections dedicated to old used games, give those a try. Case in point one of the most enjoyable games I have played with someone else over the past three years was my old copy of Looney Tunes B-Ball.Heck since you have to be smart with your money you might as well play some games at home with friends and family (I know that whole human interaction thing).

Its times like this that we have to be smart and still take risks.Playing old games can be beneficial for you in the short term. Saving up money to buy newer games and help game companies in the long term as well.Electronic Arts and other companies short term problems will be solved in the long term.


Note- Might be a new series were we will talk about past games and how they hold up to new generation of games.

Washington DC: Part II

In Part II of our series, we'll continue our examination of the history of Washington D.C. Our first part can be found here. This is part two of a three part series.

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Washington DC: 1787 – 1864; A Look into the Founding of the Nation’s First Permanent Capitol and Its Near Collapse, Part II



Congress would approve the city’s commercial future, but first had to build a city to do so. On the 15th day of April, 1791, the cornerstones of the city were placed at Jones’ Point, near Alexandria. From that point onward, the city – then known as the Federal City, or the District of Columbia – would construct a massive series of public buildings. Developed by French architect Charles Peter L’Enfant, the city would create a series of grand governmental structures, as well as gorgeous park and recreational grounds. In an article written by L’Enfant to The American Apollo, he describes his vision of the future city. Included in the plans were the blueprints to build a great memorial in honor of the nation’s first president, George Washington. Also included were plans to build a national park, known as a mall. This mall, 1800 feet in width and three-fourths of a mile in length, would lead directly from the Washington Monument to the Capitol Building. Grand fountains would also be a fixture of the city plans, as L’Enfant was greatly influenced by other famous world cities . His concept was to takes the best parts of the world’s best cities and build upon them.

Additionally, streets would run vertically and horizontally, with oblique roads running throughout the city. These streets would begin with a fixed radial center, the Capitol Building. All streets would be given directional titles. For example, the first street east of the capitol would be known as First Street East, while the first street west of the capitol would be known as First Street West. Meanwhile, the oblique avenues – with titles of states given to them, were designed to give direct linkage to some of the more prominent governmental fixtures. For example, Pennsylvania Avenue was designed to connect the Capitol Building to the President’s House, moving in a northwestern direction. Maryland Avenue connects the Capitol to the Potomac Bridge. Indeed, roads make up a large part of the city. The design of the city featured roughly 3,604 acres of paved roads while the accumulated government lots totaled only 3,529 acres of land . The streets were intended to support a grand supply of transportation, and while the total number of government lots has increased over the years, the streets continue to dominate much of the city’s infrastructure.

The positions for many of the government’s buildings were a matter of suitability, as the executive offices were to be placed immediately south of the President’s House. Also, the structures for the War, Navy, State, and Treasury Departments were constructed to the east and west of the house as well. It is believed that the exact location was selected both due to the proximity and the cost of which it could be built (the ground surrounding the President’s House was on the slope of a hill and would be costly to build upon such grounds). Another placement of convenience was housing for foreign aids and ministers. At a mile and a half, the distance between the executive and legislative branch of the government has been continually problematic for lawmakers. The distance for these two buildings has never been truly answered. Other buildings, such as the Patent Office, were placed in a preexisting structure, once serving as a church. Once a hotel, the General Post Office was first rented by the government until it finally decided to purchase the structure and redesign the interior to better suit its purposes.

Yet despite its grand intentions, the city had no great roadway leading up to it. In her first travel to the city, First Lady Abagail Adams – wife of President John Adams – remarked in a letter to her daughter how difficult it was to procure the lodgings of her future home.

“I arrived here on Sunday last, and without meeting with any accident worth noticing, except losing ourselves when we left Baltimore, and going eight or nine miles on the Frederick road, by which means we were obliged to go the other eight through the woods, where we wandered two hours without finding a guide or the path. Fortunately, a straggling black came up with us, and we engaged him as a guide to extricate us out of our difficulty; but woods are all you see from Baltimore until you reach the city, which is only so in name.”

In fact, prior to the city’s completion, few if any buildings existed. On July 4, 1800, then-Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott wrote a letter to his wife. Wolcott, who had recently moved to Washington, remarked that the few houses that did exist were nothing more than simple huts and that the President’s House – if looked upon by visitors – would be met with ridicule or pity. But not all people met the city with such contempt. Despite her difficulty in finding the city, Mrs. Adams continued in her letter that she found the city delightful.

During that time, the city was fairly scarce, but did reside next to the cities of Alexandria and Georgetown; both housing a few thousand residents each. From the years 1800 to 1850, the population consisted of nearly 5,000 people, with an increase of nearly 550 people per year. Of that, blacks consisted of nearly one-fourth of the population. Throughout this time, the number of free vs. enslaved black people would differ greatly. In 1800, nearly 20 percent of the city’s population was slaves, with freed blacks consisting of nearly four percent. By 1860, slaves would only consist of roughly three percent, while freed blacks made up about 15 percent of the city’s total population. However, while the quantity of freed African-Americans continued to increase, the quality of their livelihood remained fairly consistent. The majority of work that black people could find was often laborious; cooking, cleaning, and farming were the most common forms of employment, one that did not allow them to fully grasp the idealisms that the national capitol was supposed to exemplify.

Despite this seemingly unjust practice, the city was considered wildly liberal for its time. Beginning with Jefferson, formal dinners became a staple of his presidency; for, James Madison, attending the President’s House meant attending a reception. Social balls were quite common during this time period and would often times feature a plethora of bachelorettes who were said to be quite beautiful. One author of the day remarked that the women were both of high statue and grace, remarking, “Between these young ladies, who are generally not only good looking but good tempered, and, if not well informed, capable of becoming so.”

Washington DC: Part I

Today here at the Luckie Street Tribune we'll be introducing a new feature to our selection of articles: "Lost and Found." In this section, we'll work to uncover a series of interesting topics that our readers may not know enough about. Today, the focus of our initial subject is the Federal City, better known by its nickname Washington D.C. The District of Columbia portion of the title is legitimate, but the Washington portion was added four months after the nation's first president, George Washington, selected the site. This is part 1 of a 3 part series.

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Washington DC: 1787 – 1864; A Look into the Founding of the Nation’s First Permanent Capitol and Its Near Collapse, Part I



The District of Columbia, with the prefix “Washington” added at a later date, has housed the federal government since its inception. Created with the task of performing the daily tasks of government, elected representatives selected the grounds across the Potomac River with the intent to preserve and improve the ideals of the nation. But building a capitol city of this magnitude was not an easy task; there were many different factors that went into building such an establishment. From this, a city was created that has had its share of both prosperity and tragedy; like the nation, it has been a city that has changed with the times. Following a massive effort, the city has become the symbol of democracy.

Following the colony’s victory over the British, a formal federal government was established. Aimed at developing a democracy that would expand the ideals that they had fought to acquire, Congress proposed the permanent location of a national capitol. Many states had applied for the honor, including many of the largest cities. The federal government, having fled the city of Philadelphia following the mutiny of October 21, 1873 , realized that a permanent solution needed to be implemented quicker than originally anticipated. But, as the first Congress learned from its temporary home in Philadelphia, building upon a pre-existing city was not the most suitable environment to hold the federal government. For one, the buildings had to be close together, so in the event that an emergency occurred, members of all three branches – as well as the military – could convene in a timely manner. Also, as most cities relied upon easy aquatic transportation, national security was concerned. A city had to be constructed in a location that was both secure and easily accessible.

Indeed, Congress did intend to move away from their historical roots, as mentioned in the Constitution of the United States (Article I, Section VIII). The original proposed location for the capitol was along the Delaware River, but – for either economic or political reasons, was never put into motion. At other times, locations in Virginia and Pennsylvania were seriously considered for the capitol. Finally, on May 10, 1787, a location along the Potomac River was selected to house the nation’s capitol. George Washington, as the nation’s first president, would have final selection over the city’s location. He would eventually decide on an area known as Connogocheague, on the Potomac River. This area, located in between Georgetown and Alexandria, bordered the two states of Maryland and Virginia. Thomas Scott, a representative for the state of Pennsylvania, presented the location to Congress and the location was finalized, 31 “ayes” to 19 “nays.” The nation’s capitol had been selected.

Scott, on his proposal, declared the area by the Potomac to be, “the future tranquility and well-being of the United States,” stating that the fate of the country “depended as much on this as on any question that ever had or could come before Congress.” Not everyone felt this way. One New York representative claimed that it should be held in New York City, as it was superior in both behavior and in class.

The purpose for the site seems fairly simple, as Washington – who was raised in that area – was given the task of selecting the location of the capitol. He wanted to build the capitol in his former backyard. And while the battle for deciding the capitol’s location had been settled, a new set of questions would begin to emerge. Should the capitol become a city of commerce? Some members of Congress felt as though Washington decided upon that specific region in an effort to increase trade commerce. The river of the Potomac featured easy access to the Ohio, as well as the Great Lakes (through the Cuyahoga). Thomas Jefferson made the argument for commercialization in Notes on Virginia, claiming, “Spread the field of our commerce Westwardly and Southwardly beyond any thing ever yet done by man.”