Does one judge a nation by its capital?

"He may be torn up by the Roots, or break, but he will never bend"

At the beginning of Chapter 6, Adams arrives in Washington D.C. to find an unfinished White House, a place that was considered a dump.  Many referred to the place as a "mere swamp". Why was this? Tensions. No side would give- Federalists vs. Republicans, North vs. South, rural vs. urban, and farmer vs. merchant. The Potomac has been picked as the middle between these two rivaling sides. 

By placing the nation’s capital on the banks of the Potomac, a portal to the West, Washington D.C. would both figuratively and literally be facing the future of America. Although Washington and Jefferson came to a consensus on the location of the city, the actual layout was a different story. Washington wanted a massive city to show the power that was America. Jefferson wanted a smaller, compact capital, depicting large walkways and gardens. There are pros and cons to both. Would a larger capital city be taken over by media and private owned business today?  Would a smaller city not have the space to facilitate the government of the United States?

As we know, a smaller more compact nations capital is generally how it is looked at today. Although the city of Washington D.C. is large, the internal government aspects of it, are relatively compact within a smaller area.  Even within this small area, there is much room to walk.  AKA, “the Mall”, the capital building is at the head of a large open garden of sorts.  This is a place where numerous things can take place including the massing of people to listen to a Presidents inauguration speech.  Although it is not a mighty city like New York or Atlanta, it resides over every city in the sense of power.  I think it shows the real nature of the United States.  A working, smaller, compact, feasible, efficient city is this nation’s capital.  I believe it shows the humble origins of our ancestors who designed it.  Although it may be not be the most mighty capital in the world based on size, it is the most mighty based on what it represents.