Most students of American history know that D.C. was not the first choice for the nation's capital. Both New York City and Philadelphia were considered and given trial runs as the nation's capital. A decision was soon made that the capital should be centrally located between the northern and southern states, but at the time no such city existed. Maryland and Virginia both donated some of their land around the Potomac River to form the federal district, the District of Columbia (D.C.). George Washington played an important role in planning the city, and he entrusted Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, with designing many of the city's major structures and monuments. A year after George Washington's death in 1799, Congress passed the law that formally moved the U.S. capital from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. Naming the city after our first president was Congress's way of honoring George Washington for all that he had done for our country.