# PTE HCS #1: Origins of the American Capital City

Highlight Correct Summary #1 - Level 1 - Feeds Reading + Listening

> You will hear a recording. Choose the paragraph that best summarizes it.

- There was an early problem between congress and the American army. Therefore, the continental congress never met in Philadelphia and it ruled out Philadelphia as the capital city in the United States.
- Philadelphia was an important early American city and was the logical choice as the new country's capital because of a roughly central location in the U. S. However, the government of Pennsylvania failed to protect the federal government.
- How Washington D.C. became the capital of the United States is an intriguing story. In 1783 some soldiers interrupted a meeting of Congress in Philadelphia，it decided to create a completely new and independent area as the capital city.
- Congress wanted a strong central government. At that time, Washington D.C., between Virginia and North Carolina, had been a focal point of the American Revolution. The Continental Congress had met there before the war.

## Answer

How Washington D.C. became the capital of the United States is an intriguing story. In 1783 some soldiers interrupted a meeting of Congress in Philadelphia，it decided to create a completely new and independent area as the capital city.

## Explanation

The correct option captures the essential narrative: a specific incident involving soldiers led to the decision to establish a new, independent federal district.

What to watch: You hear that a riot in 1783 drove Congress out of Philadelphia. Congress then "decided to create an entirely new area called the District of Columbia." The correct summary covers both the soldiers and the new capital. The Philadelphia option sounds accurate but stops early. It never explains how the new capital came about.

## Hints

- Focus on the primary reason mentioned for moving the capital away from existing cities.
- Look for the option that links the security incident to the creation of a new district.

## Transcript

We all know that the capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. However, when America first became a country, Washington didn't even exist. Back then, Philadelphia was the logical choice as the new country's capital. Why Philadelphia? Why not Boston, New York, or even Charleston? For several reasons. First, Philadelphia had a roughly central location in the U.S. at that time. Also, it had been a focal point of the American Revolution. The Continental Congress had met there before the war, and several major events took place there. So, why is Washington the capital and not Philadelphia? Mostly because of a riot in Philadelphia in 1783. Congress was meeting there when some soldiers disrupted them. The soldiers demanded payment for their service during the war, but Congress had no money. It asked the government of Pennsylvania to protect it, but the government refused. Congress promptly left Philadelphia so that ruled out Philadelphia. Congress realized it couldn't rely on the states to defend it. Thus, the members of Congress decided to create an entirely new area called the District of Columbia. Several states competed for the right to host the district, but ultimately, Congress decided on a stretch of land between Virginia and Maryland. Like Philadelphia, it was near the geographical center of the country. The necessary land was given to the federal government. Construction on the new capital then began, and that's how Washington, D.C. became our capital. Let's look at its design now.

[Practise this question with the exam timer](https://testmigo.com/pte/practice/highlight-correct-summary/origins-of-the-american-capital-city) - [All Highlight Correct Summary questions](https://testmigo.com/pte/practice/highlight-correct-summary)