District of Columbia History Practice Exam

The land that became the District of Columbia originally came from two states: Maryland and Virginia. In 1790, Congress created DC by ceding land from both Maryland and Virginia to the federal government to form a new capital along the Potomac River. Later, the Virginia portion was returned to Virginia in 1846–47, but the origin of the district’s territory was indeed Maryland and Virginia. The other options include states that did not contribute land to DC.