There are a number of reportedly haunted locations in Washington, D.C. The city is the capital of the United States, and was founded (pursuant to an Act of Congress) on July 16, 1790. The City of Washington was originally a separate municipality within the Territory of Columbia until an act of Congress in 1871 effectively merged George Town, the City of Washington, and the Territory of Columbia into a single entity called the District of Columbia. Washington, D.C., has been the site of military battles, deadly duels, assassinations, untimely deaths, and associated tragedies.