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Originally published in 1936, this book is an important contribution to the early history of Washington, D.C., the land for which was taken from Virginia and Maryland in 1791.The most important section of the book, Part II, is devoted to a description of the eighteen original plantations, with histories of the owners and their families, including considerable biographical and genealogical data on each of them. Even more valuable in this section is a list of all the original landowners in the District of Columbia prior to 1700. This list is arranged alphabetically by tract, with the names of the owners, dates, and sources of information. This information was drawn from the original records of Maryland and Virginia courthouses and from the land records at Annapolis for the Province of Maryland in general. All statements are thoroughly documented by reference to records of the colonies and counties of Maryland and Virginia.