Building Washington : engineering and construction of a new Federal City 1790 1840 Project planning and construction efforts. Pierre LEnfants two plans for executing the presidents vision Financing the Federal City : the difficulty of collecting adequate funds Constructing the Federal City : gathering materials and workers Developing a commercial center: harbor navigation and river improvements Early infrastructure and transport improvements Building military defenses for the capital Building campaigns: a timeline of Washington D.C.s first fifty years. The first public building campaign (1791 1802): clashing commissioners and Workers The second public building campaign (1803 1811): the president and the architect The third public building campaign (1815 1824): rebuilding the Federal City Later transportation improvements: canals and aqueducts Epilogue: building a new Federal City