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The Library of Congress (building pictured), the de facto national library of the United States, was established as part of an act of Congress providing for the transfer of the nation's capital from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.

Historical image related to The Library of Congress (building pictured), the de facto national library of the United States, was established as part of an act of Congress providing for the transfer of the nation's capital from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. from April 24, 1800

Library of Congress

US Congress research library

The Library of Congress is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the de facto national library of the United States. It also administers copyright law through the United States Copyright Office, and…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

De facto

Practices that exist without recognition in law or other formal norms

De facto describes practices that exist in reality, regardless of whether they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with de jure. This distinction is highly significant in fields like law…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

National library

Library specifically established by the government

A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works. A national library is that…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Act of Congress

Law enacted by the United States Congress

An act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities, or to the general public. For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both houses with a majority, then be either signed into law by the president of…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Philadelphia

Largest city in Pennsylvania, United States

Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the sixth-most populous city in the United States with a population of 1.6 million at the 2020 census, while the Philadelphia metropolitan area with 6.33 million…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Washington, D.C.

Capital city of the United States

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as simply Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)