Alexandria, Virginia (pop. 159,467), is a historic city on the west bank of the Potomac River, across from Washington, D.C. During the 1730’s, a warehouse was established on the site of Alexandria for the export of tobacco, Virginia’s chief cash crop. The military leaders George Washington, Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee, and Robert E. Lee, who was Henry Lee’s son, had homes in Alexandria. Their homes are preserved in a historic district that has made Alexandria a major tourist center. At Gadsby’s Tavern, Washington recruited his first command in 1754 and held his last military review in 1799. The Alexandria Gazette Packet, founded in 1784, is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States.
Alexandria was part of the District of Columbia from 1791 to 1846. Today, it is a suburb of Washington, D.C. Alexandria has many technology and research and development firms and a large railroad freight yard. It is also the home of hundreds of national trade and professional associations. It has a council-manager form of government.
