For America250’s early national history, New York City served as the U.S. capital from 1789 to 1790.
The First Congress met at Federal Hall in New York City, where George Washington took the presidential oath on April 30, 1789. The city was the first national capital under the government created by the Constitution.
Congress passed the Residence Act in 1790, selecting a site along the Potomac River for a permanent capital. Philadelphia then served as the temporary capital for the next decade while the federal district was developed.
Washington, D.C., became the permanent national capital in 1800. Philadelphia had served as a meeting place for earlier Continental Congresses and the Congress of the Confederation, which is why it is sometimes confused with New York City’s constitutional-era role.