New York City became the first U.S. capital under the Constitution during the founding era commemorated by America250.
The new federal government began operating in New York City in 1789, with Federal Hall on Wall Street serving as the seat of Congress. George Washington took the presidential oath there on April 30, 1789, making the location a central site in the early national government.
New York remained the constitutional capital until August 12, 1790, when the capital moved to Philadelphia. Philadelphia then served as the national capital until the federal government moved to Washington, D.C., in 1800.
The wording matters because the United States had used several earlier meeting places under the Articles of Confederation. New York City had also hosted Congress before the Constitution, but it was the first capital of the government established by the Constitution. Federal Hall’s site is now marked by Federal Hall National Memorial.