New York City was the first capital under the United States Constitution, a place connected to America250’s early history.
The new federal government began operating in New York City in 1789. Congress met at Federal Hall, where George Washington took the presidential oath on April 30 of that year.
The Residence Act of 1790 created a permanent capital district on the Potomac River but allowed Philadelphia to serve as the temporary capital while the new federal city was built. The federal government moved from New York City to Philadelphia in 1790 and then to Washington, D.C., in 1800.
New York City was not the only place where the revolutionary government met before the Constitution. During the War of Independence, the Continental Congress moved among several cities, including Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis, and Trenton.