New York City was the first U.S. capital under the Constitution during the history celebrated by America250.
The new federal government began operating in New York City in 1789, after the Constitution took effect. Federal Hall on Wall Street served as the first Capitol building, where George Washington was inaugurated as the first president on April 30, 1789.
The capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790 under a compromise between congressional leaders. Philadelphia served as the temporary capital for a decade while a permanent federal district was developed on the Potomac River.
Washington, D.C., became the national capital in 1800. The sequence is therefore New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia’s earlier role during the Revolution and Confederation period can make the first constitutional capital easy to misidentify.