New York City was the first U.S. capital under the Constitution, a fact connected to America250’s early-republic story.
The new federal government began operating in New York City in 1789. George Washington took the presidential oath at Federal Hall on April 30, 1789, and the first Congress met there. New York therefore served as the national capital during the first months of the constitutional government.
The capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790 under the Residence Act. Philadelphia remained the temporary capital for ten years while a permanent federal district was planned and built on the Potomac River. The government moved to Washington, D.C., in 1800.
New York City had also been the capital under the Articles of Confederation from 1785 until 1789. This creates a common mix-up: Philadelphia was the principal meeting place during much of the Revolution, but it was not the first capital under the Constitution.