New York City was the first U.S. capital under the Constitution, a milestone preceding America250.
The new federal government began operating there in 1789 after the Constitution took effect. George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall on Wall Street on April 30 of that year, making the city the setting for the first presidential inauguration.
Congress later moved the national capital to Philadelphia in 1790 under the Residence Act. In 1800, the federal government relocated to Washington, D.C., which has remained the national capital ever since.
New York City is sometimes omitted from lists of American capitals because Washington, D.C., is the permanent capital. Philadelphia also served as the meeting place of Congress at several important moments, including the adoption of the Declaration in 1776.