What was the first U.S. national capital under the Constitution?

New York City was the first U.S. national capital under the Constitution.

The constitutional government began operating in New York City in 1789, with Congress meeting at Federal Hall on Wall Street. George Washington was inaugurated there as the first president, and the first Congress worked there on measures including the Bill of Rights.

New York’s status followed an earlier period in which the city served as the capital under the Articles of Confederation. The national government later moved to Philadelphia in 1790, and Washington, D.C., became the permanent capital after the federal district was developed.

Philadelphia is often named because the Declaration and Constitution were written and signed there, and because Philadelphia became the capital immediately after New York. Washington, D.C., is the current capital, but it was not the first capital under the Constitution.