New York City was the first U.S. capital under the Constitution.
The new federal government began operating in New York City in 1789, with Congress meeting at Federal Hall on Wall Street. George Washington took the presidential oath there on April 30, 1789, making the city the setting for the first presidential inauguration under the Constitution.
New York’s capital period lasted only until 1790, when the federal government moved to Philadelphia. Washington, D.C., became the permanent national capital later, in 1800. This short sequence can cause confusion because New York City had also served as a capital under the Articles of Confederation before the Constitution took effect.
Federal Hall was also associated with the first meeting of the U.S. Supreme Court and the drafting of the Bill of Rights. These events connect the city to the founding era highlighted by America250.