New York City was the first U.S. capital under the Constitution, a milestone linked to America250’s founding story.
The new federal government began operating under the Constitution in 1789, and New York City served as the national capital from 1785 to 1790. George Washington was inaugurated there on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall on Wall Street.
Philadelphia then became the capital from 1790 to 1800. The permanent capital, Washington, D.C., was established afterward, although federal offices moved there before the city was fully developed.
New York City’s role is sometimes confused with its earlier status as the capital of the Confederation Congress. It had already hosted the national government before the Constitution took effect, but the 1789 transition made it the first capital of the constitutional United States. This short period connects the Revolutionary generation with the federal system that followed.