New York City was the first U.S. capital under the Constitution, a milestone remembered during America's 250th anniversary.
The new federal government began operating in New York City in 1789. George Washington took the presidential oath at Federal Hall on April 30 of that year, and Congress met in the same city. New York was a major port and an important political center, making it a practical temporary seat for the government.
The capital later moved to Philadelphia in 1790 under a political compromise connected with federal assumption of state debts. It moved permanently to Washington, D.C., in 1800. New York City was therefore the first national capital under the Constitution, while Philadelphia had served earlier as the meeting place of the Continental Congress and the Confederation Congress.