Isabella Carter
The U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787, and the first Congress met at Federal Hall in New York City, which remained the temporary capital until 1790. The Residence Act, passed in 1790, designated Philadelphia as the temporary capital while the permanent seat of government was being built. The Act also established the permanent capital at a site along the Potomac River that would become Washington, D.C.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the temporary capital | Philadelphia |
| Year it became the temporary capital | 1790 |
| Year it ceased to be the temporary capital | 1800 |
| Reason for becoming the temporary capital | To pave the way for a permanent capital |
| The permanent capital | Washington, D.C. |
| Location of the permanent capital | Along the Potomac River |
| Reason for the relocation of the capital | Part of a plan to appease pro-slavery states who feared a northern capital as being too sympathetic to abolitionists |
| The Residence Act | Passed in 1790 to establish a national capital and permanent seat of government |
| The U.S. Constitution | Ratified in 1787 |
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What You'll Learn
The Residence Act of 1790
The selection of a location for the capital was a contentious issue, with regional loyalties and tensions preventing the Continental Congress from agreeing on a site. Proposed sites included Kingston, New York; Nottingham Township in New Jersey; Annapolis; Williamsburg, Virginia; Wilmington, Delaware; and several cities in Pennsylvania. The Southern states refused to accept a capital in the North, and vice versa. Another suggestion was to have two capitals, one in the North and one in the South.
During the summer of 1790, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was pushing for Congress to pass a financial plan, which included the federal government assuming states' debts incurred during the American Revolutionary War. Northern states had accumulated a massive debt during the war and wanted the federal government to assume their burden, while Southern states balked at this proposal. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson favoured a southerly site for the capital on the Potomac River, but they lacked a majority in Congress to pass the measure.
A compromise was reached, in which the northern delegates agreed to the Potomac River site, and in return, the federal government would assume the states' debts. Jefferson got the Virginia delegates to support the bill with the debt provisions, and Hamilton convinced the New York delegates to agree to the Potomac site for the capital. The Residence Act was passed as part of this Compromise of 1790, brokered among Madison, Jefferson, and Hamilton. The Act set a deadline of December 1800 for the capital to be ready, and Congress reconvened in Philadelphia on December 6, 1790, at Congress Hall.
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Philadelphia as the temporary capital
The United States Constitution was ratified in 1787, and the 1st Congress met at Federal Hall in New York. In 1790, the Residence Act was passed, establishing a permanent capital site along the Potomac River, which would become Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia was designated as the temporary capital for a ten-year period while the new seat of government was being constructed. The federal government at the time was based in New York City. The Residence Act was part of the Compromise of 1790, which was brokered by James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton.
Philadelphia had been an important city for the new nation, serving as a hub where significant decisions were made. It was also equally accessible from the North and the South. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania State House, but due to British military threats, they had to relocate to Baltimore, Lancaster, and York, Pennsylvania, before returning to Philadelphia.
Congress reconvened in Philadelphia on December 6, 1790, at Congress Hall. However, some hoped that the capital would remain permanently in Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania congressional delegation attempted to undermine the plan by introducing legislation for federal buildings and a presidential house in the city. A yellow fever epidemic hit Philadelphia in 1793, raising doubts about the safety of the area.
On May 15, 1800, Congress ended its business in Philadelphia, and the official designation as the nation's capital ceased on June 11, 1800.
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New York City as the temporary capital
New York City served as the temporary capital of the United States after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The First Congress met at Federal Hall in New York City, where George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789.
During the mid-1780s, numerous locations were offered by the states to serve as the nation's capital, but the Continental Congress could not agree on a site due to regional loyalties and tensions. Proposed sites included Kingston, New York; Nottingham Township in New Jersey; Annapolis, Maryland; Williamsburg, Virginia; Wilmington, Delaware; Reading, Pennsylvania; Germantown, Pennsylvania; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; New York City; Philadelphia; and Princeton, New Jersey.
The Southern states refused to accept a capital in the North and vice versa. Another suggestion was to have two capitals: one in the North and one in the South.
In 1790, the Residence Act was passed, establishing the national capital at a site along the Potomac River that would become Washington, D.C. For the next ten years, Philadelphia served as the temporary capital, with Congress meeting at Congress Hall. On November 17, 1800, the 6th United States Congress formally convened in Washington, D.C., making it the permanent seat of the U.S. government.
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The Compromise of 1790
The Southern states, including Virginia, wanted the capital to be located in the South, between Virginia and Maryland, on the banks of the Potomac River. Meanwhile, the Northern states had accumulated massive debt during the war, amounting to $21.5 million, and wanted the federal government to assume their burden. The Southern states balked at this proposal, arguing that their taxpayers should not be forced to pay a portion of the debt.
At the dinner table bargain, a compromise was reached. Madison agreed to remain passive when the assumption of state debt was brought up in Congress again and to convince some of his fellow southern congressmen to support it. In exchange, Hamilton agreed to garner northern support for the Potomac River capital location and to lower the rate at which Virginia would be taxed by $1.5 million under the assumption plan.
As a result of the Compromise of 1790, the Residence Act was passed in July 1790, establishing the U.S. capital in Washington, D.C. along the Potomac River. Philadelphia was designated as the temporary capital for ten years while the new capital was being constructed. The Funding Act, including the assumption act, was also passed in August 1790, establishing Hamilton's foundation for public credit.
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The permanent capital: Washington, D.C
The United States Constitution was ratified in 1787, and gave Congress the power to establish a federal district outside of the state structure as the nation's permanent seat of government. Numerous locations were offered by the states to serve as the nation's capital, but Congress could never agree on a site because of regional loyalties and tensions.
The decision of where to locate the capital was contentious, but Alexander Hamilton helped broker a compromise. In 1790, the Residence Act was passed, establishing the national capital and permanent seat of government at a site along the Potomac River that would become Washington, D.C. The Act also designated Philadelphia as the temporary capital for ten years while the new seat of government was being built.
The decision to locate the capital in Washington, D.C., was influenced by several factors. One factor was the desire to appease pro-slavery states who feared that a northern capital would be too sympathetic to abolitionists. Additionally, there were concerns about public health and a grudge against the Pennsylvania state government. Native Virginians like Washington, Madison, and Jefferson also actively planned for a capital near their home. The Residence Act authorized President George Washington to appoint commissioners to oversee the project, with a deadline of December 1800 for the capital to be ready.
The construction of the capital in Washington, D.C., faced challenges. The British army invaded the city in 1814, burning the White House, Capitol, and other government buildings. Despite this setback, Congress was determined to rebuild, and reconstruction began in 1815. The growing number of legislators from newly admitted states also posed a challenge, and it became clear that the Capitol could not accommodate them all.
Since 1800, Washington, D.C., has been the permanent seat of the United States Government. Congress has only met outside of Washington, D.C., twice: in 1987 in Philadelphia to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Constitution's ratification, and in 2002 in New York City to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
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Frequently asked questions
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
From 1790 to 1800.
Washington, D.C.
In 1800.
