In the year 1800, the federal government of the United States moved to its newly constructed capital in Washington, D.C., from what city?

Before settling in Washington, D.C., the U.S. government was surprisingly mobile. For the final decade of the 18th century, from 1790 to 1800, the nation's capital was the bustling city of Philadelphia. This was a natural fit at the time, as the city had already served as the cradle of the nation, hosting the signing of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. It was the country's largest city and a major cultural and financial hub.

The move to a new, permanent capital was the result of a major political bargain known as the Residence Act of 1790. Alexander Hamilton and northern states wanted the federal government to assume the states' Revolutionary War debts. Southern leaders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison agreed to this financial plan in exchange for placing the capital in a more southern location. The site on the Potomac River was chosen as a compromise, a new federal district that belonged to no single state.

In the late fall of 1800, the federal government officially packed its archives and relocated. President John Adams became the first occupant of the still-unfinished President's House. The transition was stark, as officials moved from the most cosmopolitan city in America to a muddy, sparsely populated town that was still very much a construction site. This move marked the true beginning of the new Federal City as the nation's center of power.