Beginning in 1785, Congress met in New York City under the Articles of Confederation. In 1789, it became the first national capital under the new Constitution. The Constitution also created the current Congress of the United States, and its first session took place in the Federal Hall on Wall Street. The location of the new U.
S. capital provoked heated debates. As Congressman John Francis Mercer of Maryland pointed out, Congress has always been more anxious about where we will sit than about what we will do. The capital would be the most important city in the new nation; the new government would bring employment, commerce and an active social circuit.
Several cities competed to be the new capital. After much debate, New York City was chosen as the temporary capital until a final decision could be made. New York was the ideal choice for many reasons. It was a major port city with a large population and a thriving economy. It was also close to Washington D.
C., which would eventually become the permanent capital of the United States. Furthermore, it was a major center for trade and commerce, making it an attractive option for businesses and investors. After a brief recession in the early 1990s, the New York boom that began in the 80s continued and waves of immigrants from virtually every country in the world arrived in the city. The Making of a President New York put Abraham Lincoln in the national spotlight; in fact, he attributed his victory in the presidency of the United States to a three-day visit to the city. Truman, then President of the United States, announced the end of World War II and people from New York flocked to Time Square to celebrate their lives. It was in late 1784 that the Continental Congress, which had the authority at that time, voted to designate New York City as its meeting place until a “federal district on the banks of the Delaware River, near Philadelphia” could be completed. New York was also a massive melting pot for immigrants from all over the world.
Despite these problems, many citizens, as well as the new Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, wanted New York to be the permanent capital. The city government turned to the federal government to request $2.3 billion in loan guarantees, but President Gerald Ford said he would not agree to guarantee New York loans. New York was chosen as America's first capital due to its strategic location and its vibrant economy. It was close enough to Washington D. C., which would eventually become America's permanent capital, and it was a major center for trade and commerce that attracted businesses and investors from all over. George Washington was sworn in as the first president on the balcony of the old New York City Hall on April 30, 1789. A government for the people As president of the New York State Assembly in 1913, Al Smith promoted an avalanche of epoch-making laws.
Roosevelt, Moses rebuilt the crumbling Central Park Zoo, renovated the 1,700 playgrounds in New York City, completed the Triborough Bridge, whose construction had been suspended years earlier, and began the enormous West Side improvement project. The influx of money and financial institutions triggered a phase of dramatic growth in employment and new construction in New York. Before skyscrapers The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge marked the beginning of what would become the vertical rise of New York and, later, of cities across the country. When Governor De Witt Clinton promoted construction of Erie Canal it provoked an economic revolution that forever transformed life in New York City and its relationship with American continent. Despite enormous pain and sadness, these difficulties will only strengthen New York and give it necessary impetus to reinvent itself once again in its 400-year history.
