Early in America's history, the capital was in Philadelphia. Shortly after the formation of the country, the capital was moved to New York and ultimately to Washington D.C.
I understand the logic behind moving the capital to D.C., since that was a good middle ground and the land wasn't owned by any state. And I understand how the capital started in Philly. But what was the logic behind briefly moving it to NYC?
In 1783, in recognition of the sectional division of the Union, Congress decided to have two capitals, one on the Delaware River near Trenton and the other on the Potomac. A year later Congress voted to establish a single federal town near Trenton and to meet in New York City until buildings at the capital were completed. Southerners blocked appropriations for the construction. Consequently, Congress remained at New York City despite repeated efforts by the Pennsylvanians and Southerners to bring them back to Philadelphia, the seat of Congress from 1774 to 1783.
Late in August 1789 the First Congress took up the question of locating the federal capital. After a bitter debate between representatives from north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the House agreed to a bill retaining New York City as the temporary residence and locating the permanent capital on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Most representatives expected Wright's Ferry, renamed Columbia in 1788, to be the specific site. Instead the Senate named Germantown, seven miles north of Philadelphia. At the last minute, Madison managed to have the bill postponed until the second session.
At the opening of the second session Congress killed the troublesome bill for locating the capital by establishing the rule that all business must begin de novo each session, a precedent that remained a Senate rule for half a century. At the end of May 1790 the Senate took up a new residence bill. A month later it named the Potomac River as the site of the permanent capital and Philadelphia as the temporary residence. In July the president signed the Residence Act.