The decision that shaped the future of our nation was made in one day.
It was a move that would establish the foundation of American governance.
And John Adams stunned Philadelphia with one move that changed America forever.
President Adams orders the government to relocate to Washington, D.C.
On this day in history, May 15, 1800, President John Adams issued a decisive order that would forever change the landscape of American politics.
He commanded the entire federal government to pack up and move from Philadelphia to the newly established capital of Washington, D.C.
The relocation was completed with remarkable efficiency. Adams instructed his cabinet to ensure that every federal office would be fully operational in Washington, D.C. within just one month.
“Philadelphia officially ceased to serve as the nation’s capital as of June 11, 1800,” according to History.com.
The swift transition was possible partly due to the compact size of the federal government at that time. There were only about 125 federal employees in 1800 – a stark contrast to today’s bureaucratic behemoth that employs over two million people.
Important documents were transported from Philadelphia to the new capital via ships traversing inland waterways, ensuring the preservation of the young nation’s archives.
The decision to move the capital was rooted in political compromise
The establishment of Washington, D.C. as the permanent capital was the result of a complex political deal struck years earlier.
On July 16, 1790, President George Washington signed the Residence Act, which mandated the construction of a capital city along the Potomac River. Philadelphia was designated as the temporary capital for a decade while the new federal district was being built.
The Residence Act was part of a grand bargain engineered by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton agreed to move the capital south in exchange for southern states’ support for his plan to reorganize federal finances – specifically having southern states indirectly pay off northern states’ war debts.
“A deal had been reached between Hamilton, James Madison, and Jefferson a month earlier, where Hamilton agreed with the idea that the capital would be moved to the South,” according to the National Constitution Center.
But the move was also influenced by darker history. The Continental Congress had previously fled Philadelphia in 1783 during the Pennsylvania Mutiny, when unpaid federal troops surrounded Independence Hall demanding compensation for their service in the Revolutionary War.
Pennsylvania’s state government, led by John Dickinson, refused to use the state militia to protect the federal lawmakers, forcing Congress to escape to Princeton, New Jersey. This incident left a lasting impression that the federal government needed its own territory.
A capital still under construction
When the government relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1800, many of its iconic landmarks were far from complete.
The Capitol Building was only partially finished – just the Senate wing was ready for occupancy. The House of Representatives would not have their chamber completed until 1811, over a decade later.
Despite these limitations, the House managed to convene for the first time at the Capitol on November 17, 1800.
President Adams and First Lady Abigail didn’t immediately move into what we now call the White House. They initially lived temporarily at Union Tavern in Georgetown before finally settling into the Presidential mansion later in 1800.
Upon moving in, Adams wrote a blessing for the residence that still resonates today: “I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house, and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but wise men ever rule under this roof!”
The First Lady found conditions challenging in their new home. In a December letter to a friend, Abigail Adams described having to line-dry the family’s clothes in what would eventually become the East Room of the White House.
Philadelphia’s attempt to remain the capital
During the decade that Philadelphia served as the temporary capital, city leaders made concerted efforts to retain their status.
“Philadelphians lobbied hard for the capital to stay in Pennsylvania. They offered President Washington an elaborate mansion as an incentive to stay,” notes the National Constitution Center.
Their efforts were undermined by a devastating yellow fever epidemic that struck the city in 1793, raising serious concerns about public health and safety in the area.
Additionally, influential Virginians including Washington, Madison, and Jefferson were actively planning and advocating for a capital near their home state, ensuring the Potomac location would eventually become reality.
John Adams’ order on May 15, 1800, marked the culmination of these political machinations and the beginning of Washington, D.C.’s role as the permanent seat of American government – a status it has maintained for over 220 years.
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