The United States broke free from British rule by fighting in the Revolutionary War. But the U.S. faced new problems after it gained freedom. For one thing, it needed its own government! So Congress began making up rules for running the country. But they also needed to answer another big question: Where should we put the nation’s capital?

Nobody seemed to agree on the best place for the government’s “headquarters.” Many different groups of people thought their own city would be the perfect spot! So, for a while, the capital just kept on moving around.

From 1785 to 1790, New York served as the capital. In 1790, Philadelphia took over the job. In 1800, Washington, D.C., finally became the “capital choice!”