Imagine showing up to a brand-new school where the hallways are still dusty, some walls aren’t painted yet, and workers are hammering away while you unpack your backpack.
that’s basically what happened on November 17, 1800 when the U.S. Congress met for the first time in the new capital city of Washington, D.C., inside the still unfinished United States Capitol building.
For ten years, Congress had met in Philadelphia, but a law called the Residence Act stated that the government had to move to a brand-new “federal city” on the Potomac River by 1800. Washington, D.C. was picked and named to honor George Washington.
so, on that chilly November day, members of the 6th United States Congress walked in the north wing of the Capitol, took their seats, and officially began doing the nation’s business in its new home.
The Capitol Wasn’t Finished Yet?
- Construction on the Capitol started in 1793.
- Money, materials, and workers were harder to get than planned.
- By 1800, only the north wing (the Senate side) was done enough to use.
That meant both the Senate and the House of representatives had to squeeze into a shared space until the south wing was ready to use a few years later.
So when we say “Congress met in the Capitol” in 1800, we’re talking about a building that was only partly built. No giant dome, no fancy steps like you see today; just an early version of the Capitol, standing on a mostly empty hill overlooking the Potomac river.
Who Was President When Congress Moved?
When Congress first met in Washington, D.C., John Adams was still president. The 6th Congress (1799-1801) covered the last two years of his presidency.
- Adams supported moving the government to Washington D.C. on time, even though the Capitol wasn’t finished yet.
- On November 22, 1800, Just a few days after that first meeting, Adams came to the new Capitol and delivered his annual message (an early version of todays State of the Union).
Why November 17, 1800 still matters:
It may sound ridiculously simple and mundane: ” 225 years ago Congress changed buildings.”
But it is a big deal in U.S. government history because it marks:
- The birth of Washington, D.C. as the working capital
- Before this, Congress met in cities like New York and Philadelphia. Moving to Washington made the new Capitol official.
- The first session held in the U.S. Capitol.
- The unfinished north wing became the first permanent home of the House of Representatives, Senate, Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress.
- The beginning of a symbol
- Over time, the Capitol grew; wings were added, the buildings changed, and it became a powerful symbol of democracy, laws, and the strength of the American People.
History isn’t just old dates. At Letters From Legends, we love turning moments like November 17, 1800 into story-style history for kids; the kind that you can hold in your hands as a real letter that feels like it traveled through time.