Federal Hall History

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Federal Hall, situated in 26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005, is a hidden jewel in New York. This historic building is of much importance as this is where George Washington's inauguration as the first President of the United States under the Constitution took action. Not only that, it is also the place where the United States Bill of Rights was introduced in the First Congress.

Federal Hall was previously constructed as the City Hall at New York’s northern edge in 1700. The Federal Hall that is known today, was where the City Hall of the British colony of New York originally existed. It was erected just within the initial Dutch settlement boundaries of the timber and earthwork wall from where Wall Street got its well known name. Demolished by the English in 1699, this had marked the northern edge of the settlement. The City Hall unbolted its doors to public in 1703 and as years flew past, city grew from all around its side. Soon, it became the physical, political and cultural center of the whole of the city. Every kind of public assembly in colonial New York took place at City Hall.

After New York became the first official Capitol of the United States as a conclusion of the Revolutionary War under the Articles of Confederation, in 1785, Congress convened at City Hall. To embrace and welcome the
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In one of the most noteworthy political compromises of that first year, New York lost its bid to be the permanent capital city to Philadelphia, where in 1790, the Federal government moved. However, it did not last there for long, as it was finally relocated to the newly built Washington D.C. State in 1800. After that, the local government used Federal Hall until 1811. The building was dismantled the following year. In 1812, the authentic Federal Hall building was demolished and the salvageable materials from that were sold for a pittance