American Capital at Philadelphia.

It's an hour before I gotta go and I am bored stiff and doped up on caffiene. So, I post.

What if the capital stayed at Philly like some Congressmen thought it would, and Washington's building was delayed or never completed like some pro-Philadelphia people expected?

Discuss.
 
The South as a whole would be somewhat more agitated. The whole point Washington was built was so that the capital would be in the South, in order to semi-pacify them. But without the symbolic gesture, the South will be more hostile, and see the North as even more oppressive than it did OTL. The net result? Civil War happens earlier, and it might even go to the CSA, as the north will have had less time to industialize.
 
I think the biggest change would be that the capital of the United States would be a more "organic", natural capital city (a la London or Paris) where the capital is the political, ecomomic and cultural centre of the country and not divided as is the case in the OTL US, Canada, Brazil and Australia.

Of course, as I understand it anyway, that division was considered a good thing at the time as another aspect of the balance of powers in the country; The North had the economic capital and the south had the political and cultural capital shifted west in the 20th century.

Given that the placement of the capital in the swamps along the Potomac was a two part compromise (financial stability for Northern merchants and capital placement for the South), I think the only way Philidelphia would be the capital is as part of a three-way deal...maybe debt assumption for the Northern merchants, the capital for Pennsylvania and the recreation of an effective Southern veto over Tariffs and Navigation laws (which didn't survive the Philidelphia convention).

Just some thoughts, for what they're worth,

David
 
Another way is for the ARW to end in a bit more of a draw. let's say Britain gets to keep the Carolinas and Georgia. Virginia would be the only "Southern" state, but it would likely not mind a capital in Philadelphia, because it's already one of the biggest. (There could also be a split between the two, with the Carolinas and Georgia splitting off to form their own country - I did this in a novel I wrote, but never got published, some 12 years ago - people can e-mail for it if they want. However, I now think that's not as likely.)

In that case, I think they keep Philadelphia, but a capital a bit further west is also possible, to separate the political and economic capital. iI had never thought about that aspect. The original Mason-Dixon line (PA-MD), just south of York or Hanover, PA, perhaps?
 
?Would this be a -No Federal District in the Constitution - TL, or, A - Philadelphia is ceded to the US as the Federal District - TL.

The Federal District was put in the Constitution after several Anti Government Riots, almost killed State Delegates in several northern cities.

The capital was located South as part of Hamilton's Machinations to get the State Revolutionary Bonds exchanged for Federal Bonds at 100 Cents to the Dollar. [instead of the 4~5 cents they were going for]
 
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