State capitals in the 18th century
Throughout the late 18th century, all but one of the nine original states moved their capital city. This trend had several causes. The old capitals had been founded when the colonies were nothing but tributaries of England and were intended as administrative centers convenient to the colonial master. As the newly independent states sought to define themselves, they established new capitals that better fitted them. Partially this was done for ease of governance. A coastal capital like Charleston suited South Carolina when the colony was comprised of plantations clinging to the coast but it was less suitable for governing a large state stretching hundreds of miles inland. Frontiersmen clamored for more centralized capitals and this cry was taken up even by intellectuals. Thomas Jefferson was a leading proponent of the theory that a state should be governed from a location close to the center of population. Another factor causing the movement of the seat of government was the threat of British attack during the Revolution. Coastal cities proved vulnerable to seizure by the British navy. During the war, most legislatures met at least once outside of the capital and in many states, those temporary capitals later became permanent. With pressure from their own people and the Royal Navy, the majority of the country’s states moved their capital at least once in the last quarter of the 18th century.
Delaware - The smallest state in the union was one of the first to move its capital. Originally, the Delaware Colony was based out of New Castle on the Delaware River but the presence of a British flotilla in the river in early 1777 forced the legislature to flee. Being only 35 miles at its widest, Delaware had few inland towns large enough to host the legislature. The hamlet of Dover was selected, but between 1779 and 1781, the legislature had no fixed location and met in several different towns. In 1781, with the war in the Midatlantic drawing down, the capital was again set at Dover. There it has remained. At the turn of the 19th century, there is talk of moving the capital back north to be closer to the proposed Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
Georgia - Georgia’s first capital, Savannah, fell into British hands in the Revolution, forcing the government to meet 100 miles up the Savannah River in the hamlet of Augusta. The legislature feared Augusta, too, would fall and made plans to retreat further into the backcountry in the event of a British advance on the emergency capital. At the war’s conclusion, the Georgia government began to split its time between Savannah and Augusta as upcountry legislators hoped to keep the center of power in their backyard. In 1786, the capital was moved to Augusta as the west of the state continued to be settled. Augusta lasted only six years as capital as a committee sought to find a central capital for the state. In 1792, the Georgia government moved to a new planned town known as Fayetteville, located at the junction of the Ogeechee River and Big Creek. The new capital grew slowly and hosts just a few hundred people as of 1800. Not everyone is happy with the choice and there are many legislators that think a new capital should be designated, even further to the west.
Kentucky - It would have been natural for Kentucky’s capital to be Danville, one of the first settlements in the state and home to a series of meetings that ultimately brought statehood to Kentucky. History was not so kind to that town. After Congress granted Kentucky statehood, the state government gathered in the town of Lexington. In 1794, a commission was appointed to decide on a permanent capital. Several towns were in contention, including Leestown, Frank’s Ford, Tanner’s Station, and Louisville, but the commission eventually voted to stay put and keep the capital in Lexington. Lexington, in the center of the Bluegrass region, was a fine choice and it has continued to grow since it was affirmed as capital.
Maryland - Maryland was the only state that did not move its capital in the 18th century. Maryland’s first capital had been at St. Mary’s City, at the southern tip of the state, but by 1700, it had been moved to the more central location of Annapolis. Annapolis was never a large city and was overshadowed by the much larger Baltimore during the Revolution. Baltimore’s merchants made several attempts during the late 18th century to move the capital to their city, but were fought down by Delegates from the countryside that rallied around Annapolis. Baltimore’s merchants still hold dreams of hosting the capital in their city, but the rest of the state is against any move and will fight to keep the seat of government in Annapolis.
New Jersey - In the eighteenth century, New Jersey had two capitals, Perth Amboy in the east and Burlington in the west. These two capitals were a relic of the days before the unification of East and West Jersey and by the end of the century, with memory of that era of disunity gone, New Jerseyites sought the creation of a single, permanent capital. Calls for a single capital reached a fever pitch in 1790 and that year, the legislature voted on a new capital. There were three major options. New Brunswick, in the northeast, was on the New York-Philadelphia road and had access to the Raritan River and through that, the Atlantic. In the far south, there was Woodbury, which sat less than ten miles from Philadelphia and the Delaware River. Finally, there was the compromise option of Trenton, 30 miles up the Delaware and about halfway between the northern and southern extremities of the state. The New Brunswick and Woodbury parties fought hard for their cities but were outvoted by legislators looking for the route of least opposition and ultimately Trenton was chosen. Since 1790, it has only grown as industrialists set up operations in this well-situated city.
New York - The city of New York was occupied throughout much of the Revolution, forcing the Patriot legislature to meet in several different spots in what they held of the colony. When the war ended, the state government was not keen on returning to the city and it spent several years meeting in various locations across the state. This rotation was not satisfactory and in 1795, the state government voted to designate a permanent capital. The victor of this contest was Washington. Washington, formerly Kingston, was approximately in the middle of the state and had served as capital in the dark days of 1777. Though the much-larger New York still clamors for the government to return to the south, Washington is a good compromise that angers no one.
North Carolina - Before the Revolution, North Carolina’s colonial capital was New Bern. On the Neuse River, New Bern was vulnerable to the Royal Navy and the revolutionary legislature met in a variety of different towns across the state. This tradition continued even after peace came, but by the end of the decade the state government had tired of meeting in a different town every year and sought a permanent seat. The convention to ratify the United States Constitution had been held in the town of Leesville (named for Patriot Commander-in-Chief Charles Lee) in Cumberland County, and that town was the obvious choice for capital. More northerly planters hoped for a capital in Wake County but despite spirited attempts by the Wakeites, the capital was set in Leesville. Since then, the city has grown by leaps and bounds and it hosts a population of over 2,000.
Pennsylvania - Philadelphia was a city ideally suited as an administrative center for a large, trans-oceanic empire but was poorly-equipped to be the capital of a republican state stretching hundreds of miles into the wilderness. Philadelphia, being capital of the United States during the Revolution, was a target for British armies and when that city fell in 1777, the state government relocated to the inland city of Lancaster. Owing to pressure to move to a more central capital, the state government relocated to Lancaster again in 1799. Lancaster is not guaranteed to be a permanent capital and already there is talk of building a new capital along the Susquehanna, or at some point even further west.
South Carolina - Charleston was the quintessential colonial capital. Dominated by merchants and Lowcountry planters, it was a good seat of government for a coastal colony but not well suited to control a state with settlers in the foothills of the Appalachians. The political dominance of the Lowcountry led Upcountry landowners to push for a capital more convenient to them. The choice of new capital was fairly simple. Camden was the largest town of the interior and an entrepôt for Upcountry and backcountry farmers. A challenge to Camden was launched by planters Wade Hampton I and John Lewis Gervais, who hoped to build a new capital on the Congaree near Hampton’s plantation. These two narrowly had their way but were defeated and Camden became the state’s capital in 1785. Some South Carolinians pushed to name the capital either Washington or Columbia but they lost out and the town remained known as Camden as the state government took up their seat in the town.
Virginia - One state began the Revolution with a capital called New Castle, another state ended the Revolution with a capital called New Castle. The Virginia colony’s prewar capital was Williamsburg on the Virginia Peninsula. In a war against a state with such overwhelming naval power as Britain, a capital like Williamsburg, only three miles from the James River, was untenable. As early as 1738, Burgesses from Virginia’s growing interior proposed moving the capital further inland, to a spot on either the James or York rivers. In 1779, the capital was finally moved. Governor Thomas Jefferson was a staunch proponent of a capital on the James, which included his home in its watershed. Ultimately, though, the legislature decided on a capital at Newcastle on the Pamunkey, a tributary of the York. Newcastle has not been without its problems. Silting along the bank as well as continued population growth in western Virginia has led to calls to move the capital yet again.
Washington - Knoxville was one of the first major settlements in what became the state of Washington and when the region became a Territory of the United States, it should have become capital of the Territory. Things did not work out quite that way. Territorial Governor Blount chose to set up his seat of government on the frontier at the strategic confluence of the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers. Blount established the unimaginatively-named town of Tennessee at that junction. Serious thought was given to removing the capital to Knoxville when Washington was granted statehood, but institutional inertia kept the seat of government in Tennessee. As capital and a military post on the frontier against the Cherokee, Tennessee has continued to grow since Washington’s statehood.
Delaware - The smallest state in the union was one of the first to move its capital. Originally, the Delaware Colony was based out of New Castle on the Delaware River but the presence of a British flotilla in the river in early 1777 forced the legislature to flee. Being only 35 miles at its widest, Delaware had few inland towns large enough to host the legislature. The hamlet of Dover was selected, but between 1779 and 1781, the legislature had no fixed location and met in several different towns. In 1781, with the war in the Midatlantic drawing down, the capital was again set at Dover. There it has remained. At the turn of the 19th century, there is talk of moving the capital back north to be closer to the proposed Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
Georgia - Georgia’s first capital, Savannah, fell into British hands in the Revolution, forcing the government to meet 100 miles up the Savannah River in the hamlet of Augusta. The legislature feared Augusta, too, would fall and made plans to retreat further into the backcountry in the event of a British advance on the emergency capital. At the war’s conclusion, the Georgia government began to split its time between Savannah and Augusta as upcountry legislators hoped to keep the center of power in their backyard. In 1786, the capital was moved to Augusta as the west of the state continued to be settled. Augusta lasted only six years as capital as a committee sought to find a central capital for the state. In 1792, the Georgia government moved to a new planned town known as Fayetteville, located at the junction of the Ogeechee River and Big Creek. The new capital grew slowly and hosts just a few hundred people as of 1800. Not everyone is happy with the choice and there are many legislators that think a new capital should be designated, even further to the west.
Kentucky - It would have been natural for Kentucky’s capital to be Danville, one of the first settlements in the state and home to a series of meetings that ultimately brought statehood to Kentucky. History was not so kind to that town. After Congress granted Kentucky statehood, the state government gathered in the town of Lexington. In 1794, a commission was appointed to decide on a permanent capital. Several towns were in contention, including Leestown, Frank’s Ford, Tanner’s Station, and Louisville, but the commission eventually voted to stay put and keep the capital in Lexington. Lexington, in the center of the Bluegrass region, was a fine choice and it has continued to grow since it was affirmed as capital.
Maryland - Maryland was the only state that did not move its capital in the 18th century. Maryland’s first capital had been at St. Mary’s City, at the southern tip of the state, but by 1700, it had been moved to the more central location of Annapolis. Annapolis was never a large city and was overshadowed by the much larger Baltimore during the Revolution. Baltimore’s merchants made several attempts during the late 18th century to move the capital to their city, but were fought down by Delegates from the countryside that rallied around Annapolis. Baltimore’s merchants still hold dreams of hosting the capital in their city, but the rest of the state is against any move and will fight to keep the seat of government in Annapolis.
New Jersey - In the eighteenth century, New Jersey had two capitals, Perth Amboy in the east and Burlington in the west. These two capitals were a relic of the days before the unification of East and West Jersey and by the end of the century, with memory of that era of disunity gone, New Jerseyites sought the creation of a single, permanent capital. Calls for a single capital reached a fever pitch in 1790 and that year, the legislature voted on a new capital. There were three major options. New Brunswick, in the northeast, was on the New York-Philadelphia road and had access to the Raritan River and through that, the Atlantic. In the far south, there was Woodbury, which sat less than ten miles from Philadelphia and the Delaware River. Finally, there was the compromise option of Trenton, 30 miles up the Delaware and about halfway between the northern and southern extremities of the state. The New Brunswick and Woodbury parties fought hard for their cities but were outvoted by legislators looking for the route of least opposition and ultimately Trenton was chosen. Since 1790, it has only grown as industrialists set up operations in this well-situated city.
New York - The city of New York was occupied throughout much of the Revolution, forcing the Patriot legislature to meet in several different spots in what they held of the colony. When the war ended, the state government was not keen on returning to the city and it spent several years meeting in various locations across the state. This rotation was not satisfactory and in 1795, the state government voted to designate a permanent capital. The victor of this contest was Washington. Washington, formerly Kingston, was approximately in the middle of the state and had served as capital in the dark days of 1777. Though the much-larger New York still clamors for the government to return to the south, Washington is a good compromise that angers no one.
North Carolina - Before the Revolution, North Carolina’s colonial capital was New Bern. On the Neuse River, New Bern was vulnerable to the Royal Navy and the revolutionary legislature met in a variety of different towns across the state. This tradition continued even after peace came, but by the end of the decade the state government had tired of meeting in a different town every year and sought a permanent seat. The convention to ratify the United States Constitution had been held in the town of Leesville (named for Patriot Commander-in-Chief Charles Lee) in Cumberland County, and that town was the obvious choice for capital. More northerly planters hoped for a capital in Wake County but despite spirited attempts by the Wakeites, the capital was set in Leesville. Since then, the city has grown by leaps and bounds and it hosts a population of over 2,000.
Pennsylvania - Philadelphia was a city ideally suited as an administrative center for a large, trans-oceanic empire but was poorly-equipped to be the capital of a republican state stretching hundreds of miles into the wilderness. Philadelphia, being capital of the United States during the Revolution, was a target for British armies and when that city fell in 1777, the state government relocated to the inland city of Lancaster. Owing to pressure to move to a more central capital, the state government relocated to Lancaster again in 1799. Lancaster is not guaranteed to be a permanent capital and already there is talk of building a new capital along the Susquehanna, or at some point even further west.
South Carolina - Charleston was the quintessential colonial capital. Dominated by merchants and Lowcountry planters, it was a good seat of government for a coastal colony but not well suited to control a state with settlers in the foothills of the Appalachians. The political dominance of the Lowcountry led Upcountry landowners to push for a capital more convenient to them. The choice of new capital was fairly simple. Camden was the largest town of the interior and an entrepôt for Upcountry and backcountry farmers. A challenge to Camden was launched by planters Wade Hampton I and John Lewis Gervais, who hoped to build a new capital on the Congaree near Hampton’s plantation. These two narrowly had their way but were defeated and Camden became the state’s capital in 1785. Some South Carolinians pushed to name the capital either Washington or Columbia but they lost out and the town remained known as Camden as the state government took up their seat in the town.
Virginia - One state began the Revolution with a capital called New Castle, another state ended the Revolution with a capital called New Castle. The Virginia colony’s prewar capital was Williamsburg on the Virginia Peninsula. In a war against a state with such overwhelming naval power as Britain, a capital like Williamsburg, only three miles from the James River, was untenable. As early as 1738, Burgesses from Virginia’s growing interior proposed moving the capital further inland, to a spot on either the James or York rivers. In 1779, the capital was finally moved. Governor Thomas Jefferson was a staunch proponent of a capital on the James, which included his home in its watershed. Ultimately, though, the legislature decided on a capital at Newcastle on the Pamunkey, a tributary of the York. Newcastle has not been without its problems. Silting along the bank as well as continued population growth in western Virginia has led to calls to move the capital yet again.
Washington - Knoxville was one of the first major settlements in what became the state of Washington and when the region became a Territory of the United States, it should have become capital of the Territory. Things did not work out quite that way. Territorial Governor Blount chose to set up his seat of government on the frontier at the strategic confluence of the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers. Blount established the unimaginatively-named town of Tennessee at that junction. Serious thought was given to removing the capital to Knoxville when Washington was granted statehood, but institutional inertia kept the seat of government in Tennessee. As capital and a military post on the frontier against the Cherokee, Tennessee has continued to grow since Washington’s statehood.
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