United States capitals. The U.S. government had no permanent capital until 1800, when it took up residence in Washington, D.C. Until that time, the government, in the form of its Congresses, had many different meeting places. The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, except for brief periods during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), when British troops forced it to flee. The Continental Congress was succeeded in 1781 by the Congress of the Confederation, which moved several times before settling in New York City in 1785. In 1789, the Congress of the Confederation was succeeded by the Congress that was established by the Constitution of the United States. This Congress met in New York City until 1790, when it moved to Philadelphia.