Who suggested the nation's capital be moved from new york city?

Answer 1

Alexander Hamilton suggested moving to Washington, more in the south, to please Thomas Jefferson. They were of different parties (Hamilton=Federalist, Jefferson=Democratic Republican), and naturally clashed. Hamilton proposed paying off all debts, state and federal- the federal government racked up debt under the Articles of Confederation, as it could not raise money from taxes and relied on borrowing from Holland, Spain, and France- so as to start of on a clean slate. The southern US didn't have much debt, but the northern states had a bit (they were the merchant people and had been hurt by England not trading with them after the Revolutionary War). Southern states did not want to pay for northern debts with the northerners. Hamilton brought up the Potomac River Deal, in which he offered putting the state in the south in return for the south helping pay off the north's debts. Jefferson thought that if the capital was in the south, the south would have more say in the government. Basically, Hamilton tricked him.

Washington owned the land that became Washington D.C., and it was about the worst land possible to own. Known as "Foggy Bottom"... it was a terrible plot. I think Hamilton was getting brownie points with Washington by having the federal government buy that land.

Answer 2

I really don't know for sure . The South wanted the capital of the U.S. closer to them and so they moved the capital from N.Y. to Washington D.C. Meanwhile as they made ready for the new capital in Washington D.C. they made a city in Pennsylvania(idk what city) as a temporary capital for 10 years.