Why did Albany's location make a better choice for the state capital than New York City?

Answer 1

Albany is the second oldest incorporated city in the United States, after New Amsterdam. The capital moved from Kingston NY in 1777, while the British held New York City. Albany is more centrally located, and the Hudson provides access to the Great Lakes through the Erie canal.

Answer 2

Albany was chosen to be the capital of New York by the State Legislature. The reasoning behind why it was chosen, is that it was the largest community in the colony at the time the decision was made.

Answer 3

Albany is the capitol because it was centrally located.

It was not New York City, and if you're at all familiar with New York politics past and present, the NYC/Upstate division has always been a hot-button congeries of issues. But it was accessible, in the days of steamboats and early trains, to NYC, and was reasonably accessible by the Mohawk Valley and Erie Canal to the rest of Upstate. So it served as an excellent compromise candidate between the NYC people who would have preferred that the Big Apple be the state capital, and Upstaters who might have looked at Syracuse or Rome as best from the geographic-center perspective, with some influential local people pushing for it as well.

Answer 4

Albany was chosen because the government needed a way to convince New York's farmers to agree to be a state. Albany used to be a agricultural town.

Answer 5

Albany is located on the west bank of the Hudson River about 10 miles or 16 km south of its confluence with the Mohawk River.