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Hello, and thank you for joining the American Revolution. This week, episode 359, George Washington's inaugural.

Last week, we covered the first presidential election and ended with Washington riding to New York

to be sworn in as president. New York had become the seat of government in 1785 after Congress left

Philadelphia because they felt the local government did not do enough to protect them from angry

soldiers who were being denied their pay and promised benefits. Congress had operated for a time

in Trenton and Princeton, but the members found that they

really needed a larger town to ensure they had the amenities they needed, which is why they moved to

New York City. With the implementation of the Constitution, New York City wanted to remain the

nation's capital. The city paid for a massive renovation of its city hall, which was at the corner of Broad and

Wall Streets. It designated the building as the Federal Hall. Pierre Lafant was in charge of the

renovations. Lafant was a French engineer who had first arrived as a young military officer

in 1777. He had served on Washington's staff at Valley Forge,

but later served in combat, being wounded at the siege of Savannah, and captured at the

surrender of Charleston. After the war, Lafant settled in New York, where he began working as an architect.

The work that had to be done to the new federal hall was considerable. Lafant

began work on the hall in 1788, while the Confederation Congress was still meeting there. The city

...