1789 was an incredibly important year for the new nation as it had defeated the British, and the monumental task of creating and implementing democratic rule had been undertaken by the Congress of the Confederation, which had assembled in New York City in 1785. The Continental Congress ratified the Constitution of the United States in 1789, and it was also the year General George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the fledgling United States. The nation's capital at the time, New York City, was undergoing a significant transition, and the United States itself was beginning to navigate freedom from British rule. New York City was becoming the cultural center, and it's thriving financial markets, and bustling port provided an economic boom. New York City became the most populated city in the nation in 1790, and the growth would only continue. In the 19th century, the population would go from around 65,000 to nearly 3.5 million. This map indexes the notable buildings of the time and allows historians to create a vision for what daily life would have been like in the late 18th century. With the formation of the stock market to follow three years later, New York was rapidly developing, and by offering merchants more for their imported goods, the city was able to economically surpass both Boston and Philadelphia as the leading hub for imports. The city always held a cosmopolitan attitude, and its resident's tolerance for immigrants allowed the diversity it is known for today.
