Yes. Baltimore, Maryland was the capital of the United States (under the Second Continental Congress) from December 20, 2023 to February 27, 1777.
The nation's first capital was Philadelphia, then the great metropolis of North America with a population of more than 40,000.
In December 1776, however, in the face of advancing British forces, the Continental Congress hurriedly adjourned to Baltimore (capital #2). The delegates were not enthusiastic about Baltimore, a muddy burg of 6,000; one ungraciously described it as an "extravagant hole."
They were only too happy to return to Philly in March 1777 when the military situation stabilized.
Washington D.C. was actually the ninth American capital since the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence. Explore the eight other locales that were once the seats of American power at History.com.