The History of Philadelphia, PA

The history of Philadelphia is almost as important to Americans as the history of the nation considering the fact that Philadelphia has played such a strong role in the development of the United States. Visitors planning to travel to the City of Brotherly Love will be able to enjoy and enhance their vacation even more by brushing up on some of the major events which occurred in Philadelphia.

The city was originally founded, laid out and planned in 1682 by William Penn. The close proximity of the Atlantic Coast allowed the city to grow rapidly during the 18th century and it quickly became the cultural center of the colonies.

Dissatisfaction with British rule quickly began to spread and in September of 1774 delegates form the 13 colonies were sent to Philadelphia in order to form the First Continental Congress. The group met in Carpenters' Hall.

The following month, on October 20, 1774 the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress was issued by the Congress. The declaration effectively served to sever all trade with Great Britain as well as Ireland.

Throughout the following months, a number of important events occurred which would force Philadelphia even further into the annals of American history. The British failed to respond as hoped and instead, troops were sent to quell the rebellion.

The Second Continental Congress met in May of 1775 in Philadelphia in another effort to resolve problems with the British and avoid war. The Congress met in the Pennsylvania State House; which is now known as Independence Hall. A continental army was established and George Washington was appointed as commander-in-chief.

By the summer; however, it had become apparent that any attempts at peace were fruitless. A committee was quickly formed to draft the Declaration of Independence. The group, including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston, met in the assembly room of the Pennsylvania State House to draft the important document. The Declaration of Independence was ratified on July 4, 1776 and the new country officially declared its independence from the British Empire. According to history, the Liberty Bell was struck on July 8, 1776 in order for all citizens to come and hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

From September of 1777 until July of 1778 the city was occupied by the British Army and the Congress was forced to evacuate to York, Pennsylvania. Following the war, in 1787, delegates from twelve states met to discuss revisions to the Articles of Confederation. The group convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Instead of proposing amendments to the articles; however, the Convention decided to draft a rewritten Constitution. Deliberations regarding the matter were kept secret and the windows of the Hall were kept shut even though it was during the hottest part of summer.

On September 17, 1787 the Constitution was finally completed. The new Congress met for the first time in New York; however, in 1790 they moved back to Philadelphia and convened in Congress Hall, near Independence Hall. Philadelphia remained the federal seat of government until 1800, at which time the capital was officially moved to Washington D.C.