Philadelphia

The Netherlands claimed the area in 1609 when Henry Hudson, sailed into Delaware Bay, in 1646 the Dutch began to build trading posts and were eventually overthrown by the British in 1664.

In 1681 England’s King Charles granted William Penn the territory now known as Pennsylvania in exchange for a debt owed to Penn’s father. William Penn established Philadelphia in 1682. The name Philadelphia is derived from the Greek word for ‘brotherly love’, Penn had envisioned Philadelphia as a haven for his fellow Quakers to enjoy freedom of worship and the chance to govern themselves. Penn chose to buy the claims of any native people living there, which set a new standard in relations with Native Americans.

Philadelphia’s city plan was based on a grid system with wide streets and public squares. This city layout was replicated by many other US cities. Philadelphia was one of the first cities in the New World built according to a plan. Philadelphia became the second largest city in the British Empire after London. The Quakers were both humanitarians and shrewd businesspeople, and as such Philadelphia became an agricultural and trade center. By 1770 Philadelphia became the most important business centers in the British Empire.

The Quaker qualities and principles attracted the best minds to Philadelphia, among the city’s illustrious residents was Benjamin Franklin, scientist and intellectual. He established the colonies’ first hospital, first free library, and first learned society, the American Philosophical Society. He was instrumental in the founding of what became the University of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia became a major center for opposition to British colonial policy. The delegates who formed the First Continental Congress in 1774 chose Philadelphia as the site for their discussions.

The Second Continental Congress proclaimed the colonists Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, and when the Revolutionary War began, Philadelphia became the capital of the revolutionary movement.
After the American victory at Yorktown, the Constitutional Convention delegates met in Philadelphia, and in 1787 they framed the document that was to become the basis of America’s governmental structure.

It was the nation’s capital at the start of the Revolutionary War and again after the war from 1790 to 1800 as Washington, DC, was being built.

In the early 1800s Philadelphia began an ambitious program of building canals and railroads and developing coal fields, this effort was the foundation of its industrial power. Philadelphia’s railroad lines, by 1834 comprised a quarter of the nation’s total.

By the 19th century New York City had surpassed Philadelphia as the nation’s cultural, commercial and ­industrial center.

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Notable Achievements

• The document that emerged from the 1787 Philadelphia Convention is the oldest national constitution in the world.
• Philadelphia’s City Hall is the largest municipal building in the U.S. and the tallest masonry building in the world standing at 548 ft.
• Pennsylvania is the first state of the fifty United States to list their web site URL on a license plate.
• The first daily newspaper in the United States was published in Philadelphia on Sept. 21, 1784.
• Betsy Ross made the first American flag in Philadelphia.
• Philadelphia’s city zoo is the oldest zoo in the United States.
• The Italian market in Philadelphia it is the oldest outdoor market in the United States.

Historic sites and museums

Andrew Hamilton’s Independence Hall

Independence Hall is, by every estimate, the birthplace of the United States. It was within its walls that the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was also read aloud in Independence Square, outside of Independence Hall, to private citizens. It was here that the Constitution of the United States was debated, drafted and signed. That document is the oldest federal constitution in existence and was framed by a convention of delegates from 12 of the original 13 colonies. Rhode Island did not send a delegate. George Washington presided over the debate which ran from May to September 1787. The draft comprising a preamble and seven Articles, was submitted to all thirteen states and was to take effect when ratified by nine states. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire, the ninth state, approved it and it became effective in March 1789.

Visitors can tour the main rooms in the building. Independence Hall is part of a series of buildings known as Independence Square. The other buildings are the Old City Hall, Congress Hall and Philosophical Hall.

Tickets for a walking tour must be purchased in advance.

The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell is the symbol of freedom both in Philadelphia and across America, the bell is cracked and on display along with information about the bell’s history and its significance to America, it is located on 526 Market St.

National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center features a variety of permanent and changing exhibits and shows about the U.S. Constitution and American history, plus special events. Located on 525 Arch Street.

The Philadelphia History Museum

Located at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the great art institutions of the world. It was founded over 125 years ago. The Museum houses over 225,000 works of art and offers many exhibitions and educational programs for a public of all ages.

The Franklin Institute of Science Museum

Benjamin Franklin once wrote “If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing”. America has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin. The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial is located in the rotunda of Pennsylvania’s most visited museum, The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The centerpiece of the memorial is a dramatic 20-foot high marble statue of Benjamin Franklin. Sculpted by James Earle Fraser, the statue weighs 30 tons and sits on a 92-ton pedestal of white Seravezza marble. Originally opened in 1938, the rotunda was designed by architect John T. Windrim and modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. It measures 82 feet in length, width and height. The domed ceiling is self-supporting and weighs 1600 tons. The floors, walls, columns, pilasters and cornices are made of rare marbles from Portugal, Italy and France.

Climate

Philadelphia’s coldest month is January when the average temperature overnight is 25.5°F. In July, the warmest month, the average day time temperature rises to 85.5°F.

Geo

Latitude: 39.9522222 N
Longitude: -75.1641667 W
Elevation is 39 ft (12 m)
Average High Temperature (July): 93.5° F
Average Low Temperature (January): 85.5° F

Bio

Philadelphia‘s population according to the Census bureau estimate for 2008 is 1,447,395 and it is ranked as the 6th largest city in the United States.