Philadelphia: City of Revolution and Home to Independence
Abstract
Philadelphia is home to dozens of landmarks of the growing colonial unrest leading to the American Revolution, independence from Great Britain, and the signing of the Constitution.
This life-sized exhibit in the Museum of the American Revolution depicts Hessian cavalry troops fighting on the side of the Loyalists.
Located between New England and the colonies on the southeastern border of North America and the continent’s most populous city in the late 18th century, Philadelphia seemed destined to become the unofficial capital of the American Revolution.
Founded as a city of religious tolerance, the spirit of Philadelphia infused the Revolution: It was home to one of the 18th century’s most famous citizens, Benjamin Franklin; the site of the first and second Continental Congress; and the place where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States of America were written and signed.
Throughout the city and surrounding region are dozens of landmarks of the Revolution. Here are just a few of the most prominent:
The Museum of the American Revolution is devoted entirely to the Revolutionary period, holding an important collection of art, manuscripts, and printed works along with British, French, and American weapons used in battle and personal diaries written in camp. The museum illuminates the lives of the founding fathers and common soldiers—as well as enslaved and free black people, American Indians, and women—through immersive displays and artifacts designed as a storytelling experience. Galleries are organized chronologically, leading visitors from the beginning of the conflict through the creation of the United States.
Carpenters’ Hall was the site of the First Continental Congress, during which representatives of 12 of the American colonies (Georgia didn’t participate) registered their fury at King George’s taxes and trade policies in 1774. The representatives voted on a trade embargo, the first of many unified acts of defiance. In addition to being historic, the building is an architectural gem.
Of course, visitors interested in the American Revolution will want to tour Independence Hall. In the sweltering summer of 1776, 56 delegates gathered at the Pennsylvania State House and pledged their “lives, their fortune, and their sacred honor” by signing the Declaration of Independence. Eleven years later, representatives from 12 states gathered to shape the U.S. Constitution, finally creating one unified nation. Tickets are free and available at the Independence Visitor Center.
Families traveling with children to Philadelphia may especially want to visit The Betsy Ross House, home of America’s flagmaker. Betsy herself is at home, plying her trade and regaling visitors with stories of colonial life. The Revolutionary War left the young upholsterer twice a widow. After losing her first husband, John Ross, to an ammunition explosion, she wed John Ashburn, who died after being captured and imprisoned by the British.
Congregation Mikveh Israel is the oldest formal congregation in Philadelphia and the oldest continuous synagogue in use in the United States. It is known as “the synagogue of the Revolution.” The congregation’s website states that during the war, Jews from the surrounding colonies came to Philadelphia seeking refuge from the British. Haym Salomon, a member of the congregation, helped to finance and underwrite the war effort and made personal loans to government figures. The website also states that Salomon was part of a delegation protesting the state’s religious test oath and was treasurer for the Society for the Relief of Destitute Strangers. ■
