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Philadelphia History continued...
Long before European settlers arrived, the area that is now Philadelphia was inhabited by Native American tribes such as the Algonquin tribes of the Delaware and the Shawnee. However, by the late 16th and 17th centuries, Europeans began to arrive in the area. By the mid-17th century, a treaty had been signed, allowing the Europeans to purchase the Native American land. Europeans began flocking to the area in droves. It was not long (1681) before King Charles II of England, granted a charter to William Penn to the land that would become Philadelphia.
If one person can be called the father of Philadelphia, it is William Penn. Penn was a Quaker who had envisioned a city where a local liberal government would respect the religious freedoms of its citizens. He called his idea a “holy experiment.” The area settled by Penn became known as Pennsylvania. The area was obviously named for William Penn, and Sylvania, which means woodlands. In 1682, the settlers named the new city Philadelphia, which comes from the Greek expression for “brotherly love.” This also provided Pennsylvania with its first capital city. The city immediately grew to become the second largest city in the British Empire, second only to London.
By 1700, a few thousand people lived in Philadelphia. Most of the settlers were Quakers from England, who had followed Penn to his holy experiment. However, as the town grew, Germans, Scots and many other nationalities began pouring in. Philadelphia became a trading and manufacturing center.
In less than 100 years, Philadelphia had become a key city in the new colonies. By 1774, the city was the military, political and economic center for the colonies. Because the city was founded on the idea of tolerance, resistance to the British Empire within the city was strong. Throughout the American Revolution, Philadelphia remained an important city. It was within the city that the First Continental Congress met and decided to boycott British goods rather than revolt. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress met at Independence Hall. The Declaration of Independence was also signed within the walls of Independence Hall. Throughout the Revolution and until 1800, while Washington was being completed, Philadelphia served as the capital city of the United States. During the early years of the country, Philadelphia once again had an important role. In 1787, the city was a key meeting place for the development of the U.S. Constitution.
Philadelphia also played an important role in the American Civil War years later. It was the first major U.S. city in the north to play an active role in the war. The city was home to many regiments of infantry and cavalry who fought for the Union Army. The city served for a major recruiting spot and thousands of sailors and soldiers signed up there. Philadelphia was also a major provider of uniforms, weapons and ammunition for the Union. Philadelphia's naval yard built 11 warships and equipped many other ships for combat during the war. Many troops marched through the streets of the city on their way to the battlefields. The city also served as a refuge for the wounded. Eventually, the military hospitals in the city had over 10,000 beds and cared for over 150,000 soldiers and sailors during the war.
The city continued to prosper during the late 1800's. In 1876, the city hosted the World's Fair, known as the Centennial Exposition. Philadelphia was chosen as the site for the exposition in order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Roughly 9 million people (20% of the population of the United States) flocked to Philadelphia t see the latest innovations in technology and agriculture. Remnants of the exposition can still be seen today as Memorial Hall and the expansive mall in front of the building are left over from the fair.
From its beginning, Philadelphia was a planned city. Its design had already been drawn, its streets already named, even before a charter was granted. William Penn's original design called for streets to be laid out in a checkerboard fashion. This design proved to be beneficial in the growth of the city for many years. As more and more immigrants moved into the city, the checkerboard grid system was pushed to the urban limits of the city. The rectangular survey of open farmland and the laying out of streets and blocks provided an effective and efficient method for rapid urban development. However, by the early 1900's, the city had essentially outgrown itself. Much of the growth that had taken place had happened without planning, which resulted in congestion. Due to the city's improved highway network, areas directly outside of the city became much more accessible for development than the urban areas. This did not deter the city from promoting itself. In the 1930's, the city issued a pamphlet with the slogan “Philadelphia, Historic in the Past, Inviting in the Present, Superb in the Future”. The pamphlet also mentioned a regional plan for future expansion.
In 1926, the city once again played host to the World's Fair. This time, the celebration was in honor of the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. The celebration was also known as the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition and had the Liberty Bell as its symbol. An 80 foot replica of the bell, covered in 26,000 light bulbs, was constructed at the gateway to the expo. This fair drew a much smaller crowd than anticipated. About 10 million people attended.
In the 1950's, Philadelphia suffered the same fate as many other major cities in the United States. Heavy migration of people and industry from the city to the suburbs caused massive job loss. The city was suffering from suburban growth, where the suburbs actually grew faster than the city itself. Many neighborhoods would retain the environment of the immigrants who had originally settled there. All of this caused the city to undergo some self-improvement projects in the 1950's. The city started by replacing blocks of buildings with parks, modern buildings and parking garages. The city also tried to provide better transportation for its residents. During this time, Philadelphia lost valuable architecture and Victorian structures. However, these improvements were necessary to revitalize the downtown area. These improvements allowed areas that were once industrialized and populated to remain open for future use. Philadelphia had found a way to preserve the old while incorporating the new.
Today, the city of Philadelphia has the feel of both an old colonial town and a modern booming business city. For decades, a gentlemen's agreement prevented anyone from building a structure that would reach higher than the statue of William Penn that stands atop City Hall. However, in 1987, the completion of Liberty One Office Tower broke the agreement. Since then, several other buildings have surpassed the statue's height. However, William Penn still enjoys a breathtaking view of the city that became his “Holy Experiment.”
Downtown Philadelphia is the home of many of the city's and the country's most famous landmarks. Independence National Historical Park is the home of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, the signing place of the Declaration of Independence. Colonial Philadelphia was also the home to Benjamin Franklin, who founded the country's first hospital, library, fire company and university.
Benjamin Franklin was an important inventor, writer and statesman. He helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. He is just one of many famous Americans who have called the City of Brotherly Love their home. Among Philadelphia's most famous citizens are Bill Cosby, Will Smith, Kevin Bacon, John Coltrane, Wilt Chamberlain and M. Night Shyamalan. Philadelphia has also been the site of many famous movies and television shows. Among the big screen features that were filmed in the city are Fallen, Beloved and all of the Rocky movies. The hit television show American Bandstand was filmed in Philadelphia from 1952-1964, before moving to Los Angeles.
The city of Philadelphia is the home to many fine educational and cultural institutions. Among the colleges and universities that call the city their home are Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, Saint Joseph's University, Temple University and Philadelphia University. The city is also home to many fine museums, among them are the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, the Franklin Institute and the Atwater-Kent Municipal Museum.
Philadelphia also has some of the craziest sports fans in the world. The city is home to many professional sports teams and the citizens love their sports. The Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL all make their home in the city.
Over the years, Philadelphia has found a way to incorporate modern life with its colonial roots. Where else in the country can one visit the grave of one of the country's founding fathers and then attend a professional sporting event? So, be it sports, history, museums or a philly cheese steak, Philadelphia truly is a city that has it all.
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