Birthplace of America still attracts visitors
“If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide.” — Abraham Lincoln
Born out of an act of treason inside Independence Hall in 1776, the United States of America has endured many challenges, from slavery and civil war, two world wars, acts of terrorism and civil unrest.
This nation has been a bastion of freedom, a place where many have sought refuge and individual liberty. It’s where we pledge allegiance to a document, the rule of law, and not to a monarch or dictator. America’s founding principles and history demonstrate that “We the people” are not perfect, but we strive to be.
Independence Hall, then known as the State House of Pennsylvania, is the birthplace of the country. It was originally constructed to be the colonial capital of Pennsylvania, housing all three branches of its government until 1799.
During the American Revolution, the Pennsylvania Assembly lent its meeting place to the Second Continental Congress and later to the Constitutional Convention. America’s founding documents were debated, adopted, and signed inside its walls. The building has been preserved, and its rich history extends through time, including the 19th and 20th centuries. The building’s bell, long since cracked, now sits on display across the street as its own shrine to freedom.
The Liberty Bell draws visitors worldwide to hear its message, which resonates from its inscription: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof.” Independence Hall has not always been a place of celebration to some.
In the 19th century, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which caused a stir throughout the nation. Free Black communities and the growing abolitionist movement rallied against the act in Philadelphia.
When the act passed, Philadelphia was leasing part of the building to the federal government. The second floor of Independence Hall housed a federal courtroom, jury room, clerk's office, and U.S. Marshal's office. The “fugitive slave” hearings took place in the courtroom, and accused fugitives awaited their hearings, often for days, detained in the marshal’s office. Some convicted were “returned” to slavery despite being free and never having been enslaved. On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a keynote address at an Independence Day celebration in New York and asked, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” He later made similar remarks outside Independence Hall.
Since the 19th century, most people have referred to the old Pennsylvania State House as Independence Hall. The tradition started around the time the Marquis de La Fayette returned to America and visited the building in 1824.
Independence Hall is part of a bigger government complex known today as Independence Square. The square is the city block bounded by Fifth, Walnut, Sixth, and Chestnut streets. It is an area that has always included walks and green space for public enjoyment — redesigned in 1915 and designated a historic landscape.
The square has witnessed many national celebrations and protests, and has hosted world leaders and foreign dignitaries. Plaques on the square mark where Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy delivered speeches.
The square is also where the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence took place on July 8, 1776. It's where Susan B. Anthony and others presented the Women’s Declaration of Independence in 1876 in their quest for women’s right to vote. In the 1950s and 60s civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hosted sit-ins inside Independence Hall around the Liberty Bell, where it was displayed until 1976.
The buildings on each side of Independence Hall also housed the government for both the city and county of Philadelphia. On one side sits the Old City Hall, and on the other, the County Court House. Both were borrowed by the federal government from 1790 through 1800, when Philadelphia served as the country’s capital.
The United States Supreme Court met in Old City Hall, and Congress met in the County Courthouse, now called Congress Hall. Congress Hall is where the first peaceful transition of power took place in 1797, between President George Washington and President John Adams. It is also the place where many native tribal leaders advocated for their people’s rights with Congress.
The history of Independence Square is remarkable. Where else in the past have local, county, state and national governments all met at the same place at the same time? These sites, once marked for destruction, are preserved today as part of Independence National Historical Park.
June 28 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Independence National Historical Park. Signed into law by President Harry S. Truman on June 28, 1948, the park covers over 54 acres in Philadelphia's Old City. It includes Independence Square, the Liberty Bell, the First and Second Banks, Franklin Court, Washington Square, Welcome Park, and other historic locations associated with the founding of the United States and beginnings of the country.
Independence National Historical Park is many things to many people. It is, of course, a national shrine. It is a place to be reminded of the ideals that formed the basis for the founding of the United States. Park visitors learn the formation of this nation was the work of many different people, imperfect like themselves, who transcended their faults and defects to create an enduring democracy, the oldest in the world and a model for free people everywhere. The park is also a place of protest, a place where people can gather peacefully to petition leaders, air grievances, or to point out the imperfections and denial of rights.
Independence NHP is also an urban park, a green oasis in a busy city. It serves as a steward to some of Philadelphia's most significant outdoor public spaces. Independence Mall runs between Fifth and Sixth streets, from Chestnut Street to Race Street. It provides space for buildings such as the Liberty Bell Center, Independence Visitor Center, and the National Constitution Center.
Independence Mall also includes the President’s House Site, which provides outdoor exhibits examining the paradox between slavery and freedom in the new nation. Presidents Washington and Adams — and their households — once lived and worked at a house on this spot. The house was demolished in 1832, but now videos and archaeological remains share the stories of the enslaved people who lived and worked here, while text panels shed light on everything from the slave trade to the work of the executive branch.
Washington Square is one of the original squares in the 1682 plan for the city of Philadelphia as designed for William Penn. It became a Potter's Field or Strangers' Burial Ground in 1706, serving as a burial ground for the town's free and enslaved Blacks. During the Revolutionary War, it doubled as a military cemetery; more than 2,000 soldiers, patriots and prisoners of war are buried there, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution was established in 1953.
Welcome Park, a lesser-known area within Independence NHP, borders Second Street and is the site of William Penn's slate roof house, torn down in the 19th century. Today, it provides visitors to Philadelphia with an overview of the city layout and a brief history of William Penn and his colony.
A few blocks from Independence Square sits Franklin Court, where Benjamin Franklin’s home once stood. Visitors can view the archaeological remnants of his home, learn about his life and legacy in the Benjamin Franklin Museum and observe printing demonstrations similar to how Franklin printed during his early life.
Carpenters’ Hall showcases early building trades and once served as the First Continental Congress meeting place in 1774. It is where representatives of the colonies first came together to voice their frustrations with the crown. The proceedings sparked unity between the colonies, leading Patrick Henry to proclaim, “I am not a Virginian, but an American.”
As we lead up to America’s 250th birthday, it’s important to remember all the tragic and triumphant history of the United States and its founding principles. One such event that captures this sentiment took place at Independence Hall in 1865. After giving his life for the principles of equality in the Declaration of Independence, President Abraham Lincoln’s body was placed in the very room that witnessed the birth of our country. Near the head of the casket sat the Liberty Bell, whose inscription of “Proclaim Liberty …” Lincoln helped to fulfill.
For more information on America 250 events at Independence National Historical Park, please visit our website at www.nps.gov.inde or search @IndependenceNHP on social media.
Adam Duncan is a National Park Service ranger at Independence National Historical Park.
