Great Cities of the United States: Historical, Descriptive, Commercial, IndustrialSouthworth, Gertrude Van Duyn
History
Great Cities of the United States: Historical, Descriptive, Commercial, Industrial
Southworth, Gertrude Van Duyn
Cities and towns -- United States; United States -- Description and travel
Carpenters' Hall and Independence Hall ought to be known and remembered
by every boy and girl in America. When the Massachusetts colonists held
the Boston Tea Party, England undertook to punish Massachusetts by
closing her chief port. This meant ruin to Boston. All the English
colonists in America were so aroused that they determined to call a
meeting of representatives from each colony, to consider the wisest
course of action and how to help Massachusetts. It was in Carpenters'
Hall that this first Continental Congress met, in September, 1774. The
building was erected in 1770 as a meeting place for the house carpenters
of Philadelphia--hence its name.
[Illustration: THE HOME OF BETSY ROSS]
On Chestnut Street stands the old statehouse, which is called
Independence Hall because it was the birthplace of our liberty. Here it
was that, when all hope of peace between the colonies and England had
been given up, the colonial representatives met in 1776 in the
Continental Congress and adopted the Declaration of Independence, which
declared that England's American colonies should henceforth be free and
independent. While the members of Congress discussed the Declaration and
its adoption, throngs packed the streets outside, impatiently waiting to
know the result. At last the great bell rang out--the signal of the
joyous news that the Declaration of Independence had been adopted.
Independence Hall was built to be used as a statehouse for the colony of
Pennsylvania. The old building has been kept as nearly as possible in its
original condition and is now considered "A National Monument to the
Birth of the Republic." This sacred spot is under the supervision of the
Sons of the American Revolution and is used as the home of many historic
relics. Among these may be found the Liberty Bell, which hung in the
tower of the statehouse for many years. It was later removed from the
tower and placed on exhibition in the building. It has made many journeys
to exhibitions in various cities, such as New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago,
Charleston, Boston, St. Louis, and San Francisco. The old bell is now
shown in a glass case at the main entrance to Independence Hall.
[Illustration: THE FIRST UNITED STATES FLAG]
On Arch Street, not far from Independence Hall, is the little house where
it is claimed the first American flag was made by Betsy Ross.
For ten years, from 1790 to 1800, Philadelphia was the capital of the
United States. In this city Washington and Adams were inaugurated for
their second term as president and vice-president, and here Adams was
inaugurated president in 1797.
Philadelphia to-day is a great city: great in industry, great in
commerce, and great in near-by resources. Every street of the old part of
the town is rich in historic memories. William Penn dreamed of a
magnificent city, and the City of Brotherly Love is worthy of her
founder's dream.
=PHILADELPHIA=
FACTS TO REMEMBER
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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