The birthplace of the United States.
Colonial Pennsylvania’s State House became the birthplace of America when it hosted the Continental Congress and signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Constitutional Convention also met here in 1787, and Benjamin Franklin famously called for its members to begin their daily meetings with prayer. No stranger to this building, he worked here as a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, delegate to the Congress, President of Pennsylvania, and member of the Constitutional Convention.
Discover Philadelphia’s hidden history and how faith has guided liberty toward justice with our curated ecosystem of trails that explore the city’s must-see sites!