Since the building’s completion in 1753, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been the site of numerous important meetings.

 

Fun Facts

• Craftsmen built the State House between 1732 and 1753, working only when the Pennsylvania congress was able to provide funds.
• The red brick building served as Philadelphia’s state house until Pennsylvania’s capitol was moved to Lancaster. Here lawmakers met to discuss decisions.
• It was the location for the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783.
• The Founding Fathers wrote and signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution at Independence Hall.
• Thomas Stretch built a clock for the building in 1753. It took the colony six years to pay him for his work.
• The building has a large main section with a clock tower, as well as two wings. All of it has been rebuilt or restored multiple times.
• Independence Hall sits on a city block with two other historical buildings. The area is known as Independence Square. The Liberty Bell is nearby.
• After Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, his body was taken from Washington D.C. to Independence Hall where over 300,000 mourners came to pay their respects to the beloved president. Some of them waited over 5 hours to take part.
• In 1915, the League to Enforce Peace, a group of European and American leaders, met here. They resolved to be united, protecting and supporting each other against aggression.

 

Vocabulary

1. Founding Fathers: the group of men who drafted the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution
2. Aggression: harmful behavior toward another person or group

 

Questions and Answers

Question: Why was Philadelphia chosen as the place for the Second Continental Congress?

Answer: Philadelphia’s founder William Penn had a strong religious vision for the city. The city’s name comes from Greek words meaning brotherly love. The city had a strong history of dynamic leaders such as Benjamin Franklin.

It made sense that the Founding Fathers would meet here. It was also a geographically convenient location between New England and the southern colonies.

 

Learn More

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