(Newswire.net — February 19, 2018) — Any visitor to Philadelphia today would see a modern city bustling with typical urban activities of work, leisure, the arts and sciences, food and entertainment. The city as it stands today makes it easy for a casual observer to assume that Philadelphia is a modern city that has developed very recently. The truth, however, is that Philadelphia occupies an essential place in the history of the formation of the United States.
Early History
The earliest recorded evidence we have of Philadelphia existing as a place is in the middle of the 17th century. The mouth of the Schuylkill River was the location for the genesis of this city back then, and this river continues to form an essential part of Philadelphia even today. The first settlers there came around 1643, but after around 40 years of complete control by the English, the region of Pennsylvania was given as a grant by the English ruler (King Charles II) to William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.
Initial Developments
William Penn founded the state and the city of Philadelphia by the spirit of tolerance, and even today Philly is known for its spirit of brotherhood. This led to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania attracting lots of settlers from various parts of Europe. By the start of the 18th century, the enterprising initial settlers had set up a bustling trade with the West Indies. The growing importance of the city in the political and economic landscape of the state and the country led to the City charter being awarded to Philadelphia in 1701. Modern urban facilities began to be added, for example, Harrah’s Philadelphia racetrack picks.
The Revolution
The latter half of the 18thcentury was a period of great tumult in the USA, and Philadelphia was at the very center of this storm. Before this, the first half of the 18th century saw Philadelphia consolidate its position as a major urban center, with the city growing and adding many picturesque suburbs gradually. By this time some other urban centers had already started to come up, and one of them was New York. But the eight years from 1775 to 1783 saw the epoch-making American War of Independence took place, which changed not only the face of USA but also the world. The seeds of this war had been laid a decade back with the passage of the Stamp Act. The First and Second Continental Congress were both held in Philadelphia. Even after the war ended, the convention to produce the American Constitution was organized in Philadelphia.Rightly called the cradle of America’s independence, Philadelphia was the home to the Declaration of Independence as well as the constitution. The city has landmarks like the Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell which serve as reminders of the vital contribution of Philadelphia to America’s history. Philadelphia was also the hometown of a person called Betsy Ross, who is supposed to have stitched the first US flag, and her house still stands in a part of Philadelphia.