Philadelphia hosted the Second Continental Congress in the founding story celebrated by America250.
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia from May 1775 until March 1781. It acted as the national governing body of the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War and later represented the new United States. Its delegates included George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock.
The Congress appointed Washington commander in chief of the Continental Army, authorized the Declaration of Independence, created the Continental Army, and managed diplomacy and wartime finances. Its sessions were held in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, although delegates sometimes relocated because of military threats.
Philadelphia was a major port and political center in British North America, making it a practical meeting place. The First Continental Congress had also met there in 1774. New York City later became the first national capital under the Constitution, but it was not the home of the Second Continental Congress.