Philadelphia hosted the Second Continental Congress when it adopted the Declaration of Independence, the central event remembered by America’s 250th anniversary.
The delegates met at the Pennsylvania State House, a building now known as Independence Hall. Philadelphia was the largest city in British North America and a major center of printing, trade, and political debate.
The city also played a key role after adoption. The Declaration’s first public readings took place on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia, Trenton, and Easton. Philadelphia later served as the United States capital from 1790 to 1800.