The Declaration of Independence was debated and adopted in Philadelphia, the city at the center of the founding story behind America250.
The Second Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. Delegates debated independence there in 1776, revised Thomas Jefferson’s draft, and adopted the Declaration on July 4. Philadelphia was also one of the largest and most important cities in British North America at the time.
The city’s role continued beyond the Declaration. The Constitutional Convention met in the same building in 1787, producing the United States Constitution. Philadelphia therefore connects two foundational documents, although they were created more than a decade apart.
Boston was a major center of resistance and the site of events such as the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party. New York City later became the first capital under the Constitution, while Charleston was an important Southern port. None of those cities hosted the Declaration’s adoption.