Independence Hall in Philadelphia was the building where the Second Continental Congress debated independence, central to America250 history.
The building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House. The Second Continental Congress met there during the American Revolution, and delegates debated, revised, and adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The United States Constitution was also debated and signed there in 1787.
The site was originally known as the Pennsylvania State House. Its later name, Independence Hall, reflects its association with the Declaration and the founding of the United States. The Liberty Bell is displayed nearby, but it is not the building itself; that distinction is a common source of confusion when visitors refer generally to Philadelphia’s revolutionary landmarks.