What was Independence Hall called when the Second Continental Congress met there in 1776?

Independence Hall was called the Pennsylvania State House when the Second Continental Congress met there in 1776.

The building stood in Philadelphia and served as the seat of Pennsylvania’s colonial government. The Second Continental Congress used its Assembly Room while debating and adopting the Declaration of Independence. The same room later became associated with the drafting and signing of the United States Constitution in 1787.

The name Independence Hall became common after the American Revolution because of the building’s connection with the Declaration and the founding of the United States. The structure is part of Independence National Historical Park and is recognized as a major American historic site.

A common mix-up is to call it “Independence Hall” when describing events in 1776. That name is historically understandable today, but the building’s contemporary name was Pennsylvania State House. Its changing name reflects how the site’s meaning expanded from a colonial legislature to a national symbol.