Philadelphia hosted both the Declaration of Independence’s adoption and the United States Constitution’s signing.
The Second Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, when it adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. The same building hosted the Constitutional Convention more than a decade later. On September 17, 1787, delegates signed the Constitution there.
Philadelphia was one of the largest and most important cities in British North America. Its central location among the colonies, established printing industry, and political institutions made it a practical meeting place for revolutionary assemblies. Benjamin Franklin had also helped make the city a major center of intellectual and civic life.
Philadelphia was not the permanent national capital. The federal government later operated from New York City and then Philadelphia before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1800. Independence Hall remains associated with both founding moments, which is why the city is central to America250 history as well as to the earlier national celebrations.