Philadelphia hosted the Congress when it adopted the Declaration honored by America250.
In July 1776, the Second Continental Congress was meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. The building is now called Independence Hall and is located in the city’s historic district. Congress approved the Declaration of Independence there on July 4.
Philadelphia was a major political and commercial center in colonial British North America. It had already hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress beginning in 1775. Its location, printing industry, and established civic institutions made it a natural gathering place for revolutionary leaders.
Philadelphia remained central to early United States history after independence. The Constitutional Convention met there in 1787, and the city served as the national capital from 1790 to 1800. It was not, however, the permanent capital; Washington, D.C., became the national capital in 1800.