Philadelphia was home to the Pennsylvania State House, where the Continental Congress met in 1776.
The building is now known as Independence Hall. It stood at the center of revolutionary political activity in Philadelphia and hosted the Second Continental Congress when delegates debated and adopted the Declaration of Independence.
Philadelphia was also the meeting place for the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The city’s role in both the Revolution and the creation of the federal Constitution makes it one of the most important historic locations connected with America250.
A frequent mix-up is New York City, which served as the national capital under the Constitution for a short period. Boston was a major revolutionary center, but the Continental Congress did not meet there in 1776. Williamsburg was Virginia’s colonial capital.