Philadelphia hosted the First Continental Congress, making it a major historical focus of America250 commemorations.
The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1774, before the Declaration of Independence. Delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies met to coordinate a response to British policies and the coercive measures imposed after the Boston Tea Party.
Philadelphia continued to play a central role during the revolutionary era. The Second Continental Congress met there, and the Declaration of Independence was adopted in the city in 1776. Independence Hall, formerly the Pennsylvania State House, is the best-known landmark associated with these events.
America250 planning identifies Philadelphia as one of the celebration's leading cities, alongside Boston, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina. The city is therefore important not because it hosted only one revolutionary gathering, but because several foundational national events occurred there.