"Philly" a Philadelphia Travel Page by smschley

Philadelphia was first settled by Swedish immigrants in the 1640's, with the official founding as a city by William Penn in 1682. Penn opened his city to people of many different religious and ethnic backgrounds thus the city became know as, "The City of Brotherly Love". Despite what a lot of brochures say, The city is no longer this loving city and I would advise caution in many of the cities areas.

It is impossible to walk the streets and not feel bump into it’s colonial history. It the home of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell a city that saw the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the writing of a Constitution 11 years later. Benjamin Franklin was one of the young city's earliest and brightest stars. The young man strolled into the city with only a loaf of bread, made a fortune as a printer, and at his death was celebrated worldwide as a scientist, philosopher, inventor, statesman, and diplomat.


In 1790, Philadelphia became the nation's capital, a status it retained until 1800, when the government was moved to the still uncompleted Washington, DC. Despite losing the capital, Philadelphia continued to flourish. Situated on the Delaware River, the city has always been one of the most important fresh water ports in the country. The location has supported a strong industrial and commercial life for the area. As the nation industrialized, the city became an important factor in that effort and supplied the nation with ships, iron, and locomotives. Until its recent closure, the Philadelphia Naval Yard was the nation's oldest and perhaps most distinguished for building and maintaining many of the country's most famous ships.

The 19th Century left Philadelphia with the stamp of industrialization with its polished Colonial image, replaced by factories and a new wave of immigrants. The new persona served the city well until recently, when much of the industry has moved away.