Independence Hall

Built between 1732 and 1756 as the State House of the Colony of Pennsylvania, Independence Hall became an international symbol of government by the people. The Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, set forth the founding principles of the new nation here, and eleven years later, in 1787, these principles were embodied in the United States Constitution, now the oldest written constitution in the world. Efforts to preserve the building as a symbol of American ideals increased over time: in 1816 Philadelphians saved the old State House from impending demolition, in 1948 the U.S. Congress made it the centerpiece of a new National Historical Park, and in 1980 it was designated a World Heritage Site.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States