Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is one of the few cities in America where history is ingrained with the present, which makes the city an ideal place for almost everyone. From its nostalgic colonial architecture to a modern skyline that can compete with the skyline of New York City, the city has everything. Apart from the historical landmarks, the city is rich in artistic, cultural, ethnic and culinary treasures that offer an experience that is never forgotten. By day people can experience firsthand the history of the past four centuries and by night one can be part of one of the most vibrant nightlife in United States with splendid options in performing arts and dining locations.
Philadelphia is a city anyone can proudly call home. Tourists coming to Philadelphia will find the history and current events engaging and intriguing. As one of the father cities of United States people can enjoy a great deal from the historical sites and many places to explore. The city is visited by more than 30 million eager students, interested adults, partying teens, students, sporting enthusiasts and history buffs every year.
Philadelphia History
Philadelphia has a very vibrant history dating back to the time when the region was inhabited by the Lenape Indians since the 15th century and the Swedish and Dutch settlers in around the 16th century to it being the Capital of the newly formed United States of America. Philadelphia played an important part in the America Revolution by hoisting the First and Second Continental Congresses and later went on to become the capital of the United States for some time and continued to play an important role as the cultural and financial center of the nation.
The colorful history of Philadelphia starts with its colonization of Delaware River valley by the Dutch who built Fort Christina as the first European settlement in Delaware valley, which is now in Brooklawn, New Jersey and began trading furs and tobacco along with the Swedish and Germans. The entire Delaware valley was initially considered to be owned by Dutch as part of their New Netherland colony. Swedish settlers quickly spread from the New Sweden colony at Fort Christina and threatened the Dutch. In 1655 the Dutch led a military campaign to successfully take control of the Swedish colonies; however the Swedish enjoyed their own militia, court and religion. The settlements grew and in the course of time began to have separate administrations forming small groups of towns and districts which collectively came to be known as Philadelphia. In 1664,the English conquered the New Netherland colony owned by the Dutch. Northern Liberties, Kensigton, Spring Garden all became a part along with some of the outlying towns also got absorbed to the present day Philadelphia as the time went on.
The main source of trade in Philadelphia was from the West Indies and it carried on until the trade was disrupted by Queen Anne's War leading to the financial downfall of the region. Various great personalities like James Logan, William Penn and Benjamin Franklin strived for the scientific and cultural development of Philadelphia by building libraries, postal services, hospital and the College of Philadelphia.
Until the 1800 Philadelphia served as the capital of United States, while in the District of Columbia the Federal City was under construction. During this time the Philadelphia County Courthouse and the city hall functioned as the Congress Hall and Supreme Court. After the government left Philadelphia, the city remained one of the largest cities in U.S for a long time afterwards and a hub for industries and businesses throughout the 19th and the early 20th century. Major corporations like Baldwin Locomotive Works, Pennsylvania Railroad and William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine building Company thrived during this period by making use of the well-connected roads, railroads and canals. By the 19th century textile manufacturing became the largest industries in the city. The popularization of Philadelphia as a tourist destination did not begin before the 19070s.
Philadelphia attracted a lot of immigrants from the neighboring districts and later on from the Southern US states, Eastern Europe, Russia and Italy, swelling the population and leading to the formation of the city of Philadelphia to include the whole Philadelphia County through the Act of Consolidation of 1854. During the beginning of the 19th century, a huge amount of African American population immigrated to Philadelphia.
About Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and was also once the proud capital of America. The city sets apart from all the other cities in the fact that the city has an incredibly vibrant mixture of the past and the present that attract scores of people to it every year. Many make it their permanent home because of the beauty that the every street of this city holds and the economic advantages that it has. The city gets millions of visitors each year mainly historical enthusiasts who eventually become so enthralled by the beauty of this city that they make sure to visit it numerous times again.
Philadelphia has a population of 1.5 million in the city and more than 6.1 million in the Greater Philadelphia region that called as the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington. This makes it the fifth largest metropolitan area in United States. The city is enriched with history, culture and symbolism that add to the attractiveness. The city's inhabitants are known for their friendly nature which has given the city the name of the ‘City of Brotherly Love '. The entire city seems like a melting pot of different races, immigrant cultures and vibrant culture that add a spice to this city unlike that of any other city in America.
The Greater Philadelphia region attracts more than 30 million visitors each year, which makes tourism one of the largest revenue generators with an increase of 30 percent year on year. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation organizes various events and campaigns that attract millions of people from around United States and the world. An astounding collection of museums is one of the chief attractions in Philadelphia for entire families. Museums such as the Independence Hall, Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop, Mütter Museum National, Constitution Center, etc are open throughout the year. For people who do not prefer museums, will be pleased to find numerous performing arts centers that offer on a regular basis open air free shows.
It is not just the historical aspect of this city that attracts people here; the city has a prosperous economy with the fourth largest Gross Domestic Product in the Unites States according to the 2005 survey. The main economic sectors of this city are the manufacturing, food processing, oil refining and the life science industry which invite thousands of employees each month. Several of the Fortune 500 companies call Philadelphia as their home like the Comcast Inc., Rohm and Hass Co., Sunoco, Pep Boys, GlaxoSmithKline and Wyeth.
Philadelphia is among those dozen rare U. S. cities which has all the four major U.S. sports, which include the National Baseball League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and the National Football League. This makes Philadelphia an attractive sports destination where sporting facilities for every sport are found scattered around the city.
About Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia County includes the Philadelphia city as its county seat and was one of the first three counties that were created by the great English General William Penn in 1682. It is one of the most important counties in the state of Pennsylvania and also one of the most populous counties in United States with more than 1.5 million people living here.
The name Philadelphia signified brotherly love and the city of Philadelphia is still known as the "City of Brotherly Love". However, the original meaning of 'Philadelphia' in Asia Minor meant "the city of Philadelphus. The County of Philadelphia is one of the three original counties along with Bucks and Chester that were created along with it. The city of Philadelphia was the seat of the county was chartered in 1701 and again re-charted in 1789. By 1854 all the municipalities within the Philadelphia county were consolidated inside the city and by 1952 all the county offices of Philadelphia county were merged with that of the city of Philadelphia.
Geographically the county has a total of 142 square miles, which is covered by 5.29 percent water and rest land. The Indian tribes of Lenape were the first known inhabitants of this region, followed by the Swedes and Dutch in the 16th century. The England were the last to come and took control from the Dutch. Many settlements around the past Philadelphia were included into the County formed by William Penn. It is surrounded by the Montgomery County, New Jersey, Burlington County, Camden County, Bucks County, Gloucester County and Delaware County.
The Philadelphian County has some of the largest populations of Puerto Rican, Korean, Italina, Jamaican, Ukranian, Irish, Russian and others in Unites States. It is also one of the few states where according to the 2010 census, the African American population at 43.4 percent is more than that of the Whites at 41 percent. The diverse mixture of the different races makes Philadelphia County an interesting mix of cultures and religions.