Nickname: "Philly", "City of Brotherly Love", "Cradle of Liberty", "The Quaker City", "The Birthplace of America."
The city of Philadelphia is a major commercial, educational, and cultural center for the nation. In the 18th century, the city was the first capital. At that time, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia's rise. The city was the geographic center of the 18th-century thinking and activity that gave birth to the American Revolution and subsequent American democracy and independence.
Philadelphia was a major center of the independence movement during the American Revolutionary War. The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were drafted here. Philadelphia's Tun Tavern is traditionally regarded as the location where, in 1775, the United States Marine Corps was founded.
Most of the city's historic landmarks are in Old City and the Historical District in the Society Hill neighborhood east of Center City, including Independence National Historical Park, site of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
For almost a century, Philadelphia's skyline was dominated by Second-Empire-style City Hall. Begun in 1871, City Hall took 30 years to complete and is the tallest masonry load-bearing structure in the world at 548 feet, including the statue of William Penn at its crown.
