Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Independence Hall in Philadelphia can be considered the
birthplace of the United States of America, as it was here that the Declaration
of Independence was signed in 1776, the Articles of Confederation uniting
the thirteen (13) colonies were ratified in 1781 and the Constitution setting
out the nations's basic laws was adopted in 1787. The building was designed
by Andrew Hamilton to house the Assembly of the Commonwealth (colony) of
Pennsylvania. Finished in 1753, it is a modest brick structure with a steeple
that was intended to hold a 2,080 pound bell. The bell, however, has cracked
twice and stands silently on the ground in a special shelter (a reproduction
now hangs in the steeple). Independence Hall is important not for its architectural
design but for the documents drafted and debated here that formed the democracy
of the United States. (Inscribed in 1979)
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