♪ [Music Plays] ♪
NARRATOR: It is an icon,
a building that transports us
to the birthplace of a nation.
It was originally
Pennsylvania's State House.
Through these doors walked
governors, colonial legislators,
and everyday citizens.
In this courtroom, proceedings
were held for those accused
of crimes, their fate left to
a jury of their peers.
Upstairs, in this chamber,
Pennsylvania's governors met
with the colony's elite who
served as their council.
The first governor,
William Penn,
established a democratically
elected legislature,
or assembly.
The Long Gallery was the site
of Governor's receptions
where toasts were lifted
to the health of the King
in the same building
where King George III
would later be defied.
During the Revolutionary War,
occupying British forces used
the Long Gallery as a hospital
for American war prisoners.
This staircase was
a late addition...
as was the bell tower.
A bell was hung in the steeple
in 1753.
Emblazoned with a prophetic
message, it would inspire those
who heard it, and be named
the Liberty Bell.
During the warm summer days
of 1776,
delegates from 13 colonies
debated and voted in this room.
Then, with ink and pen,
they pledged their
“lives, fortunes, and sacred
honor”...boldly signing the
Declaration of Independence
from Great Britain.
A nation was born, based on
the ideals of self-government.
Eleven years later, state
delegates returned to create
a framework for those ideals—
the United States Constitution.
The National Park Service
proudly preserves
Independence Hall
so that generations can
experience a direct connection
with those who risked all
for Independence, and the ideals
of self-government, liberty,
and equality.
This special place where
our nation was founded...
continues to inspire today.