Philadelphia was founded by William Penn, a Quaker who received the land of Pennsylvania from King Charles II in settlement of a debt owed to his father. Penn laid out the city between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers on a regular grid of streets, with public squares, and gave it a Greek name meaning brotherly love, reflecting his ideals of religious tolerance. It grew quickly and by the time of the American Revolution it was the largest city in the colonies. The Continental Congress met there, the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, and the Constitution was drafted in 1787 at Independence Hall. Philadelphia was the capital of the United States for much of the 1790s.
Before and after
- 4 March 1678Birth of Antonio Vivaldi
- from August 1678 to December 1678Kediri Campaign
- 4 December 1679Death of Thomas Hobbes
- 15 May 1681Construction of Canal du Midi
- 1682Founding of Philadelphia
- from 1683 to 1699Great Turkish War
- from 7 October 1683 to 9 October 1683Battle of Párkány
- 10 November 1683Birth of George II of Great Britain
- 19 December 1683Birth of Philip V of Spain
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 12 June 1550Founding of Helsinki
- 11 March 1565Founding of Rio de Janeiro
- from 26 July 1581 to 19 January 1795Dutch Republic
- 1614Founding of Tirana
- 1624Founding of New York City
- 1744Rise of House of Saud
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.