Philadelphia History

United States of America may be a young country when compared to the histories of many Asian and European countries, but it does have a distinct history of its own, one that separates it from the others all over the globe. And Philadelphia has always had a major role in the history of the country. So much so that till the early 1830s, Philadelphia was the largest city in the country and not the present day big cities like New York and Washington D.C.

As per the initial lay out by William Penn, only the areas between the South and Vine Streets and Delaware and Schuylkill River formed the erstwhile Philadelphia and gradually parts of Northern Liberties and Southwark were also added into the city. Certain places that you can look up in Philadelphia travel guides that shall give you a good idea of the history and culture of Philadelphia are:

National American Jewish History Museum - Official Site

http://www.nmajh.org/

Free Library of Philadelphia - Official Site

http://www.freelibrary.org/index.htm

History of Philadelphia on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia#History

1) Free Library of Philadelphia - An institution that is wholly dedicated to the service of promoting the culture and history of Philadelphia and America, the Free Library of Philadelphia has over 6 million items, books, music, art, films, documents etc. to give a unique sense of cultural richness to the visitor. With over 54 branches, the Free Library of Philadelphia is truly going to mesmerize you.

2) National Museum of American Jewish History - Another very unique museum, Philadelphia is proud to have the National Museum of American Jewish History in their city. As the name suggests, this museum is dedicated to the tale of the Jewish population in the country, from their early days, to their days of exodus due to the infamous Holocaust times and how they have since become an integral part of American culture and life.

So on your next Philadelphia travel; be sure to visit these two and other places about Philadelphia's rich history.

University of Pennsylvania: History of Art

http://www.upenn.edu/

Philadelphia History Guide

http://philadelphia.about.com/od/history/Philadelphia_History_Guide.htm