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Ramblings of a retiree in France
Postcard from Philly: Part I
Our trip to Philadelphia was prompted by watching a television programme on its gardens then, after a spot of research, realising how much there was to see and do in the city – we were not disappointed. Let’s start by looking briefly at the city’s backstory.
Brief History of Philadelphia
The Pennsylvania city, whose name means City of Brotherly Love, was originally settled by Native American tribes, particularly the Lenape hunter gatherers, around 8000 BC.
By the early 1600s, Dutch, English and Swedish merchants had established trading posts in the Delaware Valley area, and in 1681, Charles II of England granted a charter to William Penn, a Quaker pacifist, for what would become the Pennsylvania colony.
But in 1684, the ship Isabella landed in Philadelphia carrying hundreds of enslaved Africans. Tensions over slavery, especially among local Quakers, resulted in the 1688 Germantown Petition Against Slavery, the first organised protest against slavery in the New World. Kudos to Philadelphia!
Penn’s colony thrived, and soon Philadelphia was the biggest shipbuilding centre in the colonies.
The Pennsylvania State House – later known as Independence Hall – held its first Assembly meeting in 1735. State representatives ordered a large bell for the building in 1751 with a Biblical inscription:
Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof.
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glad you had a nice trip to philadelphia! I’ve never been there!
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One for your bucket list
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Philadelphia has a long, complex history, as your essay shows. I’ve lived in or near Philly since the mid-1970s (I moved to Philadelphia back then for employment reasons). There are a lot of things about the city that have kept me interested during all those years. For instance: It has a very healthy cultural scene and loads of restaurants and craft breweries; there are many fine parks, some of them enormous; many neighborhoods are fascinating and fun to wander through.
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Absolutely
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💜 So COVID is NoThing New
…💛💚💙…
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Sometimes I forget how much history is in Philadelphia!
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It’s a delightful city and we’ll definitely return
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Philadelphia is a great city for so many reasons. History is just the beginning of its attractions. Our younger daughter has lived there for some years and I always enjoy visiting.
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We’d happily go back
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We used to go to Philadelphia quite a bit when I was growing up in NJ.
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Understandable, it’s not too far away
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I went to Philly about 25 years ago. You know what I like to do. I had to get an authentic Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. Got one on South St., which reminded me of our Bourbon St. And it was fantastic. Also took a Duck tour. We enjoyed the city.
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I confess we did neither of those things
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Fascinating informative history
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Thanks Derrick
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I’m glad you enjoyed your visit. Philly is a great city.
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Isn’t it just!
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A lovely overview, Sheree!
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Thanks Annie
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