History Of Philadelphia

Birthplace of the U.S.A.

HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA
Birthplace of the U.S.A.

Founded in 1682 by William Penn, an English Quaker
? Penn named Philadelphia, meaning ?City of Brotherly Love? in Greek, to reflect his views toward religious tolerance.
? Due to its excellent location on the Atlantic Coast and accessible port facilities, Philadelphia grew rapidly in the 18th century until it was the second largest English-speaking city in the world.
? Called the ?Athens of the Americas,? it was the cultural centre of the New World.

Philadelphia - America?s Birthplace
? From 1774 to 1800, Philadelphia was linked to the American Revolution.
? Independence National Historical Park, ?America?s most historic square mile,? has two of the U.S.A.?s most famous monuments to freedom ? the Liberty Bell, symbol of the nation?s freedom, and Independence Hall, the birthplace of the nation, where a group of dissatisfied colonists adopted Thomas Jefferson?s Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
? Philadelphia was the U.S.A.?s capital from 1790 to 1800.

Philadelphia ? a city of American ?firsts?
? Includes: first art school and art museum (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts), hospital (Pennsylvania Hospital), botanical garden (Historic Bartram?s Garden), zoo (Philadelphia Zoo), stock exchange, commercial bank, university (University of Pennsylvania), computer (ENIAC), modern skyscraper in the U.S.A. (formerly the PSFS building, now the Loews Philadelphia hotel) and the first American convention (the Constitutional Convention in 1787).

Philadelphia Today
? Vibrant city with world-class museums, restaurants, hotels, exciting nightlife, cultural and entertainment venues.
? Combines Old World architecture with modern buildings.
? Businesses include biotechnology, health care, pharmaceutical and finance.

About the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Who we are: The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB)
www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Centre. The PCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets.

Our mission: To generate economic impact and job growth by increasing the region's hotel occupancy and revenues, while concurrently affecting other diverse segments of the hospitality industry. To do whatever it takes to attract ethnically diverse regional, national and international convention and tourism customers through creative sales, marketing and communications efforts. To deliver exceptional service and experiences for all, ensuring repeat business across market segments. To increase the quality of life for all our citizens, stakeholders, and visitors by supporting the region's vibrant arts and entertainment, historic, cultural, retail, restaurant, and sports venues.


###