1776 History and Cheesesteak Tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Liberty Bell Center, 6th Street Between Market and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Come with us as we visit The Liberty Bell, perhaps the most famous symbol of American Liberty in the National Historic Park.

Commissioned in 1752 the bell cracked on its initial test ring and was re-casted two years later by local workman John Pass and John Stow with the lettering, "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof," a quote from the King James Bible referring to the jubilee when slaves were freed and debts forgiven every fifty years. It's this bell that would ring to call lawmakers to their meetings and the townspeople together to hear the reading of the news. Benjamin Franklin wrote to Catherine Ray in 1755, "Adieu, the Bell rings, and I must go among the Grave ones and talk Politicks." After ninety years of heavy use the new narrow crack that had again formed was purposefully widened in an attempt to restore the bell's tone. It did not work, and the Philadelphia Public Ledger takes up the story in its February 26, 1846 publication: "The old Independence Bell rang its last clear note on Monday last in honor of the birthday of Washington and now hangs in the great city steeple irreparably cracked.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Independence Hall, Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106

We will visit Independence Hall: the building where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted. The historic structure is now the centerpiece of the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Independence Hall was the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783 and was the site of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787 where 55 of America's greatest statesman hammered out The Constitution of These United States.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: The President's House, 6th and Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106

We will visit America's first "White House" where President's George Washington and John Adams both served tenure when Philadelphia was capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800. Foreign dignitaries and members of congress and senate frequented The President House for official and unofficial business. Benedict Arnold lived also in the structure as Military Governor in Philadelphia after the British evacuation of the city during the American War for Independence.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Congress Hall, 6th & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106

We will visit Congress Hall, a historic structure which hosted two presidential inaugurations (Washington and Adams) and was the home of U.S. Congress from 1790 to 1800, when Philadelphia was the capital of the United States.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Franklin Court, 314 Market St # 322, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2704

We will visit Franklin Court, a complex of museums, structures, and historic sites within Independence National Historical Park, and home to Benjamin Franklin during his tenure in the Constitutional Convention. We will discuss there the life and times of one of America's most prolific individual's and statesman (Benjamin Franklin) who when contemplating revolution against the British crown said, "Gentleman we must hang together, or surely we will all hang separately."

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: New Hall Military Museum, 320 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2708

We will visit the location of America's first Pentagon, where American military strategy and intelligence was formulated during the American Revolution.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Benjamin Franklin Museum, 317 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2707

We will discuss the life and times of American Patriot Benjamin Franklin, from his electrical experiments, printing and publishing activities, to his life as a statesman.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: B. Free Franklin Post Office & Museum, 316 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2704

We will visit the Benjamin Franklin Post Office & Museum, the only Colonial-themed post office operated by the United States Postal Service. It is a living portrayal of a bygone Colonial lifestyle, and it is the only active post office in the United States that does not fly the American flag (because there was not yet one in 1775 when Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster General). The postmark "B. Free Franklin" is still used to cancel stamps. The museum on the second floor features displays of postal history and memorabilia.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Carpenters' Hall, 320 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2708

We will visit Carpenters' Hall, the site of the First Continental Congress in 1774, where on three nights in December 1775 Benjamin Franklin meet in secret meetings with John Jay, Fancis Daymon, and the French spy Julien Achard de Bonvouloir. The meetings eventually led to negotiations for French support of the colonists. The colonies likely would not have been able to win the Revolutionary War without French aid. Over the winter of 1777 British forces occupying the American capital during the War for Independence and occupied this building.

Duration: 5 minutes

Pass By: First Bank of the United States, 302 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106-4229

We will visit the First Bank of the United States. Championed by Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, the First Bank of the United States was founded in 1797 and is significant for its architectural design.

Stop At: Second Bank of the United States, Chestnut Street 4th and 5th Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Modeled on Alexander Hamilton's First Bank, the Second Bank of the United States was chartered by President James Madison in 1816 and lost its charter under Andrew Jackson's presidency in 1834. We will discuss here Alexander Hamilton and Andrew Jackson: and famous duels fought by both men among other things.

Duration: 5 minutes

Pass By: American Philosophical Society Museum, 104 S 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3387

The American Philosophical Society was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin two years after the University of Pennsylvania, with which it remains closely tied. Early members included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, David Rittenhouse, Nicholas and Owen Biddle, Benjamin Rush, James Madison, and others. We will discuss here as we walk by, Franklin, University of Pennsylvania, and America's first surgical center adjacent to the structure here.

Pass By: Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5679

Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, the Library Company is the first institution in the world to lend materials to members of the public. We will discuss, as we walk by, the history of the site and historic location...and early statesman frequenting the location.

Pass By: Todd House, 401 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

We will see the home of future First Lady Dolley Madison, where she lived with her first husband, John Todd, from 1791-93.

Built in 1775, the Dolley Todd House site reflects the lifestyle of the middle class in 18th century Philadelphia which we will get a glimpse in to.

Stop At: Independence Visitor Center, 599 Market Street 1 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1518

Check-in and revolutionary history introduction at the beginning of our historic walking tour.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Grim Philly Twilight Tours, 599 Market St Independance Visitor Center, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1513

1776 History and Cheesesteak Tour.

Duration: 5 minutes