Philadelphia Chronology

1681: King Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter to establish what became the Pennsylvania Colony. Penn, a Quaker, set aside 1,280 acres on a peninsula between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers for his "City of Brotherly Love."1683: Philadelphia became the capital of Pennsylvania. The city became a haven for those who suffered religious persecution and was known for economic opportunity. 1700s: Philadelphia became the center of colonial protest after Britain adopted taxes and trade policies that angered the American colonists. July 4, 1776: The Second Continental Congress, meeting in what is now Independence Hall, adopted the Declaration of Independence. 1777: The British captured Philadelphia. After France joined the Americans, the British withdrew. 1787: The Constitutional Convention adopted the Constitution of the United States. Mid-1800s: Philadelphia became a center of the antislavery movement. Abolitionist reformer Lucretia C. Mott helped to form the American Anti-Slavery Society. 1980: New City Council formed after Abscam scandal brought down several members of the former council. 1983: W. Wilson Goode elected city's first black mayor; reelected in 1987. May 1985: An attempt by police to evict the radical group MOVE from a house turned into a conflagration that killed seven adults and four children, and destroyed 53 homes. The city later rebuilt the homes. Summer 1990: Much of Independence Mall closed due to lack of funds for repair. September 1990: After running a deficit for three years, Philadelphia's credit rating drops to lowest in the country.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to Philadelphia Chronology
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/1991/0703/03111.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe