Philadelphia, the birthplace of our formidable nation, is steeped in rich, complicated history.
The City of Brotherly Love is a city of independence for all, where the complexities of democracy — and the varying viewpoints of freedom and what is meant by liberty — can be experienced and discussed at places like the Liberty Bell Center , the Faith & Liberty Discovery Center , the Johnson House Historic Site and many other attractions where the narratives of those who've shaped our nation are at the forefront.
The juxtaposition of freedom and enslavement can be found throughout the region. Look for the story of Ona Judge at The President’s House in the Historic District, explanations of the Constitution and its Reconstruction amendments at the National Constitution Center , tales from the Underground Railroad stop at Belmont Mansion in Fairmount Park, and artifacts at the Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery in Germantown.
The juxtaposition of freedom and enslavement can be found at sites throughout the region.
Philadelphia embraces these different perspectives on freedom, which is why the city recognizes and celebrates two monumental holidays: Juneteenth and the Fourth of July .
While the United States of America has celebrated its history for nearly 250 years, many of its people have stood by knowing that they were not truly included in the celebration of independence. It wasn’t until 1865, with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, that slavery officially ended. The social protest movement of 2020 offers a glimpse at the work that still needs to be done to achieve equity all these years later.
The historical attractions, cultural sites and annual events listed below — developed in partnership with the Rosalyn J. McPherson of the ROZ Group, a Philadelphia-based diversity-and-inclusion consulting agency — are constant reminders of how far we’ve come and the progress to be made.
Greater Philadelphia prepares for the celebration of independence with the theme of Freedom – Liberty , a bold opportunity for a more inclusive experience beginning with Juneteenth and ending with the Fourth of July.
The region’s long-held Juneteenth traditions are now part of widely promoted Wawa Welcome America July 4th programming, giving visitors and locals more chances to celebrate independence and learn about the complex process of becoming free.
Places like the Johnson House Historic Site in Germantown, which served as an Underground Railroad stop; and Cliveden, where African American Revolutionary soldier Ned Hector fought to defend our new country on a property where enslaved people were kept, are as much a part of the nation’s founding as iconic sites like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Taken together, these sites — and the people they represent — offer a more complete picture of independence.
The Freedom – Liberty celebration of Juneteenth is a good time to pay homage to the “griot-style” facts and tales passed down to people of color at the knees of relatives who ensured that the family’s young people had a sense of history: the colorful and humorous tales about the antics of uncles and aunties, the stories of hard work and dedication despite the circumstances, and the gripping stories of brutal realities.
Philadelphia is rich with the Black experience — and this renewed approach to a celebration of independence is inclusive of those perspectives.
As the birthplace of our nation, Philadelphia celebrates independence not only on a single day but also as a full season that bridges Juneteenth and July 4th. The Freedom – Liberty celebrations spotlight the historical significance and thematic ties between the two holidays and acknowledge the nuanced history of our country’s independence.
As a part of 2021’s trailblazing endeavor, Visit Philadelphia worked with legendary filmmaker and artist Rashid Zakat to create a series of videos to explore what Freedom – Liberty means to some of the region’s most prolific Black artists, poets, historians and legacy keepers.
What is Freedom – Liberty?
Featuring:
Yolanda Wisher – “Leave My Name”
Ursula Rucker – “Free Them”
Quentin The Poet – “Be Freedom”
Chef Omar Tate – “Hot Links and Red Drinks”
— Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
As the Greater Philadelphia region prepares to enter the season of independence , many are reminded that this “celebration” is complex and complicated.
It took more than two centuries to begin to expand American history to include stories of women and people of color, and to posit broader perspectives offered at these sites and attractions around Philadelphia.
Liberty Bell and Independence Hall
These two Philadelphia stalwarts — some of the most popular attractions in the city, and some of the most famous historic sites in the country — are iconic symbols of freedom to many. The Liberty Bell’s inscription, “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof,” was originally a message of a new nation’s break from colonization and has since been adopted by abolitionists, suffragists and other freedom-seekers. The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both debated and signed at Independence Hall, unifying a new nation. But it would take nearly 100 years for others to even begin to enjoy some of the rights and freedoms outlined in those historic documents.
The President’s House
The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation explores the paradox of slavery and freedom at the site of the nation’s first executive mansion, in which Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived during their terms and where nine enslaved people served the first president. The forefathers fought hard to attain freedom for “We the People,” but in one of our nation’s great paradoxes, President George Washington brought at least nine enslaved Africans from his Mount Vernon home to live and work in The President’s House, which stood just one block from Independence Hall.
Johnson House Historic Site
Constructed in 1768, the Johnson House was inhabited by the Johnson family until 1908. The house, built with outside-and-inside shutters, still has damage from musket rounds and cannonballs shot during the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Germantown in 1777. During the 1800s, the home became vital to the Underground Railroad movement. Harriet Tubman was sheltered and fed here with the enslaved Africans she would often later guide to Lucretia Mott’s nearby home in Cheltenham.
Cliveden
The Cliveden estate played a major role in the only battle fought within the boundaries of Philadelphia during the American Revolution: the Battle of Germantown. More than 1,000 men were killed as British soldiers sought refuge in the estate of the Chew family, one of the largest and latest slave-holding families in Philadelphia. One of the surviving Revolutionary fighters was Ned Hector, an African American man born into freedom in Pennsylvania.
— Photo courtesy Museum of the American Revolution
Museum of the American Revolution
The exhibitions housed in the Museum of the American Revolution offer an inclusive picture of the American Revolution that is often overlooked by other institutions. Explore stories of enslaved and free Africans, Native Americans and women — in addition to the Founding Fathers and Revolutionary War soldiers — through immersive displays and fascinating artifacts that create a modern storytelling experience. The exhibition space also dives into the challenges of creating a new nation and the Revolution’s enduring impact on those around the globe.
The African American Museum in Philadelphia
An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, The African American Museum in Philadelphia was among the museums to open during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration in the city and is the first institution built by a major U.S. city to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage and culture of African Americans. In addition to rotating exhibits celebrating historical and contemporary Black artists, the museum’s core permanent exhibit takes a fresh and bold look at the stories of African-Americans and their role in the founding of the nation, allowing Octavius Catto, Richard Allen and other trailblazers to tell their stories via technology, photographs, videos and artifacts on display.
Independence Seaport Museum
Along with displays that chronicle the city’s contributions to naval and commercial maritime history, the Independence Seaport Museum delves into the Delaware River’s role in the Middle Passage, enslavement, emancipation, Jim Crow and the civil rights movement. Tides of Freedom uses artifacts and first-person accounts from key moments in history to prompt visitors to think about the real meaning of freedom.
Mother Bethel AME Church
Founded in 1787, Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church rests upon the oldest parcel of land in the United States continuously owned by African-Americans. The church memorializes Rev. Richard Allen, its founding pastor and first bishop. A basement crypt serves as a museum, housing Allen’s tomb and other intriguing artifacts, including original pews, the original pulpit constructed and used by Rev. Allen, old ballot boxes used to elect church officers, and muskets from when Allen raised black troops during the War of 1812.
— Photo by Alec Rogers © 2018 for the Association for Public Art
A Quest for Parity: The Octavius V. Catto Memorial
In a city of more than 1,500 public statues, this memorial to a 19th-century civil rights crusader is Center City’s first statue of a specific African American. Octavius Catto, South Carolinian by birth and Philadelphian by choice, led efforts to desegregate the city’s streetcars, fought for equal voting rights, worked as an intellectual and teacher, and was also a star baseball player. On October 10, 1871, the first election day after the 15th Amendment guaranteed African Americans the right to vote in Pennsylvania, he was shot and killed on South Street. Sculptor Branly Cadet created the 12-foot-tall bronze memorial, which features Catto in a powerful stance, walking toward a granite representation of a mid-19th-century ballot box. Catto’s memorial has quickly become a 21st-century symbol for activism and voting rights.
Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival and Parade — Photo by A. Ricketts for Visit Philadelphia
Philly offers many ways to celebrate Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in America in 1865. For 2022, more than 20 events celebrate a season of independence that runs from Juneteenth to Fourth of July. Highlights include:
Philadelphia, home to the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, celebrates the Fourth of July in a big way. From the start of the annual Wawa Welcome America festival to the incredible fireworks displays in the countryside, events celebrating America’s birthday light up the streets, the skies and the stages across the city. Highlights include:
For centuries, Philadelphia’s Historic District was an active port where African individuals and families were brought to be sold, separated and sent off to enslavement.
And yet, this same district was home to the nation’s largest neighborhood of free African Americans, the Seventh Ward (between Spruce and South Streets and 6th and 23rd Streets), as well as the first African Methodist Episcopal Church (Mother Bethel).
Belmont Mansion — Photo by J. Smith for Visit Philadelphia
Freedom was the goal for the thousands of enslaved Africans on the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses, churches and farms that offered shelter and safety, which many found in the Philadelphia region. Highlights include:
For more information on Greater Philadelphia’s role in African Americans’ quest for freedom, click the button below.
Johnson House Historic Site — Photo by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia
Just as U.S. history is African American history, Philadelphia history is African American history. Landmarks, churches and other sites present a rich history reflecting both origins in the African continent and history on the American continent through a host of educational opportunities for visitors of all ages. Monuments, interactive exhibits and public spaces tell the stories of the city and the nation through the experiences of those for whom liberty came much later. These sites include:
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
