Back to the colder East Coast.
We flew in late Friday night and crashed back in our motorhome in New Jersey. The next day we headed over the Schuylkill ("SKOO-kull") River into Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. Like with most city visits, we decided to do the touristy thing so we drove straight to the Independence National Historic Park. After a quick visit to the visitors center we headed to the Liberty Bell first. American history time again folks. In 1751, a bell was ordered for the Pennsylvania State House (today called Independence Hall). The bell, cast in London, England, actual cracked as it was being tested soon after it arrived in Philadelphia. Local craftsmen John Pass and John Stow cast a new bell in 1753, using metal from the English bell. The Liberty
We flew in late Friday night and crashed back in our motorhome in New Jersey. The next day we headed over the Schuylkill ("SKOO-kull") River into Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. Like with most city visits, we decided to do the touristy thing so we drove straight to the Independence National Historic Park. After a quick visit to the visitors center we headed to the Liberty Bell first. American history time again folks. In 1751, a bell was ordered for the Pennsylvania State House (today called Independence Hall). The bell, cast in London, England, actual cracked as it was being tested soon after it arrived in Philadelphia. Local craftsmen John Pass and John Stow cast a new bell in 1753, using metal from the English bell. The Liberty
Bell's inscription, "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof" is taken from the biblical scripture from Leviticus 25:10. This old State House bell was first called the "Liberty Bell" by a group trying to outlaw slavery. These abolitionists remembered the words on the bell and, in the 1830s, adopted it as a symbol of their cause. By 1846 a thin crack began to affect the sound of the bell. The bell was repaired in 1846 and rang for a George Washington birthday celebration, but the bell cracked again and has not been rung since. After taking some pictures...
...we headed across the street. Independence Hall, the most well known building was completed in 1753. The United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were both signed at Independence Hall. Unfortunately we missed the official tour of this building but we did take a very interesting tour of Congress Hall right next door. Our guide was very animated and informative and did a great job of keeping the kids' (and our) attention. Congress Hall served as the seat of the United States Congress from 1790 to 1800, until the US Capitol was permanently moved to Washington DC. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol, the country admitted three new states, Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee; ratified the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution; and oversaw the Presidential inaugurations of both
George Washington and John Adams. The first floor of Congress Hall is where the House of Representative met and second floor was reserved as the chamber for the Senate.
Check out Mr. Handsome Boy who lost a tooth!
