During the 18th century, it eclipsed New York City in political and social importance, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia's early rise to prominence. It was in Philadelphia that some of the ideas, and subsequent actions, gave birth to the American Revolution and American independence, making Philadelphia a centerpiece of early American history.
The motto, The City of Brotherly Love, came from William Penn, the English Quaker, who envisioned the area as a place where anyone of any color or background could live together in peace and harmony.















