Do you rely on a significant other or a friend for advice and guidance in your life? If you were separated from them for long periods of time; how would you communicate with them?John and Abigail Adams, who were married on October 25, 1764, spent long periods of their 54-year marriage separated due to John’s career, including his numerous trips to Philadelphia. Without modern technology such as phones and video calling, letter writing was the most meaningful way they maintained their relationship. Monumental decisions were never made without consulting each other, and John Adams was rare among the Founders in how much he sought out and valued the input of his spouse & partner. Theirs was a relationship of equals, bringing together two distinct personalities into a partnership which influenced the course of the Revolution. In the turbulent summer of 1776, as John fought inside Independence Hall to make independence the goal of the Revolution, he depended on the advice and wisdom Abigail provided. Through it all, they held a deep affection and genuine love for each other, a glimpse of which can be heard from a few brief excerpts read by Independence NHP rangers.
Visit the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site this October!
October, or as we call it, Poe-tober is an awesome time of the year to visit Poe's home in Philadelphia. It's Halloween and Poe is well known for his tales of terror. Does Poe SCARE you? Or do YOU, SCARE, YOURSELF?
On August 2, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was formally signed at Independence Hall. While it was approved on July 4,1776, it wasn't actually signed until August 2. A few other delegates were allowed to sign the document as late as 1781. US National Archives
Re-enactment of the First Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence
On July 8, 1776 Colonel John Nixon stepped onto a platform on Independence Square and read the Declaration of Independence for the first time. Some in the crowd cheered and some jeered. Each year, park staff re-enact this event!
On Location with a National Park Service Ranger: Celebrating Juneteenth "Camp William Penn"
National Park Service Park Ranger Savannah Rose tells the story of Camp William Penn in honor of the Juneteenth holiday. Camp William Penn, located just outside of Philadelphia was the largest recruting and training center for the U.S. Colored Troops during the American Civil War. #Juneteenth, #AfricanAmericanHeritage #BlackCulture
On Location: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the Declaration of Independence
In our latest edition of "On Location" National Park Service Ranger Savannah Rose highlights Independence National Historical Park's connection to the Lincoln Memorial and the President that it honors for its 100th anniversary.
National Mall and Memorial Parks Gettysburg National Military Park
On Location: Abraham Lincoln 's visit to Independence Hall in 1861
May 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The memorial honors President Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War and his efforts to preserve the union and end slavery. How are we connected at Independence National Historical Park?
The Assembly Room of Independence Hall is the space where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and signed. In other words, the foundations of the union. As president, Lincoln took a solemn oath to preserve protect and defend the constitution. But his political thinking was fundamentally dominated by the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. In February 1861 Lincoln stood in this very room and pledged his life to preserve the union based upon those principles.
Thanks for watching!
Images courtesy of The Library Company of Philadelphia. National Mall and Memorial Parks Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Lincoln Home National Historic Site
On Location: Spotlight on the Second Bank of the United States
In this video, National Park Service Ranger Sarah Bachan explores the history of the Second Bank of the United States. On April 10, 1816, President James Madison signed the act creating the "Second Bank." The Bank's formal name, according to section 9 of its charter as passed by Congress, was "The President Directors and Company of the Bank of the United States." The institution was the second of its kind, chartered by the U.S. Government. It was the reincarnation of Alexander Hamilton's "First Bank," -its own charter expired in 1811. A few years after the War of 1812, and the financial strain that came with it, the U.S. Congress chartered the Second Bank. A private corporation with public duties, the Bank handled all fiscal transactions for the U.S. Government and was accountable to Congress and the U.S. Treasury. Of all the buildings protected by Independence National Historical Park, the Second Bank has been protected by the National Park Service the longest - since 1939.
A reading of the Bill of Rights
On this day, December 15, 1791 (230 years ago), the first ten amendments to the Constitution, also known as the Bill of Rights, was adopted. Having been approved by the requisite three-fourths of the several states, President Washington formally informed Congress in a letter dated January 18, 1792.
At Independence National Historical Park, we celebrate these rights for all citizens with a recitation of the Bill of Rights performed by our staff.
#BillofRights #FindYourPark
Independence Hall & Liberty Bell Time lapse
A Reading of the Declaration of Independence
Visitors to Kosciuszko's Room- Part 4: Thomas Jefferson
Visitors to Kosciuszko's Room- Part 3: Little Turtle
Visitors to Kosciuszko's Room- Part 2: Benjamin Rush
Thaddeus Kosciuszko in Philadelphia
The Peale Brothers and a Portrait of George Washington
The Join, or Die Political Cartoon: The Evolution of American Unity
Independence Hall and the Funeral of Abraham Lincoln
Poetry Reading: To a Sun-Dial by John Quincy Adams
Skuggs, the Patriot Squirrel who Helped Save America!
On Location: The "Greenery" of Independence Square
"Hello National Parks" by Martha Day Zschock
Reading of "The Children's Hour" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Thomas Jefferson in Philadelphia
On Location: Paint Colors of Independence Hall
Poetry reading of “Woodman, Spare that Tree” by George Pope Morris
Reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "To Helen"
The Nativist Riots of 1844 - On Location
