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Show : Most Important Events in U . S 5 . . History Had Their TheirGenesis 1 1Genesis Genesis in a Small Group of Red-Brick Red Brick - - BuildingsThat Buildings BuildingsI BuildingsThat BuildingsThat I That Stand in Independence Square , Philadelphia 3 3By r 3r By RAYMOND PITCAIR PITCAIRN PITCAIRNReleased . ( Released Releas.d Releasd . by Western Weslern Kawspaper Newspaper Union Unofl IA ISMALL IA ISMALL I IA A SMALL group of red redbrick redbrick . A red/-\ red / - \ brick buildings bUlldmgs builthngs , , simpleA sImplem simplein sImple simpleAm * - standmg standing standingagainst standingagainst -m m m in design , . agamst against the green background backgroundof of a mid city park parkAbove parkAbove . Above their sturdy walls wallsrIse wallsrise wallsrise rIse tall skyscrapers On Onevery Onevery Onevery every side of the famous famoussquare famoussquare . , square about them roars the thetraffic thetraffic traffic of a bustling busthng age agc Butfor But Butfor Butfor for the idea they represent representall , all could be obscured and andlost andlost andlost lost to public pubhc consciousness consciousnessamid consciousnessamid consciousnessamid amid the myriad myrxad activities of ofgreat ofa great cityYet city cityYet Yet to this modest and his histonc histone histone tonc tone site turn today the eyes eyesand eyesand eyesand and hearts of all men and all allnatIons allnations allnations natIons that love free govern govern- - Tnont ment men t mentFor menFor For here is Independence Independencesquare Independencesquare Independencesquare square , Philadelphia , withits with Its Itsworld itsworld itsworld world famous structures- structures structuresIndependence structures - - Independence hall hail , Congresshall Congress Congresshall Congresshail hall hail , Old City hall hail , , and the theAmerlcan theAmerican theAmerican Amerlcan American Philosophical Phllosophlcal So Soclety Society Socicty clety ciety bUlldmgHere buildingHere building bUlldmg buildingHere Here is America Amenca s noblest noblestshrme noblestshrine noblestshrine shrme shrine Here stands the msplr inspir msplrmg inspiring inspiring mg ing symbol of America Amenca s answer answerto answerto answerto to alltho all who "ho ho tho " thwarted th\\arted th arted thtarted \ \ free govern government government government ment in m the past to all a11 who whochallenge whochallenge whochallenge challenge it todai toda3 toda toda3And todaiAnd ) And in m the troubled year of1939 of 1939 men realize with a new newand newand newand I and poignant pOJgnant sense of values the thegreat thegreat thegreat great and enduring endurmg significanceof sIgmficanceof sIgmficance significance of this tms historic hJstonc site Seldom if ifever ifever stoppedhere ever have more visitors stopped here to absorb its Jts patriotic patrJotJc mes rnes message rnessage roessage sage Seldom have the hJstonc historic hJstoncrehcs historicrelics historicrelics rehcs relics the portraits of the Found Founders Founders Founders ers the whole story of Liberty Libertyhere LIbertyhere 1 1era . here . era . . . preserved nrnearvaA nrnearvaAa . . a aroused , nea,4 nea4 nea,4nun , , , nun wider ci . , , ' ' 1 " ' " V . V"j "Y Y , " ' -"j "j j - " CU V " ' ' 'Y Y ' YHY ' " na U 1 < - - - . . ' . . ' . 1 " ' " . . V . V"j "Y Y , " ' -"j "j j - " CU V " ' ' 'Y Y ' YHY ' " U 1 < - - - "jtional 1tJOnal tJOnal tional and international mternatlonal interest mterest interestAU mterestAll mterestAfl AU All Afl this is apparent not only at atIndependence atIndependence atIndependence Independence squale squaie itself Jtself but butelseyhere butelsethere butelsewhere elseyhere elsethere , too One of the most mostpopular mostpopular mostpopular popular exhibits eJ\.hlblts eJ.hlblts eJ .hlblts hlblts ehibits \ . , at the New York YorkWorld YorkWorld YorkWorld World s fair today is the Pennsyl Pennsylvama Pennsylvania Pennsyivania representshistoric representsmstonc vama vania building bUIldInghlch which \\hlch hlch thsch \ \ represents mstonc historic Independence hall hail and andtells andtells andtells tells m in its displays the story of ofAmerican ofAmerican ofAmerican American liberty and progress progressunder progressunder progressunder under the free government there thereestablIshed thereestablished thereestablished thereestablishedAnd establIshed establIshedAnd Andhat And \ what \\hat hat that \ a story ' Its preface prefaceantedates prefaceantedates prefaceantedates antedates by decades the Revo Hevo Revoluhon Hevolution Revolution luhon lution Its theme thCme runs through throughour throughour our whole hIstoryLong historyLong history historyLong Long before the first hint hmt of ofseparation ofseparation ofseparation separation from England Inde pendence hall hail was the capitol of ofa ofa ota I a politicalfieedom colony dedicated to polItical fIeedom religious relIgJOus tolerance and andJustice andjustice andjustice Justice to all men Long after afterour afterour afterour our 1 I Iberty berty had been won it was wasthe wasthe wasthe the rostrum from which Abra Abraham Abraham Abraham ham Lincoln Woodrow Wilson Wilsonand Wilsonand Wilsonand and other national leaders leaderspreached leaderspreached leaderspreached preached their ideals of freedom freedomIt freedomit It is JS our greatest richest nchest store storehouse storehouse storehouse house of national natJOnal recollectionsOther recollectionsOther recollections recollectionsOther Other nations nahons too may boasitheir boast boasttheir boasttheir their patriotic shrines shnnes The great greatclhes greatcities greacities clhes cities of Europe are studded studdedwIth studdedwith studdeiwith , wIth them But usually usua11y they glo glor gb gbrify glorify conquestthe r rify y the dead past of conquest the victories vlctones of strong captams captains captamsand captainsand captainsand and the power of . otero .tern tern tern kings kingsBut kIngsBut , But it Independence hall lil1 and In - tell tell I tell Qepenaence uepencience square a greate greater greaterstory greaterstory Ireater ! ; story They glorify glonfy the freedom freedomand freedomand freedonand and the power of the common commonmanthe commonmanthe comrnoiman man-the man the - the ideal established by byour byour b : our Founders and preserved b'generations bgenerations by bygeneratIons bygenerations ' generatIons of valiant citizens In Ina la Ina ! i a world torn by doubts and fears fearsthey fearsthey fearsthey they stand confident and 3nd serene serenea sereni serenia hghtI -a a - a beacon to all humanity humamty hght light lighting hgh1ing mg ing the v/ay v ay way / toward peace anihappiness and happIness andhappIness and progressThe progress progressThe progressThe The Independence Square mon son monument sonument morument ument is not merely one hlsto1"1c hlsto11c historic histonbuilding " ; bu hlsto1"1cbu historicbuilding building dmg not merely a famous famousplot famouplot famousplot s plot of ground It includes four foubuildings fourbUlldmgs fourbuildings bUlldmgs buildings in m each of whIchwere which were wereenacted wereenacted werenacted enacted e\ e e\ents e ents eents e'ents ' \ ents profoundly sinificant slgmficant significant slg sig ( ; mficant nificant anAmerican andAmencan andAmerican to American liberty and Amencan American development Its tree treeshaded tre treshaded treeshaded < ; shaded lawns are as important as asItS aits ; ItS througformative throughformative structures On them through h pullie publIc formative periods were held pub ' lIc meetings meetmgs of protest andof and of oi ofactIon iaction oiaction " actIon that played a dramahc dramatic dramahcrole dramaticrole dramat : role m In our great national natJOnal epIcLet epicLet epic epicLet Let us consider In chronologIcal chronologIcalorder chronologicorder , " I Iorder order some of the notable stci step ' . ' ' - " ' .5 5 . - . ' . " oo : 1 1t 1oe 1 F 1F t oe oee oe,1L ' < e . Fr ,1L 1L , ' I I'it 'it it 'it1b ' # C 1b " . 11 11L L _ _ _ 1 - _ _ _ . - : : : : Independence Ball ( left left ) ) and Congress Hall liaR ( right ) - - - - - in m the long ' ' Parade of Progress Frogress Progressstaged Frogressstaged Progressstaged staged stagedin in m the separate bulldIngs buildings buildingsor bulldIngsor or on the greensward of that fa famous famous famous mous square squareIndependence Independence HallHere Hall UaU HallHere UaUHere Here is the oldest the most mostgenerated \ generated enerated ' of the historic hJstonc struc structures structures structures tures in ill Independence square It Itwas Itwas Itwas was erected about 1732 as a state statehouse statehouse statehouse , . house for provincial provmcial Pennsyl Pennsylvania Pennsyivania varoa vania from plans designed by Andrew An Andrew drew Hamilton brilliant bnllIant colomal colonial colomallawyer coloniallawyer coloniallawyer lawyer who won fame as the ad advocate advocate advocate vocate of free speech and a free freepress freepress , press In 1736 the provincial as assembly assembly sembly first held its sessIons sessIonsthere sessionsthere sessionsthere there with Ham Hamilton ton as speaker speakerand speakerand speakerand and Benjamin BenJamm Benammn ) Franklin Franklm as clerkHere clerkHere clerk clerkHere Here m ill in 1755 the members of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Pennsylvania Pennsylvama provincial provmclal as assembly assernbly assembly sembly sernbly asserted their refusal tomake tomake to tomake make laws by direction Herein Here Herem Herein m in 1757 they determined aetermmed aetermined to send sendBenJamm sendBenjamin sendBenjamin BenJamm Benjamin Franklin Franklm to England to todemand todemand todemand demand redress of grzevances grievances grzevancesHere grievancesHere grievancesHere Here m ill in 1764 the citizens clhzenS ofPhlIadelphla ofL.ti.T.t of L.ti.T.t LtiT.t LtiTt . , . . . . . . . , . _ .o,4J .o4J o4J . . . . , , . , , 4h , . , .r r F . : ) ULCOSCU : : : the Lilt 41kV : Stamp i : > ) .r r F . : . ) ULCOSCU : : : Lilt 41kV : i : > , ) UUdUtljJHld ILIdUCIp1110 l"ULtsLtU lULtsLtU 5)1 51 " eLSSLF eLSSLFActs LdIIll ' Acts and declared that no lmpo irnpo lmpositIon irnposition imposition sitIon of taxes ta\.es ta.es ta .es es ' \ . against agamst natural naturaland naturaland naturaland and legal rights nghts would be tolerat tolerated tolerated tolerated ed Here in ill ixm 1765 more than 300 300of 300of 300of of the leading leadmg merchants of PhIl PhIladelphla Philadeiphia Philadelphia adelphla adeiphia signed sJgned the Non importation Jmporta importa JmportatIon importatiori tIon tiori resolutIOnsAnd resolutionsAnd resolutions resolutionsAnd And here m in 1775 after the en entire entire entire tire country had been goaded mto into mtoprotest intoprotest intoprotest protest against British Bnhsh tyranmes tyrannies tyranmesassembled tyranniesassembled tyranniesassembled assembled the famous Second SecondContinental SecondContinental SecondContinental Continental congressIt congress congressIt It was in ill the now famous In Independence Independence Independence dependence chamber of Inde Independence Independence Independenee pendence pendenee hall hail that Richard Henry HenryLee HenryLee Lee of Virginia VlrgmJa offeredon offered on June June7 7 1776 the resolution declaring declarmg t r Jt ro _ o , , . - " ' J ; - W ' e eoos ' i J et _ t , . - i't ; . oos oos.C - * 4ioo 4iooi .C- .C . " - 1 ! ' -'t 't t - ' " _ " i t I 1 iit _ 9 " - , _ 1L ! I IIf If 9 IfI 1 1 1li li lis I 1 1I I s liG.v . A , " ' " G.v Gv ) I I'H ' 'H H ye yeC yerqi 1 . : 'Hf f i C " ! if ! I : rqi " : / I , DeclaratIon Declaratoon IDeclaratoon Chamber 10 in Independence Hall Hail Here on July 4 1776 firstAmel'1can firstAmerican . , the DeclaratIon fleclaration of Independence and on June 14 , 1777 , the first Amel'1can Amel1can American ' flag were adopted that These United Umted Colonies Colorues Cobomes are areand areand areand and of right nght ought to be free freeand freeand frerand and independent mdependent StatesIt StatesIt States StatesIt Jul-i4 Jul i4 It was in m this chamber on July JulyI - I 4 1776 that the Declaration of oIndependence ofIndependence Independence which gave gaveorld worldstirring \\orld orld torld \ torldstirring \ orldI orldshrrmg I shrrmg stirring expression to that reso Peso luhon lution resolution resoluhon Pesolution and to the whole cause of ' I ofI o'human ohuman ofhuman human adoptedIt liberty was adopted . . It was here that the Contmental Continental Continentalcongress Continenta.congress Continentacongress . .1 1 .1congress congress appointed appomted George Wash Washmgton Washington Washington mgton ington commander in J1 ! chief of the thiRevolutionary theRevoluhonary theRevolutionary Revoluhonary Revolutionary arm es that It Itcreated itcreated i UnitecStates UnitedStates created the name The United States that it ad adopted pted the de desIgn design design sIgn of the American Amencan flagIt flagIt flag flagIt It was here 1781 in m that con congress congress congress gress receivednews received receJved news of the final finalvIctory finalvictory finalvictory vIctory at Yorktown Yorktos'n Yorktosn ' andin and in m 1783rahfied 1783ratified 1783 ratified rahfied PeaceThen the Treaty of Peace Then Independence hall hail hav hay havmg haying ing mg housed the thL tht . birth of a natIon natIonbecame became the scene of its firm es tablishment tabhshment estabhshment establishment as wellIn wellIn well In its chambers had beer been beeradopted Confedi federatlOn Confederation beenadopted adopted the Articles Arhcles of Con Confed fed eration eratlOn And when they proved provedinadequate provedmadequate inadequate madequate when the nahon nation nahonsought nationsought sought a more perfect Union Umon Unionit UmonIt Unionit it thathe thatthe was at Independence hall that tha Itsform the Founders met to draft Its iti form formSo theConstitution So here in ill 1787 they wrote the ( I Constitution ConshtutIon of the United Umted States -AmerIca AmerIca - thatWe America StatesAmerIca s firm guarantee that tha , We the people should rule famous amous history s greatest andmost and most fa a mous charter of free government governmentIndependence governmentIndependence Independence SquareWillIe SquareWhile Square While WillIe the provincial provmclal provmclalassembly provincialassembly assernbl assembly ' assemblyand and the Continental congress en enacted acted their stirring stIrrmg drama in In dependence dependenze Independence Independenze peopiplayed peopleplayed hall ball the peopi people e played a similaily slmllally significan slgmficant signtficant t slgmficantpart signtficantpart part Independence mdcpendence on the wider stage ot of Inde mdc pendence square - - - - - , Here , in ill Independence square squarethey squarethey squarethey they met to protest the Stamp StampActs StampActs StamjActs Acts and again agaill to forbid the thelandmg thelanding thilanding landmg landing of the cargo from the thetea thetea thitea tea ship PollyHere Polly ' ' Here in June 1774 they gath gathered gathered gathered ered to denounce the closing closmg of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Port of Boston and to pro propose propose propose pose a congress of sister col colomes colonies colonies coloniesHere omes onies omesHere oniesHere Here on April Apnl 24 1775 the3heard they theyheard theyheard heard the news of the Battle of ofLe'CIngton ofLe"cington oLexmgton Le'CIngton LeCIngton Le"cington ' " and resolved to asso assoclate associate assodate clate ciate for the purpose of defendIng defendIngwIth defendingwith defendingwith wIth arms their property , , bberty liberty bbertyand libertyand libertyand and bvesHere livesHere lives bves livesHere Here in m 1775 they saw the thefirst thefirst thefirst first Pennsylvania Pennsylvama quota mus mustered mustered mustered tered into mto service with the Con Contmental Contmental Contmental tmental tmentalarmy armyAnd armyAnd army armyAnd |
