For a history buff such as me, my visit to the City of Brotherly Love over the weekend proved to be quite rewarding when I had some spare time during a reporting trip. I visited Independence Hall, a 250-year-old building that was the site of the signing of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. I saw the Liberty Bell, which is in a new structure across the street. And a museum devoted to Benjamin Franklin, a genius in so many ways.
Sometimes we forget what a risk the signers of the Declaration took. Many were prominent and prosperous, yet they risked their livelihood and indeed their lives by proposing tyranny against the king of England. It’s also hard to imagine a time when news spread largely by published works, such as Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. They had no Facebook accounts, no texting, no cell phone or even telegraph.
I also found the National Convention Center nearby to be worth investigating, although, unlike most other sites, there is a fee. The imposing life-size bronze sculptures of the 42 signers around when the Constitutional Convention wrapped up are depicted in an imposing, eerie exhibit. Old white men didn’t really found the country. White and men for sure, but the average age of the signers was 42. These men, too, took a great risk in establishing what has become quite a successful stab at democracy.
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