History
Murder of Black suffrage leader Octavius Catto reveals why Election Day 1871 was one of the most violent in Philadelphia history
Philadelphia has given the intersection of 8th and South streets a new name: Octavius Catto Way.
What happened at the end of the Revolutionary War? Here’s how Americans set up a brand‑new country once the fighting ended
The United States came out of the Revolutionary War victorious. But building a new nation was very different from fighting a war.
How libraries in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania communities evolved from subscription clubs to vital public institutions
The nation’s first successful circulating library was established almost 300 years ago by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia.
Revolutionary War battlefields often romanticize combat, but this mass grave just outside Philadelphia shows the violence soldiers actually experienced
A team of historians, archaeologists and forensic anthropologists is trying to identify 15 German soldiers who were unceremoniously dumped in a ditch after trying to help the British capture Philadelphia.
How a 22‑year‑old George Washington learned how to lead, from a series of mistakes in the Pennsylvania wilderness
Washington’s fundamental character as a military leader was forged in the Ohio River Valley, where he also inadvertently helped ignite the French and Indian War.
I study the Declaration of Independence, and here’s why the colonists’ grievances are surprisingly relevant, 250 years later
A partisan judiciary, arbitrary power, officials beyond the reach of the people – these are the grievances that drove a revolution.
How out‑of‑work fishermen saved the American Revolution
A British ban stripped thousands of skilled mariners of their livelihoods overnight – and gave Washington a chance to turn the tide.
The American Revolution’s triumphant story of democracy and freedom overlooks loyalists who paid a steep price for allegiance to Britain
Matthias Aspden was a wealthy Philadelphia businessman who remained faithful to Britain. As a result, he lost his home, property and sense of belonging, and died in exile.