When delegates to the Second Continental Congress began to arrive in Philadelphia in May 1775, they didn’t yet think of the city as a national capital. Instead, Philadelphia was simply a natural meeting point for representatives of the British North American colonies. It was centrally located, a hub of commerce, and had a large population of educated professionals. But by July 1776, the city had begun to function as the political and military nerve center for the rebellion. The Continental Congress met, debated, and voted for the Declaration in the Pennsylvania State House, which became an enduring symbol of the revolutionary moment and is now known as Independence Hall.
This map was created by King George III’s royal geographer William Faden in 1777. It was a key source of information to authorities in London, and the British military may have used it to plan their assault on Philadelphia in September 1777. British forces successfully captured the city during that assault, but the Continental Congress quickly reconvened in York, Pennsylvania.
Once the Declaration was distributed beyond Pennsylvania, political attention shifted to each of the states. As they received the news, political leaders had to decide how to begin the chaotic process of replacing British administration with interim revolutionary governments.
Colonial cities were compact compared to the giant, sprawling metropolises of today. Fewer than one in ten British colonists lived in settlements of more than 2,500 people. How would colonists living outside of these cities have heard political news at this time?