Philadelphia
United States
Where American independence was declared in 1776 and the Constitution was written in 1787. The birthplace of American democracy, home to Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell.
Associated figures
Benjamin Franklin
American polymath who rose from runaway printer's apprentice to become a leading scientist, inventor, diplomat, and Founding Father. His electrical experiments, his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence and securing the French alliance, and his embodiment of self-made American ingenuity made him the most famous American of his century.
Thomas Jefferson
American Founding Father, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and third President of the United States. A polymathic thinker devoted to Enlightenment ideals of reason, liberty, and self-governance, he doubled the nation's size with the Louisiana Purchase and founded the University of Virginia.
George Washington
Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first President of the United States. Washington set the precedent of a peaceful transfer of power by voluntarily stepping down after two terms, earning him the title "Father of His Country."
Alexander Hamilton
Born in the Caribbean and orphaned young, Hamilton rose through sheer brilliance to become Washington's chief aide-de-camp and the first Secretary of the Treasury. He designed the financial system of the United States, co-authored The Federalist Papers, and died in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Marquis de Lafayette
A French aristocrat who sailed to America at age 19 to fight in the Revolution, Lafayette became one of Washington's most trusted generals. He later played a central role in the early stages of the French Revolution, drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.