Independence Hall: The History of an American Icon (American Places)

The surprising story of how an ordinary building became-finally-a chief symbol of the American Founding and its political ideals. Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago, is today a beloved American shrine and an international symbol of political liberty.Yet it was not always so. In Independence Hall: The History of an American Icon, one of our most accomplished and provocative historians unspools the surprising story of Independence Hall’s origins, varied uses, and ultimate rise to national-landmark status. D. G. Hart, a Philadelphia native, has an eye for the fascinating and incongruous.He tells not only the stories surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the framing of the Constitution.He also reveals:Benjamin Franklin’s connection with Independence Hall’s origins;how the building became at one time America’s first natural history museum (led by quirky portraitist Charles Willson Peale), and at another time Philadelphi