Philadelphia: a City of HistoryPhiladelphia, or Philly, is a big city in the state of Pennsylvania, in the northeast of the United States. It is on the Delaware River. About 1.5 million people live there. A man from England called William Penn started Pennsylvania in the 1680s. He also planned the city and chose its name. He said Philadelphia means "city of brotherly love" in Greek. Philadelphia is very important in American history. It was the capital of the country from 1785 to 1790. The Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia and created the United States government. You can still see the buildings where they worked, in an area called the Old City. The most important building is Independence Hall. There, American leaders said that their country was independent from Britain. More than 2.6 million people visited this area last year. Near it is the National Liberty Museum. It has more than ninety pieces of art about freedom. A few blocks away is the National Constitution Center. This museum opened on July 4, 2003. It teaches people about the Constitution. Philadelphia also has lots of food for hungry visitors. Reading Terminal Market is one of the biggest public markets in the country. There you can find the famous Philly cheesesteak. It is a sandwich with meat and cheese on a long roll. Where can you find the best cheesesteak? People do not agree!
