First City: Philadelphia and the Forging of Historical Memory (Early American Studies)

Covering more than two centuries of social, economic, and political change, and offering a challenging, innovative approach to urban as well national history, __First City__ tells the Philadelphia story through the wealth of material culture its citizens have chosen to preserve. Covering more than two centuries of social, economic, and political change, and offering a challenging, innovative approach to urban as well national history, __First City__ tells the Philadelphia story through the wealth of material culture its citizens have chosen to preserve.

With its rich foundation stories, Philadelphia may be the most important city in America's collective memory. By the middle of the eighteenth century William Penn's "greene countrie town" was, after London, the largest city in the British Empire. The two most important documents in the history of the United States, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were drafted and signed in Philadelphia. The city served off and on as the official capital of the young country until 1800, and was also the site of the first American university, hospital, medical college, bank, paper mill, zoo, sugar refinery, public school, and government mint.

In First City, acclaimed historian Gary B. Nash examines the complex process of memory making in this most historic of American cities. Though history is necessarily written from the evidence we have of the past, as Nash shows, rarely is that evidence preserved without intent, nor is it equally representative. Full of surprising anecdotes, First City reveals how Philadelphians—from members of elite cultural institutions, such as historical societies and museums, to relatively anonymous groups, such as women, racial and religious minorities, and laboring people—have participated in the very partisan activity of transmitting historical memory from one generation to the next.

With its rich foundation stories, Philadelphia may be the most important city in America's collective memory. By the middle of the eighteenth century William Penn's "greene countrie town" was, after London, the largest city in the British Empire. The two most important documents in the history of the United States, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were drafted and signed in Philadelphia. The city served off and on as the official capital of the young country until 1800, and was also the site of the first American university, hospital, medical college, bank, paper mill, zoo, sugar refinery, public school, and government mint. In First City , acclaimed historian Gary B. Nash examines the complex process of memory making in this most historic of American cities. Though history is necessarily written from the evidence we have of the past, as Nash shows, rarely is that evidence preserved without intent, nor is it equally representative. Full of surprising anecdotes, First City reveals how Philadelphians—from members of elite cultural institutions, such as historical societies and museums, to relatively anonymous groups, such as women, racial and religious minorities, and laboring people—have participated in the very partisan activity of transmitting historical memory from one generation to the next. Contents Introduction: Making History Matter Chapter 1. Pieces Of The Colonial Past Chapter 2. Recalling A Commercial Seaport Chapter 3. The Revolution’S Many Faces Chapter 4. A New City For A New Nation Chapter 5. A City In Flux Chapter 6. Reforming Philadelphia Chapter 7. In Civil War And Reconstruction Chapter 8. Workshop Of The World, Schoolhouse Of History Chapter 9. Restoring Memory Abbreviations Notes Acknowledgments Index Permissions Machine generated contents note: Introduction Making History Matter i Chapter 1 Pieces of the Colonial Past 14 Chapter 2 Recalling a Commercial Seaport 45 Chapter 3 The Revolution's Many Faces 79 Chapter 4 A New Cityfor a New Nation Io8 Chapter 5 A City in Flux 144 Chapter 6 Reforming Philadelphia I76 Chapter 7 In Civil War and Reconstruction 223 Chapter 8 workshop of the world, Schoolhouse of History 26I Chapter 9 Restoring Memory 314. The author of History on Trial introduces readers to this important American city, exploring the institutions, museams, historical societies, and various other groups who have played an part in preserving Philadelphia's rich history. Pennsylvania was the product of Quaker beliefs and aspirations, and Philadelphia became its pulsebeat on the banks of the Delaware River.