Independence HallAccessibility Book for Second Floor

The Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State Houseserved as the meeting place of the Pennsylvania Assembly forover sixty years until the State Capital moved away fromPhiladelphia in 1799. In 1776, the Continental Congressdeclared Independence in this room and in 1787 the U.S.Constitution was debated and signed. Most historians considerthis room one of the most historic rooms in the United States.

Pictured Left: A detail of theactual chair Washington satin while presiding over theConstitutional Convention in1787. At the signing Franklinwas optimistic about thedocument and said that nowhe had the happiness toknow that the carving on theback was a rising, not asetting sun.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court chamber was themeeting place of the colony’s and (later state’s) highest court.In 1791 the U.S. Supreme Court used this court chamber forone session until their courtroom in City Hall (now Old City Hall)had been completed. Prior to independence, many citizenslearned of their rights as Englishmen by attending trials here.

Pictured Left: A detail ofthe Pennsylvania Coat ofArms, by George Rutterc. 1785. This paintingreplaced the coat of armsof King George III after ithad been taken downand burned following thefirst public reading of theDeclaration ofIndependence on July 8th,1776.

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These steps lead to the second floor of Independence Hall,ally named the Pennsylvania State House. The first floor wasfor the state’s Supreme Court Chamber and the legislativembly Room. These two branches of Pennsylvania’s governmented here from 1736 until 1799. The second floor contains thernor’s Office, the long gallery and a committee room for thembly.

This staircase has been used by somefamous feet, including Benjamin Franklin’s.He would have used it to get to his office asPresident (Governor) of Pennsylvania from1785 - 1788.

The doorway pictured left, leads into the LongGallery, with a committee room on the right and theGovernor’s office on the left. Another flight of stepscan be seen in the background. These steps leadto the bell tower (not open to the public).

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Governor’s Council Chamber and Long Gallery

illiam Penn’s sons and grandsons, or their appointedentatives, presided over the Provincial Council, highest legislativen the Colony. 1776 brought an end to the Provincial Council, butr authority was vested in a Supreme Executive Council over whichmin Franklin presided from 1785 – 88.

Above: Astronomical transit instrument, John Bird,London c. 1760. This instrument is said to havebeen used to track the transit of Venus across thesun from a platform erected in the State Houseyard and manned by members of the AmericanPhilosophical Society. Proprietor-GovernorThomas Penn supplied such an instrument for thispurpose. It also was later used to establishPhiladelphia’s mean time.

The Long Gallery - This room was the scene ofconcerts, dances, lectures and celebrations in the18th Century. During the British occupation of the cityin 1777 – 78, the second floor housed Americanprisoners of war.

Charles Willson Peale, afamous painter, used thesecond floor to exhibit hisnatural history museum. Thisincluded paintings of many ofthe founders, many of whichcan still be seen at the SecondBank of the United Stateslocated just one block away.

Also, in the 1840’s and 1850’s, this room was the site of a U.S.District Court, which ruled on cases dealing with the FugitiveSlave Act. Downstairs many consider the Assembly Room thebirthplace of liberty in America but here on the 2nd floor, manyAfrican Americans were denied that liberty and were sent intoor back to slavery.

On the walls of theLong Gallery,several maps andpaintings are ondisplay. Thepainting on the leftis James Hamilton,former LieutenantGovernor ofPennsylvania, byBenjamin West c.1767.

Andrew Hamilton, James’ father designed IndependenceHall, served as Speaker of the Assembly and was consideredthe first good “Philadelphia Lawyer”. He is best known for hislegal victory on behalf of New York printer and newspaperpublisher John Peter Zenger. This 1735 decision helped toestablish that truth is a defense for an accusation of libel.Many historians consider the Zenger case to be thefoundation of freedom of the press and speech as expressedin the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. AndrewHamilton, by Cogswell, 1852, after Wertmuller’s, 1808, afteran original now lost.

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Committee of the Assembly Chamber

No room better reflects the changes of use which times impose.1747 to 1752 this room served its original purpose as ained Committee Room and Library for the Pennsylvaniambly. It was then given over to the Militia of the City ofdelphia for the storage of military accoutrements and small arms.

ay of 1775, the PA Assembly convened here, while the first floorber was occupied by the Continental Congress and in 1779 the

was removed to enlarge the Assembly’s space to a rectangularthat occupied the eastern end of the floor plan.

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787, a special convention was formed by Pennsylvania to decidequestion of a national government. Here in this room onember 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state torove the U.S. Constitution.

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Stairs to the Bell Tower and Steeple

is stairway leads to the bell tower and steeple where thenial Bell now hangs and strikes the hour. The Liberty Bell

n an earlier steeple that decayed so badly that it was torn down1.e present steeple, designed by American architect William

and, was built in 1828. The stairs above this level are steeprrow, with open railings. They are not safe for visitors to use.

pound 1876 Centennial Bell.

Pictured right: The 13,000