INDEPENDENCE HALL - PENNSYLVANIA STATE HOUSE

Built between 1732 and 1756, the building is a typical example of Georgian architecture. His name was given to him by La Fayette. Before the American Revolution, it was home to the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly. It also hosted the Liberty Bell between 1753 and 1976, although the bell was occasionally moved. In 1777, for example, when the Revolution was raging and Philadelphia was taken by the English, the bell was installed in a church in Allentown, an hour's drive away, where it remained for almost a year. But if Independence Hall is an emblematic building, it is mainly because its walls housed the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the drafting of the United States Constitution until its publication in 1787. On the back of the seat of President George Washington, a bas-relief engraved in wood represents the sun. The president said he didn't know if it was a rising or setting sun. After the signing of the Constitution, he declared that the sun was rising and since then the chair has been called Rising Sun Chair.

To visit Independence Hall and this famous assembly hall, the scene of historical debates, it is possible to take your ticket (free) early in the morning at the Independence Visitor Center, and wait for the time of your visit. In season, it is necessary to book in advance on the Internet, choosing the desired time and day of visit. Everything is carefully organized by the employees of the National Park Service. The tours are in English but leaflets in French are available, ask the guide. During your visit, you will discover the room in which the articles of the Constitution were drafted after consultation, then the room where the signatures were affixed, both reconstructed as they were at the time. It was in the first room that it was decided to amend the articles of Confederation at a meeting of the Constitution Drafting Committee chaired by George Washington. It is also possible to see, through a window, some sheets from the original of the first Constitution.

Independence Hall forms with Old City Hall, Congress Hall and Philosophical Hall (operated by The American Philosophical Society) a small neighbourhood known as Independence Square, because of their highly symbolic value and the major role they played in the country's independence. At the entrance to the building is a rather solemn statue of George Washington, declaring independence to the American people. The building, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, is represented on the back of the $100 bills.