Philadelphia 1776: Road to the Declaration of Independence

Before there was a Congress in Philadelphia, there was a tavern. John Adams called City Tavern the "most genteel tavern in America", and on 20 May 1774 more than 200 men crowded its gallery to answer Boston's plea for help after the Boston Port Bill. It was the first spark of a colony-wide response. The building you see now opened in 1976 for the Bicentennial.

Visitor guidance: Part of Independence National Historical Park, a short walk from Independence Hall.

The First Continental Congress met here from 5 September to 26 October 1774, in a Georgian hall designed by Robert Smith for the carpenters' guild. Delegates from the colonies debated how to answer Britain, and passed and signed the Continental Association. Independence was still two years off, but this is where thirteen separate colonies first sat in one room to act together. The hall stands on Chestnut Street today.

Visitor guidance: Stands on Chestnut Street, close to Independence Hall.

On 11 June 1776 the Second Continental Congress named a Committee of Five to draft a declaration. Thomas Jefferson largely wrote it in his second-floor apartment on Market Street, within walking distance of Carpenters' Hall. The exact room is not fixed here, so the pin marks the Declaration House on South 7th Street rather than a proven doorway.

Location precision: The sources place Jefferson's apartment on Market Street; the pin marks the Declaration House, not a confirmed room.

On 2 July 1776 the Second Continental Congress voted on the Lee Resolution and declared independence from Britain. Two days later, on 4 July, the final wording of the Declaration was formally adopted in the Pennsylvania State House. It carries 56 signatures; John Hancock signed first, which is why "John Hancock" still means a signature in American English. The building is now called Independence Hall.

Visitor guidance: Part of Independence National Historical Park.

The bell is the story's most famous prop, and most of its legend is later. Historians think it was likely among the bells rung on 8 July 1776, when the Declaration was first read to the public, but no contemporary account exists. The tale of it ringing on 4 July has no evidence behind it, and its link to the Revolution only began in 1847. Today it hangs in the Liberty Bell Center across the street from Independence Hall.

Visitor guidance: Liberty Bell Center, across the street from Independence Hall.