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(Clockwise from bottom left) Valley Forge National Historic Park; Independence Hall on the Fourth of July; and City Hall. (Photos by B. Krist and G. Widman)

What our Founding Fathers did in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 spawned the birth of our nation. So thankful are we that, on this fourth installment of our Giving Thanks series, we’re extending the Fourth of July celebration all the way to Thanksgiving. Philadelphia, ’tis of thee!

Dear History Buffs,

I have some doozies for ya. Declaration, bell, hall, encampment…the gang’s all here.

1.   William Penn founded our city way back in 1682 and chose the name Philadelphia, which is Greek for “brotherly love.” (And that’s Penn standing atop City Hall — not Ben Franklin, as often thought.)

2.   The two most important documents in America’s history were written and signed in Philadelphia. Copies of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution live in the West Wing of Independence Hall.

3.   Among his many gigs, Ben Franklin held the position of Postmaster General of North America. Today, Franklin fans can get their postcards or letters hand-stamped with his “signature” at the B. Free Franklin Post Office.

4.   The blood of General Agnew, who died from a British sniper’s bullet in the Revolutionary War, still stains the floor at Grumblethorpe in Germantown.

5.   At Valley Forge National Historical Park, visitors get the inside scoop on the harsh winter General Washington and his troops spent there.

6.   After the Constitutional Convention, George Washington and the other delegates celebrated with a banquet at City Tavern, where they consumed 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, seven bowls of spiked punch and 22 bottles of porter, beer and hard cider.

(From left) The Liberty Bell in its new home across from Indpendence Hall; and Elfreth's Alley. (Photos by K. Ciappa and E. Savaria)

7.   George and Martha Washington celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary at the Powel House. Sally Bache, Ben Franklin’s daughter, wrote about the festivities in a letter, which is on display there.

8.   Five signers of the Declaration of Independence — including Benjamin Franklin — rest in the Christ Church Burial Ground at 5th and Arch Streets.

9.   Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest continuously inhabited street in the U.S.

10. Carpenters’ Hall hosted the First Continental Congress, and it was the site of a secret meeting between Ben Franklin and French spy Julien Archard de Bonvouloir that led to the French Alliance during the American Revolution.

11. Congress Hall was the site of the presidential inaugurations of George Washington (his second) and John Adams; the ratification of the Bill of Rights; the establishment of the First Bank of the United States, the United States Mint and the Department of the Navy; and the ratification of Jay’s Treaty with England.

This Thanksgiving, We’re Thankful For… [uwishunu]

The Official Philly Brag Book [gophila.com]