Independence Hall

The surprising story of how an ordinary building
became-finally-a chief symbol of the American Founding and its political
ideals.

Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was
signed 250 years ago, is today a beloved American shrine and an international
symbol of political liberty. Yet it was not always so. In Independence Hall:
The History of an American Icon, one of our most accomplished and
provocative historians unspools the surprising story of Independence Hall's
origins, varied uses, and ultimate rise to national-landmark status.

D. G. Hart, a Philadelphia native, has an eye for the
fascinating and incongruous. He tells not only the stories surrounding the
signing of the Declaration of Independence and the framing of the Constitution.
He also reveals:





Benjamin Franklin's connection with Independence Hall's
origins;
how the building became at one time America's first natural history museum
(led by quirky portraitist Charles Wilson Peale), and at another time Philadelphia's municipal dog pound;
why Abraham Lincoln lay in
state there following his assassination;
the role of Kevin Bacon's father, Edmund,
in creating Independence National Park;
and why it took so long for the nation
to recognize Independence Hall's significance and meaning.

Written for the general reader, everyone interested in our
national story will find this quintessentially American history eye-opening and
entertaining.