Once Upon A Nation - Historic Philadelphia, Inc.

Betsy Ross

1752-1836

Betsy’s story is much more complex than simply being credited with making the first American flag. Defying her Quaker upbringing, she eloped, made ammunition undercover during the Revolution, ran a business, and raised seven children as a widowed mother.

Topics: 18th Century; Revolutionary War; Religious freedom; and Women’s history.

Benjamin Franklin

1706-1790

Is there anything Ben didn’t do? Inventor, printer, publisher, author, diplomat, ambassador, civic leader, and Founding Father, America’s original Renaissance Man did it all. As founder of the nation’s first hospital, library, Philosophical Society, fire department, and university among other civic resources, his imprint is everywhere in Philadelphia. And as the signer of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and two treaties with France, he left a national and international impact.

Topics: 18th Century; Nation’s founding; Civic leadership; Creativity and Innovation; International Relations

George Washington

1732-1799

The Father of Our Country, Washington led the Continental forces to an unlikely defeat of Britain, presided over the creation of the Constitution, and ultimately led the country as the first president of the United States. Handing over power to John Adams, he was the world’s first leader to willingly and peacefully cede power to a successor.

Topics: 18th Century. Revolutionary War; US Constitution; Presidential Powers

Abraham Lincoln

1809-1865

Lincoln ushered the states through the Civil War, saving the Union from the treasonous Confederate rebellion. His Gettysburg address set the standard for future presidential speeches. And with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the beloved 16th president became known as The Great Emancipator.

Topics: 19th Century; Civil War; Emancipation.

Bishop Richard Allen

1760-1831

Born enslaved, Allen taught himself to read and write and eventually bought his freedom. As a Methodist minister, he countered racism by forming the mutual-aid Free African Society, organized free Blacks to provide care during the Yellow Fever epidemic, and founded the African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) church, headquartered in Philadelphia.

Charles Thomson

1729 - 1824

A son of Ireland, Charles Thomson’ s name is one of only two on the original copy of the Declaration of Independence. (Hint: John Hancock is the other). The young immigrant embraced America’s struggles for independence and was secretary for the Continental Congress. He was also co-designer the Great Seal of the United States.

Dolley Madison

1768-1849

After losing her husband, son, and other family members to the Yellow Fever epidemic, the widow Dolly Todd found happiness in her marriage to John Madison, who became the fourth US president. A skilled hostess, she broke the precedent of one-political-party social events and meetings, entertaining members of both parties and facilitating the concept of bipartisan cooperation.

Dora Lewis

1862-1928

Despite being arrested numerous times and being beaten and brutalized by anti-suffragist prison guards, Dora Lewis held her ground and continued her fight for women’s suffrage. She was active in the National Women Suffrage Association, was one of the founders of the National Women’s Party, and campaigned tirelessly for women’s right to vote.

Edgar Allen Poe

1809-1849

With his tension-filled and macabre stories and poems, Poe basically invented a whole new genre of literature, earning the unofficial title as the Father of the American Detective Story. While living in Philadelphia, he wrote some of his most haunting works including “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Tell Tale Heart,” and “The Black Cat,” among others.

Topics: 19th century; Arts & Literature; Freedom of the Press.

Frances Watkins Harper

1825-1911

Born free in a slave state, Frances Harper was one of the first Black women to publish literary works in the US. In addition to writing poetry, essays and novels, she developed an expansive career, which included teaching and public speaking on behalf of abolition. She helped escaped slaves along the Underground Railroad. And she was active in working towards women’s suffrage.

Gideon Olmstead

1749-1845

After being captured by a British warship, American privateer Gideon Olmstead led his fellow prisoners in a successful revolt against the ship’s captain and crew during the Revolution.

Topics: 18th Century, Revolutionary War, Military History

Hannah Lithgow

Late 1700s

The lives of 18th century women were marked by hard work and hardship. In need of funds to support her family, the widow Hannah Lithgow rented rooms in her tiny house to Betsy Ross, credited with making the first flag. The two families lived, worked and operated their businesses out of the small house which still stands.

Topics: 18th Century, Revolutionary War Era, Women’s History

Hannah Penn

1671-1726

William Penn, a devout Quaker, accepted a tract of land in the New World as payment for a debt King Charles owed his father. Penn’s new colony – a.k.a. Pennsylvania – established groundbreaking practices including religious freedom, trial by jury and an elected government. Franklin Square, Washington Square, Rittenhouse Square, Logan Circle, and the land on which City Hall was built are Philadelphia’s original five squares laid out by Penn.

Topics: 17th Century, Women’s History, Pennsylvania History

Henry “Box” Brown

1816-1889

Henry “Box” Brown earned his nickname by shipping himself to Philadelphia in a wooden box to free territory to escape enslavement. After his successful escape, he became an active lecturer and abolitionist. But fearing the fallout of the Fugitive Slave Act, he moved to England where he became an entertainer.

Topics: 19th Century, Abolition

James Forten

1766-1842

Known for his success as a sailmaker, James Forten’s legacy is far more wide-ranging. Before he became one of the wealthiest people in Philadelphia, Forten was a prisoner of war during the Revolution. As his business grew, he became an ardent abolitionist, philanthropist, and active proponent of civil rights for Blacks.

John Adams

1735-1826

Diplomat, statesman, and president of the Second Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Adams was elected the second president of the United States, leaving an indelible imprint on the character of the nation. He shares the “Father of the American Navy” title with John Barry and John Paul Jones.

Topics: 18th Century, Founding Fathers, Peaceful Transition of Power, Naval History

John Barry

1745-1803

Born in Ireland, John Barry earned his epaulets in America serving as an officer in the Continental Navy during the Revolution. After the war, he commissioned as an American Naval officer at the rank of commodore, an honor bestowed by President Washington. He shares the title of “Father of the American Navy” with fellow patriots John Adams and John Paul Jones.

Topics: 18th Century, Revolutionary War, Naval History

John Dunlap

1746-1812

After emigrating from Ireland, John Dunlap aligned himself with the colonists and became an officer with the First Philadelphia City Troops. He served with Washington during several battles. But he is best known for his printing business; Dunlap printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence.

John Stoy

Late 1700s

John Stoy was a soldier from Pennsylvania who served in the Continental Army. He served in northern New York and later in the Philadelphia campaign and was present at the Valley Forge encampment. During the spring of 1778, his bladder saved General Lafayette.

Julia Stockton Rush

1759-1809

Julia, a highly intelligent woman, had a literary and cultured upbringing which gave her an appreciation for books and lively conversation. While she was often surrounded by some of the brightest and most influential people in Philadelphia, it was her role as a wife and mother she valued most. But when Revolution and then Yellow Fever struck, she proved she would do whatever it took to protect her family.

Topics: Women’s History, Yellow Fever, 18th Century, Colonial Medicine

Juliette Gordon Low

1860-1927

Juliet Low didn’t leave all the fun to the boys. She founded the Girl Scouts of the USA, providing millions of girls with opportunities for learning, leadership and developing new skills. The cookies came much later.

Margaret “Peggy” Chew

1760-1827

Born into a wealthy Loyalist family, Peggy Chew was a socialite who attracted a number of suitors, including Britain’s Major Andre, who was later hanged as a British spy. Peggy went on to marry war hero John Eager Howard and became the First Lady of Maryland when he served as governor.

Margaret Woodby

Late 1700s

Margaret Woodby, a free Black woman, was known as a “cake baker” but that didn’t begin to summarize her talents. With her combination of baking and business talents, she developed a thriving business and was part of a community of successful free Black entrepreneurs.

Topics: 18th Century, Black history, Women’s History

Martha Washington

1731-1802

Martha Custis’ marriage to George Washington propelled her into an unexpectedly public life in which she defined the role of First Lady for subsequent generations. Martha and George celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at the Powel House in Philadelphia.

Topics: 18th Century, Women’s History

Mary Crathorne

1728 - 1780

Chocolate lovers can thank Mary Crathorne for laying the foundation for a thriving chocolate industry in Philadelphia. As a struggling widow, she combined her chocolate-making skills with her entrepreneurial spirit and ran the first recorded woman-owned and operated chocolate shop.

Topics: 18th Century, Women’s History, Colonial Foodways

Ona Judge

1773-1848

Born into slavery on the Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation, Ona Judge was one of seven enslaved persons Washington brought to Philadelphia during his presidency. With careful planning, she escaped one night while the Washingtons were having dinner and made her way to New Hampshire. Defying all attempts to return her to the Washingtons, she married and remained free despite never having been legally released from slavery.

Topics: 18th Century, Women’s History, Black History, Slavery and Abolition

Patrick Henry

1736-1799

Henry is best known for his fiery declaration, “Give me liberty or give me death.” But there’s so much more to this Founding Father. Henry was a delegate to the First Continental Congress and supplied troops to Washington during the Revolution. Fearing a strong federal government would lead to tyrannical rule, he finally relented, and the Bill of Rights was added, securing more rights and protections for the public.

Robert Hare

1752-1811

Cheers! LeChaim! Salud! Beer lovers have Robert Hare to thank for being the first to brew porter ale in America. During the Revolution, Hare honed his military skills in the First Troop City Cavalry and later was elected to Pennsylvania’s Constitutional Convention.

Topics: 18th Century, Revolutionary War, Food & Beverage, Military History

Samuel Nicholas

1744-1790

Nicholas was born in Philadelphia to prosperous Quaker parents. He was the Muster Master of the Continental Navy and became the first Commandant of the Marines in 1775.

Specializes in Military History

Sarah Bass Allen

1764-1849

Born into slavery, Sara eventually attained her freedom and went on to marry Rev. Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) church. Known as “a pillar of the building, mother of Israel,” she was active in feeding, clothing, and housing runaway slaves in her home and in the church as they sought freedom. She also founded the Daughters of Conference, an organization of AME women who provided pastors with services and goods needed in their ministry.

Theodore Roosevelt

1858-1919

Before serving as the 26th President of the United States, Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In this position, he ordered an attack on the Spanish Navy by the USS Olympia, now docked in Philadelphia at the Independence Seaport Museum.

Thomas Jefferson

1743-1826

As the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson secured his name in history as one of America’s most important Founding Fathers. He served as the third US president, negotiated the Louisiana Purchase, and founded the University of Virginia. But as a slaveholder, he left behind a complicated legacy.

Thomas Paine

1737-1809

Born in England, Paine was a writer, inventor, and revolutionary. He is the author and publisher of “Common Sense,” the most influential pamphlet during the American Revolution.

Walt Whitman

1819-1892

Poet. Essayist. Journalist. Whitman’s unconventional verse transformed poetry earning him the title of Father of Free Verse. His groundbreaking 1855 collection “Leaves of Grass” earned many “tsk-tsks” at the time but more than 175 years later is still a widely-read classic. His home and burial site are minutes away in Camden, NJ.

William Penn

1644-1718

Born in London, Penn was the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he established freedom of conscience, trial by jury, and representative and elected government.

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