Independence Hall

“Hart's writing is brisk and smooth . . . [and] entertainingepisodes fill the book.”—First ThingsThe surprising story of how an ordinary buildingbecame—finally—a chief symbol of the American Founding and its politicalideals.Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence wassigned 250 years ago, is today a beloved American shrine and an internationalsymbol of political liberty. Yet it was not always so. In Independence Hall:The History of an American Icon, one of our most accomplished and provocativehistorians unspools the surprising story of Independence Hall’s origins, varieduses, and ultimate rise to national-landmark status.D. G. Hart, a Philadelphia native, has an eye for thefascinating and incongruous. He tells not only the stories surrounding thesigning of the Declaration of Independence and the framing of the Constitution.He also reveals:BenjaminFranklin’s connection with Independence Hall’s origins;how thebuilding became at one time America’s first natural history museum (led by quirkyportraitist Charles Willson Peale), and at another time Philadelphia'smunicipal dog pound; whyAbraham Lincoln lay in state there following his assassination;the roleof Kevin Bacon’s father, Edmund, in creating Independence National HistoricalPark; andwhy ittook so long for the nation to recognize Independence Hall’s significance andmeaning.Written for the general reader, everyone interested in ournational story will find this quintessentially American history eye-opening andentertaining.