In The Cradle of Industry and Liberty

would hold into the early nineteenth century.
Of course, the nation was founded in
Philadelphia—the Declaration of Independence
and U.S. Constitution were written in the
city in 1776 and 1787, respectively—and it
served as the capital of the new Unites States
of America from 1790 to 1800.
Along with its early political importance,
Philadelphia has long been one of America’s
great centers of learning and scientific inquiry.
It is home to the nation’s first subscription
library (1731), learned society (1743), public
hospital (1751), medical school (1765), pharmacy
school (1821), and children’s hospital
(1855), as well as its first fine arts academy
(1805), natural history museum (1812), one
of its oldest scientific institutes (1824), and
its first zoo (1874). In business and commerce,
Philadelphia is the site of the nation’s
oldest insurance company (1752), first stock
exchange (1790), first bank (1781), and first
commodities exchange (1895). Notably, all
of the aforementioned organizations are still
active in Philadelphia except the first bank
and commodities exchange.
This spirit of inquiry and innovation
naturally extended to the city’s manufacturing
sector, fostering a culture of continual
experimentation and invention that kept
Philadelphia at the forefront of advancements
in manufacturing technology. From Benjamin
Franklin’s famous experiments in electricity
in the 1750s to Oliver Evans’ invention of
the high-pressure steam engine in 1803 to
the development of the world’s first computer
at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946,
Philadelphia has a long tradition of serving as
an incubator for transformational technologies.
This spirit, particularly as it relates to the
relationship between science and industry, is
best embodied in The Franklin Institute, the
scientific institution named for Philadelphia’s
great statesman and scientist, Benjamin
Franklin. Founded in 1824 for “the promotion
and encouragement of manufactures and
the mechanics and useful arts,” The Franklin
Institute remains one of the nation’s premiere
science and technology institutes, as well as
one of Philadelphia’s most popular museums.
In 1800 the U.S. capital moved from
Philadelphia to Washington D.C., and the
census revealed that New York had surpassed
Philadelphia as America’s most populous city.
The nation’s center of gravity in commerce,
finance, and culture would gradually shift
from Philadelphia to New York in the early
nineteenth century as well. By the 1820s
Philadelphia had lost its standing in several
keys areas and while still an important city,
it was no longer the preeminent American
metropolis. It was precisely at this point,
however, that Philadelphia began its ascent
into one of the world’s greatest manufacturing
centers. Its industrial growth over the
course of the nineteenth century was
astonishing. By the time it hosted the 1876
U.S. Centennial Exposition—officially the
International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures,
and Products of the Soil and Mine—Philadelphia
was ready to demonstrate its manufacturing
might to the nearly ten million visitors it
hosted from throughout the nation and the
world. By the turn of the twentieth century
Philadelphia was known as the Workshop
of the World, widely considered one of the
greatest manufacturing centers on earth.
@
Silk souvenir for the 1899 National
Export Exposition held in Philadelphia.
The souvenir was made by Sauquoit Silk
Manufacturing Company, which was
headquartered in New York but had a large
mill in Philadelphia, one of forty silk mills
in the city around the turn of the twentieth
century. Pictured are the Philadelphia
Commercial Museum, along with William
Penn (lower left), Benjamin Franklin
(lower right), and then U.S. President
William McKinley (top).
LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA.
CHAPTER ONE
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