In an effort to create a safe haven for religious people in the New World, William Penn was granted a charter in the year 1681 from King Charles II to the land west of the Delaware River and in 1701 he chose to name this city "Philadelphia." Today, Philadelphia has become the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and the fifth most populated city in the United States. Popular nicknames for this metropolitan magnet include "Philly" and "The City of Brotherly Love."

     Philadelphia was once the second largest city in the British Empire (after London) and the sociopolitical center of the original 13 American colonies. Benjamin Franklin took a large role in Philadelphia's early rise to prominence and it was in this city that many of the ideas which gave birth to the Revolutionary War and American Independence occurred; thus making Philadelphia the centerpiece of early American history. It was also at one time the most populous city of the young United States and served as the "nation’s" first capital. Visitors will find such renowned landmarks as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the house where Betsy Ross stitched the original first American flag.

     Another significant feature of Philadelphia is the African American Museum. Founded in 1976 in celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial, the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting the material and intellectual culture of African Americans in Philadelphia, the Delaware Valley, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Museum is committed to telling the story of African Americans in all aspects including family life, the Human and Civil Rights movement, arts and entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law and technology.