45. Independence Hall

Important Decisions

Within Independence National Historical Park, several buildings all located on Independence Square have ties to the Underground Railroad. Important decisions about slavery and freedom, which charted the future of this nation, transpired at Independence Hall, Congress Hall and Old City Hall. The Square was the gathering place for abolition activities and the location for speeches made by abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

At Independence Hall, the Declaration of Independence was signed, promising freedom. The U.S. Constitution was drafted, which regulated slavery as part of a series of compromises enacted by the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The resulting constitution included the three-fifths clause, which declared that for purposes of representation in Congress, enslaved blacks would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. Other clauses prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories and ended U.S. participation in the international slave trade in 1807.

These compromises reflected Virginia Constitutional Convention delegate (and future U.S. President) James Madison’s observation that “…the States were divided into different interests not by their…size…but principally from their having or not having slaves.” While all northern states initially allowed slavery, most enacted gradual emancipation laws around the time of the American Revolution.

Also at Independence Hall, U.S. District Court trials were held concerning the 1851 Christiana riots and other fugitive cases.

In Congress Hall, the U.S. Congress passed the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act, which guaranteed the right of a slaveholder to recover an escaped slave and provided a mechanism by which that could be accomplished. Here, Congress also heard anti-slavery petitions. In Old City Hall, two mayors publicly demonstrated their support of the anti-slavery movement.

Independence Hall is a World Heritage site. The National Park Service provides tours and programs on site. Get information and begin your tour at the Independence Visitor Center located on Independence Mall on Market Street.

Photo by J. Fusco for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®