Independence Hall was completed in 1753 and home to the Second Continental Congress from 1775 through 1783 after the Pennsylvania Mutiny.

It was in this building in 1776 where the Declaration of Independence was conceived, debated, and later passed and signed.

This Hall served as a meeting place and the grounds were a gathering spot for the citizens of the thirteen colonies and the place where the Declaration of Independence was read to crowds after its completion.

It is thought that this reading was the final push that the troops needed to win the American Revolution.

A few years later, the American Constitution was also written in the offices of Independence Hall.

The Hall was built is 1753 on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where it stands today as a national monument.

The Liberty Bell was housed in the Tower Steeple until it was replaced with the Centennial Bell in 1876.

It is on the steps of the Independence Hall where Thomas Masaryk, the founder and first president of Czechoslovakia, proclaimed the country’s freedom.

The early history of Independence Hall was a building that held the hope of a people who were taking a stand to separate themselves from the radical government of Great Britain.

Later history is much less admirable and the Hall and its grounds were used in times of war and political unrest.

The history of Independence Hall is international as a symbol for democracy and civil rights and for that reason it has been used throughout modern history as a staging ground for rallies.

During the Vietnam War and other times of civil unrest, the grounds surrounding Independence Hall as well as Independence Square were used by protesters of the war.

For these reasons, security gates were placed at the entrance to the Hall limiting the public from visiting this National Monument.

After the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the Department of Homeland Security restricted traffic around the Independence Mall with bike barriers.

The Government is now in talks to replace the barriers with a seven foot high fence which is being met with opposition from Philadelphia officials.

Should a public symbol of freedom be cordoned off and access restricted?

AMERICAN REVOLUTION HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE HALL

HALLOWED HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE HALL

Independence Hall has a long history of freedom and democracy throughout the world. Political leaders internationally have used the grounds for speeches about their country’s freedom. It is a location where people travel to learn the story of America’s struggle to become free.

In the 1700’s the hall was used as the governmental building of a free society to make the laws of the country. The American Constitution was written in the halls of the building giving Americans their civil rights and freedoms from an oppressive government.

INDEPENDENCE HALL IN AN OPPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT

How can the unwavering symbol of freedom and democracy be tainted with government manipulation by elected officials? Imprisoning Independence Hall in fencing in order to keep American citizens from the grounds should be illegal.

Citizens should be able to use the hallowed grounds of a National Monument for any reason they see fit. It should not be a place to be looked at from afar but a place to walk through and learn of the history of this country.