Discover the remarkable story of how Pennsylvania and Philadelphia helped shape the ideas that would become the foundation of America in a live virtual tour of this this special exhibition, Pennsylvania’s Founding: How a City and a Colony Shaped America’s Civic DNA. Together with a museum educator, explore the complex relationship between William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” of Pennsylvania and the Lenape people, whose ancestors had known the land for thousands of years. Featured artifacts include a wampum belt said to have been given to Penn by the Lenape to mark the 1682 Treaty of Shackamaxon as a symbol of hoped-for peace and cooperation.
The National Constitution Center is proud to host Pennsylvania’s Founding, developed in partnership with Drexel University and curated by Drexel’s Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships and Atwater Kent Collection, from September 30, 2026 – January 3, 2027.
