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CRADLE OF OUR NATION: Philadelphia by Earl Welch

CRADLE OF OUR NATION: Philadelphia

By

Pub Date: Oct. 17th, 1949
Publisher: Holt

First of a city series -- and pretty stereotyped and unimaginative it is. Too bad the zest which characterized the book on London by Bullock (Warne -- see P. 476) is so lacking in this. The facts of the early history are here, but they are slightly written down, and the portrait of William Penn, and his dreams for the City of Brotherly Love seem somehow unreal. Philadelphia from its inception was a planned city; how it grew, how it incorporated some of the ideals that became American ideals, how it became a symbol- despite the shortcomings- when the Declaration of Independence was written, the liberty bell rung-all this is part of its story. Some of the troubles of the young ""city""- the living conditions- the government, take more space than its later development- after the Revolutionary War- into a full fledged city, first capital of the nation, later of the state. The moments of disunity- the conflict over slavery, the Civil War, the infiltration of ""foreigners"", the Centennial -- and- briefly, Philadelphia today. Value chiefly for school libraries and reference, nationally speaking; local and regional value. The lack of an index will lessen its use in reference.