|
Because of its convenient geographic location, Philadelphia has always attracted political conventions. The two Continental Congresses met in Philadelphia and ultimately voted for independence. Probably the most well-known of Philadelphia's political conventions was the Constitutional Convention of 1787. But national nominating conventions with political platforms did not evolve until 1832.
|
|
 The Great American Buck Hunt of 1856 lithograph, 1856 |
The Whigs held their convention of 1848, nominating Zachary Taylor, and over the next 100 years Philadelphia hosted many more conventions. In 1856, Philadelphia hosted not one, but two presidential conventions: the American Party (Know-Nothings) nominated Millard Fillmore, the Republicans John C. Frémont. The Republican National Convention met again at Philadelphia in 1872, nominating Ulysses S. Grant. In June 1900 the Republicans returned and renominated William McKinley |
|
By 1936 Philadelphia had a new convention hall. In that year the Democrats used it to renominate Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Republicans followed in 1940, nominating Wendell Wilkie.
Find out how Philadelphia promotes itself as the Convention City |
 PHILCO Guide to the National Political Conventions |
In 1948 three parties held conventions in Philadelphia: Republicans, with Thomas Dewey; the Democrats, with Harry Truman; and the Progressives, nominating Henry Wallace. The Republicans now return in 2000 |
| Not only political parties have held conventions with political agendas. Other groups have met in Philadelphia with agendas ranging from the abolition of slavery and the advocacy of women's suffrage in the 1800s to equal rights and gun ownership in the 1900s. |
 Woman Suffrage Vote Yes October 19 |