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Philadelphia:
The History of a History
| In 1966, the Librarian of the American Philosophical Society, Whitfield J. Bell Jr., formulated a concept that changed the course of Philadelphia history. It certainly changed the lives of a great many Philadelphia historians and, most importantly, it gave Philadelphians ready access to their city's past. Bell, looking ahead to the nation's bicentennial in 1976, proposed that Philadelphia mark the occasion with a new narrative of its own history—the first fully developed history of the city since Ellis P. Oberholtzer's Philadelphia: A History of the City and Its People, published in 1912.1 Soon, an editorial committee was formed with the support of Robert L. McNeil Jr. of the Barra Foundation. |
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Thus began the sixteen-year historical odyssey that eventually produced Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, edited by Russell F. Weigley, which appeared in time for the city's three hundredth birthday.2 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania celebrated the long-anticipated publication with a champagne reception on September 30, 1982. Twenty-five years later, the volume remains an indispensable guide to the city's history. |
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A project of such long duration required the effort of many individuals. In the beginning, Roy F. Nichols of the University of Pennsylvania served as chairman and editor-in-chief, with Lois Given Bobb as managing editor and an editorial committee consisting also of Bell, Margaret B. Tinkcom, Nicholas B. Wainwright, and Edwin Wolf 2nd. Relying heavily on Nichols's wide-ranging network of colleagues, former students, and professional acquaintances, the project recruited authors for the individual chapters that would comprise the book. An editorial statement guided the individual authors toward a consistent narrative. In marked contrast to the urban unrest occurring in Philadelphia and other American cities in the 1960s, the editorial philosophy advocated consensus: "This history—a portrayal of the evolution of the city in the course of three centuries—is to picture the city fundamentally as an exponent of the middle way, eschewing extremes, a consensus of many diversities." Rather than following the trends of specialists in urban history, who were embracing quantitative methods and emphasizing social conflict, Philadelphia's new history strove for "narrative flow and a sense of development." The authors were provided with a list of suggested topics to consider, such as population, politics, and society, and they were encouraged to provide "an interpretive analysis illuminated by facts, not a compilation of facts in themselves."3 |
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