For a brief moment in time, Lancaster, Pennsylvania held the high honor as the third capital of our young nation. How briefly, exactly? If you want to get technical about it, as I am sure we all do as passionate developers, designers and users of the software WordPress, it was the capital for one single day. But let that not diminish the importance of that day. Let’s travel back in time for a brief history lesson.
A Brief History
In early September of 1777, British forces led by Sir William Howe advanced north from the Chesapeake towards Philadelphia, with the goal of capturing the capital. Meanwhile, General George Washington’s troops moved south of Philadelphia in order to head off the British advancements. On September 11th, 1777, the troops met in what is now known as the Battle of Brandywine. In short, the British won.
The two weeks following the battle saw few encounters between the British and American forces. On September 26, 1777, George Washington and the Continental Congress abandoned Philadelphia and traveled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, approximately sixty miles west of Philadelphia. The British marched into Philadelphia unopposed.
Image of the Lancaster Courthouse. This is the rebuilt courthouse, though, and not the original one in use during the day Lancaster was the capital.
Lancaster’s Big Day
On September 27th, 1777, Lancaster, Pennsylvania became the third capital of the United States. On that day, Lancaster’s county courthouse became the meeting place for the Continental Congress, where Benjamin Franklin became elected as commissioner to negotiate a treaty with France. But it didn’t last long.
But It Didn’t Last Long
The next day, September 30, 1777, they picked up again and moved another twenty miles west to York, Pennsylvania. Situated on the western side of the Susquehanna River, York offered additional protection against the British forces. They stayed in York until June 27, 1778, when they moved back to Philadelphia.
Luckily for those in the Philadelphia area, today Lancaster is accessible via train and only about an hour to an hour and a half away. We hope that you will join us in Lancaster on March 5th. If you haven’t done so yet, purchase a ticket today!