Originally published on October 14, 2024 (Episode 379)
Introduction
Philadelphia was envisioned from its founding as a haven for religious dissenters, so it is perhaps unsurprising that from its earliest days the city has been racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse. Perhaps more surprisingly—given that it was founded by the famously pacifist Society of Friends—Philadelphia has also always thrived on conflict: debates over planning and land use, clashes between competing groups, and a recurring suspicion toward the very existence of cities themselves.
William Penn designed it to be a “green country town,” yet his plan has been reshaped and overwritten many times. And while Philadelphia contains some of the most iconic landmarks in American history and culture, it has also been remarkably adept at erasing or forgetting its past.
About the Guest
Paul Kahan is a historian and graduate of Temple University, the most Philadelphian of institutions. His work explores politics, urban history, and American reform movements. He is the author of seven books, most recently Philadelphia: A Narrative History (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024).
For Further Investigation
Paul Kahan, Philadelphia: A Narrative History (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024)
Related Episodes
“City of Light, City of Shadows”—Michael Rapport on Belle Époque Paris
“Madrid”—Luke Stegeman on a millennium’s worth of history
Other Resources
Thomas Sugrue, The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit (Princeton, 2014)—for comparative perspective
Emma Hart, Trading Spaces: The Colonial Marketplace and the Foundations of American Capitalism (Chicago, 2019)—on Philadelphia’s early economy
Nathaniel Burt, The Perennial Philadelphians: The Anatomy of an American Aristocracy (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999)
Listen & Discuss
What do you love—or loathe—about Philadelphia? Does its habit of both preserving and forgetting its past make it more American than other cities, or less? Share your thoughts in the comments and send this episode to a friend who thinks they know Philly.
