The "Glory Day: Lancaster, PA" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Finding that I have to brag a bit about my hometown of Lancaster, PA today.  Hey, how many people can say that their hometown was the capital of the United States, if only for one day. Well, that's the case with Lancaster.  It was on October 13, 2011 that Lancaster's City Council officially recognized September 27 as Capital Day.  A few days ago we celebrated in the downtown area, a block away from where our founding fathers met on September 27, 1777.  It's been 236 years since that time, but we still celebrate with a memorial service that includes the pledge to the flag, national anthem, speakers and at times special readings or speeches from people dressed as they would have been in 1777.  Exciting?  Not the July 4th kind of exciting, but certainly memorable as well as historical!  It was on September 26, 1776 that British troops, under General William Howe, after working their way north from the Chesapeake Bay, finally occupied Philadelphia after defeating George Washington's American forces at the Battle of Brandywine Creek near Chadd's Ford 16 days earlier.  Losing this battle ended the chances of successfully defending Philadelphia.  Shortly after that battle in which the British killed, wounded or captured over 1,000 patriots, the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia by crossing the Delaware river to New Jersey, then taking a circuitous route to Lancaster.  It was during this roundabout trip that they hid the Liberty Bell in Allentown, PA and then covered their tracks as they continued to Lancaster.  The members of the Continental Congress where the leaders who defied King George by signing the Declaration of Independence and voting to take up arms against the British.  It was Benjamin Franklin who reminded all those members that ...... "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."  

Lancaster's Courthouse when Lancaster was the Capital
of our country in 1777.  Stood at the center of our square
where the Sailors and Soldiers Monument now stands.
This courthouse burned to the ground in 1784.

The delegates arrived in Lancaster on the 27th and met in Lancaster's county courthouse.  Just like that my hometown of Lancaster became the third capital of our fledgling nation. (Baltimore was the capital from Dec. 20, 1776 to Feb. 27, 1777).  On that one day in Lancaster, the Continental Congress elected Benjamin Franklin as commissioner to negotiate a treaty with France.  The next day they got on their horses and in their wagons and moved to York, PA, fearing the red coats would make their way easily to Lancaster and wanted the Susquehanna River as a cushion between themselves and the British.  That, plus the fact that they thought that no Englishmen would ever want to be caught in a place like York (That's not really part of history, but my reasoning).  Well, I guess most of you know that we eventually won the war and gained our independence.  My story is just about over except for an anecdotal side note ....... One Lancastrian, a Mr. Johnson, was part of a grass-roots movement to recognize Lancaster with a special holiday called Capital Day.  Well, Mr. Johnson happened to be a contestant on "Jeopardy" and he was asked to submit several stories about himself and one of the stories was about his trying to get the city some fame with Capital Day.  Sure enough, Alex chose to ask him that question during his interview session and Mr. Johnson got to put in a plug for Lancaster's Glory Day.  Also got to school Alex on how to properly pronounce the name of my city.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.