What did Philadelphia use to be called? Philadelphia was once the capital of the United States, serving as host for the Constitutional Convention that created the federal constitution in 1787 and being elected capital between 1790 and 1800. Philadelphia gave rise to several lasting institutions such as the American Philosophical Society, Library Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hospital, and College of Philadelphia - not to mention notable private and public buildings like City Hall and Independence Hall, which served as hubs of commerce and shipping activity during its heydays.
The Dutch were among the earliest settlers of the Delaware Valley, including Tinicum Island and western Philadelphia, referring to it collectively as New Netherland; this designation soon changed due to English competition; moreover, their West India Company soon lost to Great Britain and Swedes also settled there with Wicaco village near what would later become present-day Philadelphia.
Philadelphia was given its name by William Penn in the 1620s when he named his new colony after an ancient Greek city to foster religious tolerance and good government - its name "Philadelphia" symbolizes this vision, with "brotherly love" meaning its Greek translation "Philadelphia."
Before Penn's time, European settlers forced Native Americans out of Philadelphia and other parts of the Delaware Valley. Lenape tribe members lived in single-doorway wooden wigwams, which could range in size from small dwellings to multifamily structures located along rivers and creeks.
