Philadelphia: A Narrative History Book Talk

Join us at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in conversation with Paul Kahan, author of Philadelphia: A Narrative History and historian Emma Lapsansky-Werner. Together, they’ll explore how diversity, civic conflict, and reform have shaped Philadelphia's identity across centuries. From William Penn’s idealistic grid to Edmund Bacon’s urban renewal and today’s redevelopment efforts, the discussion will examine the city’s evolving physical form and its leaders’ enduring belief in planning as a path to civic virtue. The program will also explore the role of archives, museums, and preservation efforts in both constraining and expanding the symbolic meaning of Philadelphia’s history – beyond its Revolutionary legacy.

Copies of Philadelphia: A Narrative History will be available onsite for purchase from Mavey Books and will be signed by the author.

This hybrid program is offered in conjunction with the exhibit , on view June 12- September 26.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania Members

Please register for this webinar .

We wish to provide complimentary tickets to current secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students. Please email us at cHJvZ3JhbXMgfCBoc3AgISBvcmc= and tell us where you are enrolled as a student and in what program.

About the Speakers:

Dr. Paul Kahan is a leading expert on U.S. political, economic, and diplomatic history, with a particular interest in the half-century between Andrew Jackson's election to the presidency in 1828 and the so-called end of Reconstruction in 1877. He earned his Ph.D. from Temple University, and has published several books, including Philadelphia: A Narrative History. You can learn more about Dr. Kahan and his work at www.paulkahan.com. 

Dr. Emma Lapsansky Werner is Professor of History Emeritus at Haverford College and Visiting Professor in the Writing Program and Quaker Studies. She formerly served as Curator of the Quaker Collection. Her research and teaching interests include American social and religious history--especially Quaker history - and American family history and material culture (particularly books, decorative arts, and technology. She has authored and edited a number of books on American history, including Quaker Aesthetics: Reflections on a Quaker Ethic in American Design and Consumption (Penn Press: 2003), and The Struggle for Freedom: A History of African Americans Since 1865 (Pearson: 2018). 

Support for PAS 250 programming comes from The Haverford Trust Company and the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Endowment Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, founded in 1824, is one of the nation’s largest archives of historical documents. We are proud to serve as Philadelphia’s Library of American History, with over 21 million manuscripts, books, and graphic images encompassing centuries of US history. Through educator workshops, research opportunities, public programs, and lectures throughout the year, we strive to make history relevant and exhilarating to all. For more information, visit hsp.org.

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