Found in Philadelphia: episodes

32 recent episodes from the show's feed. Back to the show

1. Episode No. 31 – It’s Our Declaration Now

   Oct 6, 2026 · 31 min

   The Declaration of Independence came hot off the press in Philadelphia on July 5th, 1776. From that point, people in the city had front row seats to history. They read, shared, translated, and listened to the words of the Declaration in the streets and squares, in the taverns and coffeehouses, and in their own homes, throughout the city. These newly minted Americans interpreted the words of the De

2. Episode No. 30 – Printing the Revolution, Part 2

   Aug 25, 2026 · 36 min

   The American Revolution was messy and improvised. Nothing was inevitable. We’ll take a look at the events, and key documents, leading up to the printing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, to understand why its printing was messy, improvised, and anything but inevitable. Guests Emily Sneff, historian of early America, leading expert on the Declaration of Independence, author of W

3. Episode No. 29 – Printing the Revolution, Part 1

   Jul 21, 2026 · 40 min

   You know that beautifully, hand-written Declaration of Independence, with “In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration…” across the top? Well, that’s not this story. Instead, we’re talking about how the Declaration of Independence really reached the masses, and why that was so important in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Guests Joseph Adelman, professor of history at Fr

4. Episode No. 28 – Reflecting on the 250th: Collaborating with the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia

   Jun 30, 2026 · 20 min

   What is the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia? And how have its juicy bits of history been created? In this episode, we’ll find out with the help of two of the founders of this online history project. Many of the guests for this series “Reflecting on the 250th” are linked to the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia in some way. They’ve contributed to the Encyclopedia project, or they are colle

5. Episode No. 27 – Trailer: Introducing a New Series “Reflecting on the 250th”

   Jun 23, 2026 · 6 min

   The Found in Philadelphia podcast is back in 2026! It’s been 250 years since the creation of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. We’re collaborating on a new series with the community that brought you the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Listen in to meet the founders, creators, and sustainers of this online Philly history project, as well as some others who believe it’s importa

6. Episode No. 26 – In Conversation with Elijah Anderson: Studying Culture on Philly Streets, Part 2

   Mar 19, 2025 · 35 min

   Over the past 50 years, the streets of Philadelphia have been a living laboratory for ethnographer Elijah Anderson. He’s been on the ground here since 1975 studying the people and the culture of our city. He’s published his findings in a series of groundbreaking books that have brought the lessons he’s learned in Philly to the rest of the world. This is the second half of a two-part series. In th

7. Episode No. 25 – In Conversation with Elijah Anderson: Studying the Culture of Philly Streets, Part 1

   Mar 4, 2025 · 35 min

   Over the past 50 years, the streets of Philadelphia have been a living laboratory for ethnographer Elijah Anderson. He’s been on the ground here since 1975 studying the people and the culture of our city. He’s published his findings in a series of groundbreaking books that have brought the lessons he’s learned in Philly to the rest of the world. Over two episodes, we’ll learn how Professor Anders

8. Episode No. 24 – Election Day on the Streets of Philadelphia (Part 4 – The 20th Century City)

   Oct 22, 2024 · 30 min

   Casting a ballot on Election Day transformed into a completely different experience in the early twentieth century. Generally, voting in Philadelphia moved indoors, grew safer, more inclusive, and, maybe, a little boring. Or has it? Our guest for this series is Professor Mark Brewin, Associate Professor of Media Studies, at the University of Tulsa. This mini-series relies heavily on Professor Bre

9. Episode No. 23 – Election Day on the Streets of Philadelphia (Part 3 – The Gilded Age City)

   Oct 15, 2024 · 25 min

   Voting changed after the Civil War in the newly consolidated City of Philadelphia. More men could vote on Election Day than ever before, and the vast majority of them did, though not without deadly violence. Government corruption also expanded. The Pennsylvania Republican party machine blatantly manipulated the vote. Yet, no one did much about it. Our guest for this series is Professor Mark Brewi

10. Episode No. 22 – Election Day on the Streets of Philadelphia (Part 2 – The New American Capital)

    Oct 8, 2024 · 31 min

    The founding fathers wanted to pretend that the government of the newly formed United States stood above faction. But organizing and get out the vote tactics in the streets of Philadelphia proved this wasn’t true. By 1830, political parties had become a driving force behind Election Day. Voting was now a partisan contest limited to only white men. In Philly, the day had a wild, festival feeling th

11. Episode No. 21 – Election Day on the Streets of Philadelphia (Part 1 – The Colonial City)

    Oct 1, 2024 · 28 min

    Colonial Philadelphia’s government provided a striking contrast to the more egalitarian, consensus-driven leadership of the Native American Lenape. Election Day in colonial Philadelphia placed a spotlight on the social hierarchy with a highly orchestrated, political ritual where wealthy male voters took the stage. But maintaining the high ground wasn’t always easy. Our guest for this series is Pr

12. Episode No. 20: These are the People in the Gilded Age, Part 2 – Women and Reform

    Jun 11, 2024 · 34 min

    These are the women’s movement histories that you haven’t heard. After the Civil War, women from all walks of life worked to make Philadelphia a better place. Some tried to clean up the streets. Some walked the streets in protest. And some continued, quietly, to improve their everyday lives through community and collective action. If you learned something new in the episode, don’t forget to lea

13. Episode No. 19: These are the People in the Gilded Age (Part 1)

    May 14, 2024

    When you walk around the city at night, do you enjoy the glimpses you get of other people’s well-lit homes? If you do (and who doesn’t?), then this episode is for you. We’re going to peer into the homes of the different people living in Philadelphia during the Gilded Age. We’ll look at how they lived, what they ate, and explore what happened when they all met in the street. If you enjoy the epi

14. Episode No. 18 – Philly Streets in the Gilded Age: Depression, Development, and Deadly Trolleys

    Dec 19, 2023 · 35 min

    Despite cycles of economic depression, Philadelphia transformed during the Gilded Age. Entire neighborhoods sprang up to house a growing population. Major infrastructure projects changed how people experienced the street. For some, it was a time of marvels. For others, it brought new perils to the street. To see historical images and find a full list of resources for this episode, check out the c

15. NEW Mini Episode No. 17 – Philadelphia Blue Stockings: Women and Baseball in the 19th Century

    Jun 27, 2023 · 18 min

    A 144-year old hotel register from Springfield, Ohio, sends us on the trail of the fly-by-night Philadelphia Blue Stockings. The pursuit will take us through the rough-and-tumble world of late 19th century baseball as we uncover the precarious place of women in sport. WARNING: This episode deals with sexual abuse of minors and may not be suitable for everyone. Support your local bookstore and

16. REBROADCAST Episode No. 4 – The Fight for Philly’s Streetcars

    Apr 25, 2023 · 32 min

    We’re rebroadcasting this earlier episode about the Black community’s fight to integrate Philly’s streetcars in the years following the Civil War 1865-1871. This story fits into the timeline of the series on the history of Philly’s streets. It details the legislative and physical battles fought to win access to public transportation in Philadelphia. Stay tuned as we continue to work on new episod

17. Episode No. 16 – Civil War Flows through Philly Streets

    Mar 28, 2023 · 30 min

    Philadelphia, like the rest of the nation, was poorly prepared for war. When the Civil War broke out, the cobbled-together city became a key part of the North’s thrown-together war machine. The war flowed through Philly streets, where city residents fought to make the best of a bad situation. To see historical images and find a full list of resources for this episode, check out the companion blog

18. Episode No. 15 – Streetcars Seize the Streets

    Feb 28, 2023 · 30 min

    In a remarkably short period of time, the newly consolidated city of Philadelphia was covered in rails. These rails ushered in a transit revolution: the horse-drawn streetcar. From 1858 to 1861, the streetcar transformed Philly streets. It filled a major gap in the city’s existing, patchwork transportation system. But the streetcar also disrupted city life because demolition, greed, and racism ra

19. Episode No. 14 – Violence in the Streets: The Origins of our Modern City

    Dec 6, 2022 · 40 min

    What kind of city did Philadelphia want to be? There were lots of different opinions in the 1840s and 1850s, but everyone agreed: it did not want to be like this. Our modern city was born out of the ashes of racist violence and anti-immigrant riots. During unstable times, the streets themselves became a weapon used by mobs to break, bludgeon, and burn. The efforts to restore order in the streets

20. Episode No. 13 – Steam, Steam (kind of) Revolution: Philly Streets in the 1830s and 40s

    Oct 18, 2022 · 34 min

    This episode is all about change and disruption. Early factories were changing the way Philadelphia worked, and it wasn’t pretty. Dismal conditions brought workers together in the streets to demand reforms, which were derailed by an economic collapse. In the background, steam technology was about to transform Philly’s streets. A frenzy of railroad construction in the city brought chaos, as railway