Since the very beginning of William Penn’s Philadelphia in the New World in the 1680s, the City has gotten a reputation for being a bit of a tough town. After all, it takes determination to begin as the most historic, planned-out city in North America — not to mention to remain vibrant for 344 years.
Many will be celebrating the site of the ratification of the Declaration of our Freedom 250 years ago this July — but in fact, our city dates back 100 years before that. And while America’s celebration this summer may bring to the forefront the Founding Fathers who were committed to our freedom, we wouldn’t be the nation that we are today without the contributions of the countless exemplary, determined women of Philadelphia.
Nearly 100 years prior to Philadelphia’s streets being filled with the joyous reality of the feeling of freedom , it was William Penn’s wife who had a profound impact on our Commonwealth. When Penn died in 1718, control of Pennsylvania fell to Hannah Callowhill Penn. She was America’s first female politician and was, for all practical purposes, our only female governor. She was not only responsible for overseeing Pennsylvania, but also negotiated with Native Americans and settled a land dispute that would eventually keep Philadelphia as part of Pennsylvania.
Penn was posthumously awarded US Citizenship in 1984 by President Reagan, and Callowhill Street — named in her honor — still exists in our city today.
Women in politics had a profound impact during the American Revolution, and Philadelphia women were no exception. Although born in England , Esther de Berdt Reed made her home in the City of Philadelphia during her time as the First Lady of Pennsylvania during her husband, Joseph Reed’s, term as governor. During her five years in Philadelphia, she was a powerful advocate for soldiers in the field. She published 'Sentiments of an American Woman.' She also joined Benjamin Franklin’s daughter, Sarah Franklin Bache, to raise funds for the Continental Army under the Ladies Association of Philadelphia.
If you visit Wissahickon Valley Park in Northwest Philadelphia today, you can see the Toleration Statue. The cliff where it stands is significant for another reason. During the Occupation of Philadelphia in 1777 by the British Army under General Howe , those English soldiers who visited the Buck Tavern in Germantown, which was owned by Molly “Old Mom” Rinker, were often overheard discussing British war plans as they became intoxicated. Rinker would wrap the messages about British military plans in balls of yarn and drop them off a cliff in present-day Wissahickon Valley Park for intentional interception by the Americans, who then relayed the plans to George Washington.
A visit to Arch Street to see the Betsy Ross House evokes the deep commitment that Philadelphia women made to the Revolutionary War effort. From the cold, unforgiving winter of 1776 to the March of George Washington’s Army down Philadelphia’s Old King’s Highway towards Yorktown in 1781, seamstresses such as Ross, Rebecca Flower Young, Margaret Manning, and Cornelia Bridges
And then there was Elizabeth Sandwith Drinker, who documented life around Philadelphia during the Revolution. Drinker’s husband was accused of treason, and her home was even filled with English soldiers during the British occupation of 1777. Her diary still stands as a detailed description of life in Philadelphia during the American Revolution.
The brave contributions of Philadelphia women endure today. The Diary of Elizabeth Drinker can still be found on bookshelves across America in 2026. According to legend — sometime between 1814 and 1815 — on the same cliff where she provided intelligence about the British Army to General Washington, which still bears her name to this day, Rinker fell to her death. Visitors still take in the steep drop at Mom Rinker’s Rock.
From the very beginning, women in Philadelphia haven’t just supported the city’s greatness — they’ve created greatness of their own. While history often highlights the city’s Founding Fathers, the women of Philadelphia were far more than figures in the background. Their stories, achievements, and influence form a powerful legacy that continues to stand strong today.
