Quakerism has a light touch. You have to know something about Quakerism to see its effect on Philadelphia; from that you can see its effect on America. Benjamin Franklin had an enduring effect, but Quakers got here first, and their effect on Franklin can be discerned.

• Customs, Culture and Traditions Abundant seafood made it easy to settle here. Agriculture takes longer.
• Cultural Culture and Traditions (2)
• Food and Drink in Philadelphia A flowing abundance of food sources made Philadelphia the capital of food and drink, right from earliest times.
• Religious Philadelphia William Penn wanted a colony with religious freedom. A considerable number, if not the majority, of American religious denominations were founded in this city. The main misconception about religious Philadelphia is that it is Quaker-dominated. But the broader misconception is that it is not Quaker-dominated.
• Shakspere Society of Philadelphia Maybe not the first, but the oldest Shakespeare club in America or possibly even the world, has kept minutes for over a hundred fifty years.
• Nobel Prizes Some Philadelphians won Nobel Prizes for work done here, or elsewhere. Some prize winners would deny they are Philadelphians, but their work was nevertheless done here.
• Franklin Inn Club Hidden in a back alley near the theaters, this little club is the center of the City's literary circle. It enjoys outstanding food in surroundings which suggest Samuel Johnson's club in London.
• Volunteerism The characteristic American behavior called volunteerism got its start with Benjamin Franklin's Junto, and has been a source of comment by foreign visitors ever since. It's still a very active force.
• Philadelphia Politics Originally, politics had to do with the Proprietors, then the immigrants, then the King of England, then the establishment of the nation. Philadelphia first perfected the big-city political machine, which centers on bulk payments from utilities to the boss politician rather than small graft payments to individual office holders. More efficient that way.
• Nature Preservation Nature preservation and nature destruction are different parts of an eternal process.
• Art in Philadelphia The history of art, particularly painting and sculpture, has been a long and distinguished one. If you add in the art schools, the Philadelphia national influence on artists has been a dominant one.
• Academia in the Philadelphia Region Higher education is a source of pride, progress, and aggravation.
• Musical Philadelphia Quakers never cared much for music, but the city has nonetheless musically flourished into international fame. At the same time, quarrels and internal battles have also been world class.
• Quakers: The Society of Friends According to an old Quaker joke, the Holy Trinity consists of the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and the neighborhood of Philadelphia.
• Quakers: William Penn Although Ben Franklin gets more ink lately, William Penn deserves at least equal rank among the most remarkable men who ever lived.
• Quakers: All Alike, All Different Quaker doctrines emerge from the stories they tell about each other.
• The Philadelphia Media The Philadelphia Media
• Architecture in Philadelphia Originating in a limitless forest, wooden structures became a "Red City" of brick after a few fires. Then a succession of gifted architects shaped the city as Greek Revival, then French. Modern architecture now responds as much to population sociology as artistic genius. Take a look at the current "green building" movement.
• Philadelphia Fish and Fishing Less than a century ago, Delaware Bay, Delaware River, Schuylkill River, Pennypack Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and dozens of other creeks in this swampy region were teeming with edible fish, oysters and crabs. They may be coming back, cautiously.
• Philadelphia, A Running Commentary A series of observations in and around Philadelphia by notables over the last three and one-half centuries.
• Japan and Philadelphia Philadelphia and Japan have had a special friendship for 150 years.
• Literary Philadelphia Literary
• Theatre in Philadelphia Theater has declined, everywhere in the western world. But in Philadelphia, even today if you attended every new play you would keep pretty busy.
• Science Science
• Philadelphia Women .