William Penn's vision of Philadelphia as a Quaker sanctuary had withered long before his death. Nonetheless, his "Holy Experiment" was a great success. Thousand of Europeans, tired of wars and persecution, immigrated to Philadelphia. Penn's policy of religious toleration and peace along with no military conscription was the perfect tonic for English, Irish, Germans, Catholics, Jews, and various Protestant sects.

Philadelphia was a leader in the new world when it came to religious enlightenment and race relations.

As the city grew, the Quakers' numbers declined. Their political influence did too. It was their choice. They thought politics spurred vanity and corruption. However, Quakers still had some power. For instance, they opposed slavery. They believed everyone was equal. As a result, Pennsylvania was the first state to eliminate slavery.

By 1800 Philadelphia was home to 6,000 free blacks. That was the most in any northern city and explains why the city had the nation's first black churches. These free people of color also founded the first black civic organizations and some of the first anti-slavery associations.

Penn's vision had set the wheels in motion. By the time Meriwether Lewis arrived in 1803, the foundation was solid. Free-thinkers and intellectuals, scientists and businessmen, all recognized Philadelphia as a place to thrive. Boston retained its Puritanical roots, New York still was a small city not far removed from the Dutch trading colony it started as, and Washington, DC, was just being laid out. Philadelphia was the logical place for Lewis to go.

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