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The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia is a civic project to increase understanding of one of America’s greatest cities. The Encyclopedia as a digital resource and print volume will offer the most comprehensive, authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region.
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- Themes
- Time Periods
- Featured Subjects
Nativist Riots of 1844
In May and July 1844, Philadelphia suffered some of the bloodiest rioting of the antebellum period, as anti-immigrant mobs attacked Irish-American homes and Roman Catholic churches before being suppressed by the militia.
Subways and Elevated Lines
In the first eight decades of the twentieth century, Philadelphia's subway and elevated line network developed to meet the demand for inexpensive transportation for the people of Greater Philadelphia area. A variety of public-private partnerships were required to create and expand Philadelphia's four lines to connect the center of the city to the surrounding suburbs.