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As we begin a new year at The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, we invite you to revisit the most-read topics of 2023.

10 (tie). Immigration and Migration (Colonial Era), by Marie Basile McDaniel.

10 (tie). Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1754-89, by Timothy J. Shannon.

9. Philadelphia and Its People in Maps: The 1790s, by Paul Sivitz and Billy G. Smith.

8. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), by Isaac Barnes May.

7. Colonial Era, by Jean R. Soderlund.

6. Row Houses, by Amanda Casper.

5. Jawn, by Damiano Consilvio and Caitlin Walker.

4. Pennsylvania (Founding), by Stephanie Grauman Wolf.

3. I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia, by Charlene Mires.

2. Broad Street Bullies, by Karen Guenther.

And the most-visited topic for the year 2023 was a perennial favorite:

1. City of Brotherly Love, by Chris Satullo.

To all of our readers, authors, editors, and staff, thank you for your continuing interest and support!

Where did encyclopedia users turn the most in 2022?  Here is our annual top ten list – enjoy!

10. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), by Isaac Barnes May

9. Jawn, by Damiano Consilvio and Caitlin Walker

8. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, by Carolyn T. Adams

7. Colonial Era landing page, essay by Jean Soderlund

6. Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1754-89, by Timothy J. Shannon

5. Row Houses, by Amanda Casper

4. Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1681-1753, by Michael Goode

3. Broad Street Bullies, by Karen Guenther

2. I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia, by Charlene Mires

And the most-visited topic for 2022 is a longtime favorite, one of the essays that launched The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia project when co-published with the Philadelphia Inquirer and WHYY:

1. City of Brotherly Love, by Chris Satullo

Happy new year!

Our most-read topics for 2021 include some perennial favorites but also a surprise winner for the year.

10. March of the Mill Children, by Gail Friedman

9. Yellow Fever, by Simon Finger

8. Nativist Riots of 1844, by Zachary M. Schrag

7. Murder of Octavius Catto, by Aaron X. Smith

6. Broad Street Bullies, by Karen Guenther

5. Row Houses, by Amanda Casper

4. City of Brotherly Love, by Chris Satullo

3. I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia, by Charlene Mires

2. Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1754-89, by Timothy J. Shannon

And the most-read topic of 2021 is ….

1. Scrapple, by Mary Rizzo!

Scrapple received a big boost on May 31, 2021, from a link in the New York Times from Maureen Dowd’s interview with Kate Winslett about her role in Mare of Easttown. Thanks to all of our readers who visited throughout the year.

We are so saddened to learn the news of the passing of our good friend and colleague, Gary Nash, a consulting editor of The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. While Gary spent his career in California at UCLA, he never lost touch with Philadelphia, the city where he was born. Among many other works of scholarship, Gary’s research opened new ways of understanding Philadelphia with Quakers and Politics: Pennsylvania 1681-1726 (published in 1968), The Urban Crucible: Social Change, Political Consciousness, and the Origins of the American Revolution (1979), Forging Freedom: The Formation of Philadelphia’s Black Community, 1720-1840 (1988), First City: Philadelphia and the Forging of Historical Memory (2002), and many other books and articles.

An engaged scholar who promoted excellence in education and public history, Gary also played a pivotal role in significant Philadelphia projects. He amplified critical needs for inclusive history, particularly by intervening in the public interpretation of the Liberty Bell and the President’s House site to assure the recognition of enslaved Africans and the complexities of freedom in early America. And in 2007, he amplified the need for a comprehensive, public, and inclusive history of Philadelphia — The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, which continues as an active project today. In addition to serving as a valued adviser and advocate, he wrote essays about the Cradle of Liberty and the Liberty Bell.

To learn more about Gary Nash’s life and career, we invite you to read the tribute published by the UCLA History Department, linked here. Moreover, we encourage you to honor his life’s work by following his example of commitment to Philadelphia history.

We are approaching an exciting juncture for The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia project as we make plans to publish books derived from this digital platform. Scholars and other topic experts, you can help! Please review our list of most-needed topics so that we may fill gaps in our coverage. Your peer-reviewed essay will add to recognition of your expertise in your chosen field.

We seek to make assignments with firm deadlines of late summer or early fall, and modest compensation is available.

Happy new year!  Our most-read topics for 2020 reflect a year of pandemic, unrest, stay-at-home learning, and searches for family connections:

10. Orphanages and Orphans, by Holly Caldwell.

9. Nativist Riots of 1844, by Zachary M. Schrag.

8. Yellow Fever, by Simon Finger.

7. Columbia Avenue Riot, by Alex Elkins.

6. Immigration and Migration (Colonial Era), by Marie Basile McDaniel.

5. Murder of Octavius Catto, by Aaron X. Smith.

4. I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia, by Charlene Mires.

3. Row Houses, by Amanda Casper.

2. Native American-Pennsylvania Relations, 1754-89, by Timothy J. Shannon.

And the most-read topic for 2020 is, no surprise here:

Influenza (“Spanish Flu” Pandemic, 1918-19), by Thomas Wirth.

Have a happy and healthy new year, and thank you for your interest and support of The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia.

Frequent users of The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia may notice that some features of our website are unavailable or not working properly.  The website is undergoing review and maintenance to improve functions and security, so thank you for your patience.  You will still be able to read the text for all topics.

If you wish to reach other features, such as texts in image galleries, you may be able to access them through the copy of the website in the Internet Archive Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20200926124637/https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/