Research Paper on:
South Philly Overview

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-- properly! There is no American city with a richer history and cultural heritage than Philadelphia. Founded  and designed by Quaker William Penn, courtesy of a 1681 territorial grant from Englands Charles II, the Philadelphia charter emphasized religious tolerance and diversity (Learning Center/Philadelphia). Because of its  geographical location, approximately 100 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and sandwiched between the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, "the city of brotherly love" has been a magnet for the immigrants  who wanted to secure a piece of the famed American Dream for themselves. Philadelphia is subdivided into distinctive geographical regions, and perhaps none is more varied or unique  than the region affectionately known as "South Philly." South Philadelphia is not simply a single community, but rather, an eclectic hodgepodge of many ethnic neighborhoods. Not surprising because  of location on the Delaware River bank, the major occupation has historically involved ships, whether it be building them or working as a longshoreman (Yeoman 73). Only in the  nineteenth century did manufacturing overtake shipbuilding as the leading occupation in South Philadelphia, which grew to include steel mills and textile industries (Learning Center/Philadelphia). However, shipbuilding still employed some  50,000 workers after World War II, but then began a precipitous decline, which ceased altogether by 1970 (Yeoman 73). As a result, many of South Philadelphia residents joined the  ranks of the unemployed, but in 2000, plans for to construct private shipbuilding operation in an abandoned naval shipyard, which would employ some 700 workers was announced by Governor Tom  Ridge and Philadelphia Mayor Edward Rendell (Yeoman 73). The massive project would be funded with both state monies and taxpayer subsidies, totaling $429 million, and would go a long