Exploring 250 Years of Greater Philadelphia
A sweeping new history of Philadelphia is arriving in bookstores this fall, and at its heart is work that began at Rutgers–Camden. Greater Philadelphia: A New History for the Twenty-First Century, a three-volume series from the University of Pennsylvania Press, traces the city and region across more than 250 years of transformation. The project grows directly out of The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, a digital-first initiative rooted in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH) and shaped through the guidance of Charlene Mires, Professor Emerita of History and Director Emerita of MARCH.
For more than fifteen years, the encyclopedia has been cultivating shared knowledge about Philadelphia’s place in the nation and the world. Based at MARCH, it has fostered connections among more than thirty partner organizations and more than three hundred scholars, while also nurturing the growth of students and emerging professionals in historical research, writing, and digital publishing. That collaborative foundation now takes new form in print. Richly illustrated and thematically organized, the three volumes carry forward the encyclopedia’s mission, making the region’s layered history both accessible and engaging for a wide audience.
Each book provides a distinct perspective on Philadelphia’s story. The Greater Philadelphia Region explores the interconnected histories of the city and its neighboring communities across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Greater Philadelphia and the Nation, co-edited by Mires, highlights the city’s defining role in shaping American identity and citizenship. Greater Philadelphia and the World places Philadelphia within a global framework, tracing patterns of migration, commerce, and culture. Taken together, these volumes reimagine Philadelphia not only as a historic capital but as a dynamic center of connection—local, national, and international—that continues to shape the twenty-first century.
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Mastering the Past: Rutgers–Camden’s M.A. in History Program
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