Most think of Philadelphia as the birthplace of the American republic, filled with colonial intrigue and high-minded ideals. But while this popular conception is often inspiring, it is, in equal measure, limited in its scope. The stories of underrepresented communities frequently go untold, and in Philadelphia this included any mention of South Asians’ history prior to the 1960s.

The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) is seeking to change that by using the power of stories to create a sense of belonging for South Asian Americans. Since 2008, this organization has worked to tell the full American story in the creation of the largest publicly accessible archive of South Asian American stories. But the archive is just one tool the organization uses to make sure that these stories are shared.

Beginning in 2018, SAADA regularly offered walking tours in Old City, Philadelphia—the same neighborhood where Benjamin Franklin once lived, where the Liberty Bell hung from the State House’s belfry, and where the founders conferred to sign the Declaration of Independence. Unlike tours featuring the dominant histories of Philadelphia, SAADA’s tour, called “Revolution Remix,” emphasizes that South Asians have been a presence in Philadelphia since its earliest days and are embedded threads in the national fabric.

This two-hour immersive tour, inspired by the Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour, includes stops that share the story of the first South Asian woman to receive a Western medical degree, Anandibai Joshee; or showcase the struggles—and victories—of the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association in past decades. But one of the most striking moments for many attendees may be the very first stop on the tour: the Liberty Bell itself.

The Ghadar Party, Protest, and The Liberty Bell

Likely very few of the Liberty Bell’s million-plus yearly visitors are aware that in September 1920, ten thousand protesters, South Asians and others, gathered in that same spot before marching through the streets of Philadelphia. This crowd was led by members of the Ghadar Party—a revolutionary organization that advocated for an end to British colonial rule and Indian self-rule by any means, including violent revolt—the Friends of Freedom for India (a separate but overlapping group), and a number of friends, neighbors, and allies in struggle, particularly Irish Americans, who saw parallels in Ireland and India’s shared colonial exploitation.

These Philadelphians took to the streets to protest the atrocities of the British Empire in what was then “British India,” and to register their open recognition of the sister republics of Ireland and India. The Irish Republic had just declared its independence less than two years earlier and had since been engaged in a bloody guerrilla conflict against the British Army, leaving the nation on the verge of full recognition as the Irish Free State.

Meanwhile, in India, more than a thousand Indian protestors had been slaughtered by colonial forces the previous year, in what became known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This act of brutality incensed Indians everywhere and had been a direct catalyst for the non-cooperation movement, which Mahatma Gandhi had launched only one day before the march in Philadelphia.

At the time, the Liberty Bell was located on the ground floor of Independence Hall, in the same building where both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were adopted. The marchers gathered less than a block away. The symbolism was obvious: the protestors identified their own struggle for freedom with that of the early American colonists against the seemingly omnipresent British Empire. From this starting point, they would march nearly three miles due west, before concluding with a mass meeting at the Knickerbocker Theater on Market Street.

One of the party’s founders, Taraknath Das, had just finished serving two years in an American prison for his association with Indian “radicals,” but was already raring to jump back into the fray. A well-educated Indian nationalist from what is now West Bengal, Das had launched one of the first South Asian publications in North America even before he helped organize the Ghadar Party, and his international reputation was such that most attendees likely already knew him by sight. It was Taraknath Das who led the mass meeting at the Knickerbocker Theater in West Philadelphia (where today a Cinemark theater stands in its place), and it was he who presented the inspiring, idealistic resolution that was later transcribed in the Hindustan Ghadar:

“Whereas, America is opposed to imperialism and tyranny all over the world;

and Whereas, the American ideal is for independence of all people, great and small;

and Whereas, the people of India are in a state of revolt against British tyranny and have attempted to establish a provisional government which has been lately reported to be crushed by British militarism;

Be it resolved, therefore,

That this mass-meeting of citizens of Philadelphia most heartily support the struggle of the people of India in their efforts and fight to establish a free and independent Republic of their own.”

Adding a Soundtrack and Remixing the Revolution

The tour is not a standalone experience by any means; in 2019, SAADA introduced a musical component. At each stop, participants have the option to listen to songs designed specifically for the tour across a variety of genres by five South Asian American artists (Rudresh Mahanthappa, Arooj Aftab, Zain Alam, Seti X, and Anju). In many cases, the songs specifically reference elements of the tour stops, providing another lens through which to view this history.