The Historical Society of Pennsylvania collects and shares stories of the peoples of Pennsylvania and their contributions to American history. Founded in 1824 in Philadelphia, HSP is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States and holds many national treasures, including 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items. HSP is one of the largest family history libraries in the nation, has preeminent printed collections on Pennsylvania and regional history, and offers superb manuscript collections renowned for their strength in 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century history, and with the addition of the holdings of The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in 2002, has become a chief center for the documentation and study of ethnic communities and immigrant experiences between the late 19th century and our own times. Together these holdings make HSP one of the nation's most important special collections libraries.