Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was founded on the idea of freedom. William
Penn of England started the colony in 1682. He wanted a place where people of
different faiths could worship freely. The name Pennsylvania means
“Penn’s woodland.”
Pennsylvania is a Middle Atlantic state. It reaches
from the shores of Lake Erie in the northwest to the salty waters of the
Delaware River in the southeast. In these corners of the state the land is low
and level. But most of Pennsylvania is covered with rolling hills, mountains,
and valleys. Thick forests grow throughout the state.
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Facts About Pennsylvania
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Capital
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Harrisburg
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Population
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12,400,000
people
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Rank
among states in population
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6th
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Major
cities
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Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Allentown
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Area
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46,100
square miles
119,000 square kilometers |
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Rank
among states in area
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33rd
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Statehood
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December
12, 1787, the 2nd state
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State
nickname
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The
Keystone State
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Name
for residents
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Pennsylvanians
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State
bird
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Ruffed
Grouse
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State
flower
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Mountain
Laurel
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State
tree
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Hemlock
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Abbreviation
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PA
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THE KEYSTONE STATE
Pennsylvania is one of the 13 original colonies
that fought for independence against Britain during the American Revolution
(1775-1783). Pennsylvania was located right in the middle, with six colonies to
the north and six colonies to the south. On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania
became the second state to join the new United States of America.
Because of its central location, and political
importance, people nicknamed Pennsylvania the Keystone State. A keystone is the
central stone in a stone arch. It locks the other stones into place. So,
Pennsylvania was the keystone holding the 13 states together!
Today, Pennsylvania is the sixth most populated state in
the nation. More than 12 million people live there. Harrisburg is the capital.
Philadelphia is the largest city, and Pittsburgh is the second largest city.
QUAKERS
William Penn was a member of the Society of
Friends, or Quakers. The Quakers were a religious group founded in England.
Penn was jailed in England in the late 1600s for his religious beliefs.
Penn founded Pennsylvania so that Quakers and other
religious groups might live together in peace. That’s why Pennsylvania is
sometimes called the Quaker State.
Quakers believed strongly in individual freedom. They
were among the first Americans to condemn slavery. Many antislavery leaders
came from Pennsylvania.
CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE
William Penn named the capital of his new colony Philadelphia,
which means “city of brotherly love.” By 1812, the capital had moved to
Harrisburg. But Philadelphia remained Pennsylvania’s leading city.
Today, Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in the
United States. Its metropolitan area has more than 6 million people. That’s
almost half of Pennsylvania’s population!
Philadelphia is often called the Birthplace of the
Nation. It played a central role in America’s struggle for independence from
Britain.
It was in Philadelphia that the Continental
Congresses were held in 1774 and 1775. The Declaration of Independence was
adopted in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. The U.S. Constitution was written in
the city in 1787. From 1790 to 1800, Philadelphia served as capital of the
United States while Washington, D.C., was being built.
HOME OF BEN FRANKLIN
In 1723, a 17-year-old boy walked into Philadelphia
carrying a loaf of bread under his arm. It was Benjamin Franklin, arriving from
Boston, Massachusetts! From that point on, Franklin lived and worked in
Philadelphia when he wasn’t abroad.
Franklin did a lot in Philadelphia. He
published a newspaper. He started the city’s first fire department. He invented
the Franklin stove to burn wood more efficiently. He flew his kite and tested
lightning for electricity. He invented the lightning rod. He also founded what
was probably the first public library in America.
Most importantly, Franklin helped in the founding of the
United States. He signed the Declaration of Independence and was involved in
creating the U.S. Constitution.
GETTYSBURG
Pennsylvania has seen many important battles in its
history. During the American Revolution, large battles were fought at
Germantown and Brandywine. But no battle was as big or as important as the one
at Gettysburg in July 1863.
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the
American Civil War, a conflict between states of the North and the South. In
the battle, the North stopped a major invasion by the South. Afterward, the war
turned in favor of the North. Nearly 50,000 soldiers died in the three-day
battle.
Four months later, President Abraham Lincoln gave
his famous Gettysburg Address when the cemetery at Gettysburg was dedicated.
Today, the site is home to the Gettysburg National Military Park.
THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD
One of the worst floods in American history
occurred in southwestern Pennsylvania in 1889. On the night of May 31, the
South Fork Dam above the town of Johnstown broke. A huge wall of water swept
over the town, killing more than 2,200 people. The American Red Cross,
organized in 1881, conducted its first major disaster relief effort in
Johnstown.
COAL AND CHOCOLATE
The valleys of Pennsylvania are famous for coal
mining. Coal is by far the greatest of Pennsylvania’s mineral resources. For
many years, Pennsylvania was a big oil producer, too. In fact, the world’s first
commercial oil well was built in Titusville in 1859.
Chocolate is another well-known product of
Pennsylvania. In 1905, the famous Hershey chocolate factory opened in
Pennsylvania. Today, Pennsylvania is the biggest chocolate-making state in the
nation!
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