Pennsylvania

See also: National Parks and Monuments (table)National Parks and Monuments

National Parks
Name Type¹ Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information.

Pennsylvania

(pĕnsəlvā`nyə), one of the Middle Atlantic states of the United States. It is bordered by New Jersey, across the Delaware River (E), Delaware (SE), Maryland (S), West Virginia (SW), Ohio (W), and Lake Erie and New York (N).

Facts and Figures

Area, 45,333 sq mi (117,412 sq km). Pop. (2010) 12,702,379, a 3.4% increase since the 2000 census. Capital, Harrisburg. Largest city, Philadelphia. Statehood, Dec. 12, 1787 (2d of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution). Highest pt., Mt. Davis, 3,213 ft (980 m); lowest pt., sea level. Nickname, Keystone State. Motto, Virtue, Liberty, and Independence. State bird, ruffed grouse. State flower, mountain laurel. State tree, hemlock. Abbr., Pa.; PA

Geography

The Great Lakes Plain meets the Appalachian Plateau in the extreme northwestern part of the state. The Appalachian Plateau stretches across the western and northern sections of Pennsylvania and covers more than half the area of the state. The Allegheny Mts. line the eastern edge of the plateau and run southwest to northeast, overlooking the Great Appalachian Valley. The Jacks, Tuscarora, and Blue Mts. comprise a ridge and valley section bordered by the Great Appalachian Valley to the southeast and east. The Piedmont Plateau gives way to the Atlantic Coastal Plain in the extreme southeastern portion of the state.

In the east Pennsylvania is drained by the Delaware and the Susquehanna river systems; in the west by the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers, which join at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River; and in the central part by the West Branch of the Susquehanna, which crosses the state and empties into Chesapeake Bay. These turbulent streams and rivers have cut beautiful water gaps, natural passageways for roads and rail lines.

The great forests and lush vegetation that once covered the entire state were transformed during the Carboniferous period into deposits of anthracite coal in the northeast and extensive bituminous beds in the west. Large areas of woodland remain and, in some isolated sections, have retained an almost primitive wildness. Of the many historic sites and parks that have been preserved, those under federal ownership include Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Gettysburg National Military Park, and Independence and Valley Forge national historical parks (see National Parks and MonumentsNational Parks and Monuments

National Parks
Name Type¹ Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information. , table). HarrisburgHarrisburg,
city (1990 pop. 52,376), state capital and seat of Dauphin co., SE Pa., on the Susquehanna River; settled c.1710 by John Harris, who established a trading post and operated a ferry there; inc. 1791.
..... Click the link for more information. , the state capital, is located between the metropolitan areas of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia,
city (1990 pop. 1,585,577), coextensive with Philadelphia co., SE Pa., on the Delaware River c.100 mi (160 km) upstream at the influx of the Schuylkill River; chartered 1701.
..... Click the link for more information. , the largest city, and PittsburghPittsburgh
, city (1990 pop. 369,879), seat of Allegheny co., SW Pa., at the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers, which there form the Ohio River; inc. 1816. A major inland port of entry, it is located at the junction of east-west transportation arteries.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Economy

Iron smelting, made possible by abundant supplies of ore and of hardwoods for the furnaces, became important in the 18th cent. In the 19th cent., after the Bessemer processBessemer process
[for Sir Henry Bessemer], industrial process for the manufacture of steel from molten pig iron. The principle involved is that of oxidation of the impurities in the iron by the oxygen of air that is blown through the molten iron; the heat of oxidation raises the
..... Click the link for more information. made the use of its great bituminous deposits economical, Pennsylvania quickly emerged as the nation's leading steel producer, but the industry has since declined dramatically. Another Pennsylvania resource, anthracite coal, found in the northeast, long made the state a dominant force in American railroading. In the early 21st cent., shale gas has driven a drilling boom in N and W Pennsylvania. Heavy industry has declined in general, but the state still manufactures metal products, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, machinery, chemicals, and a wide variety of plastic, rubber, stone, clay, and glass products.

The Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, situated at opposite ends of the state and dominating the commercial and industrial life of their regions, present startling contrasts in production and culture. Other leading cities are AllentownAllentown,
city (1990 pop. 105,090), seat of Lehigh co., E Pa., on the Lehigh River; inc. as a borough 1811, as a city 1867. The largest city in the agricultural and industrial Lehigh Valley, it is a commercial, financial, and government center.
..... Click the link for more information. , BethlehemBethlehem,
city (1990 pop. 71,428), Northampton and Lehigh counties, E Pa., on the Lehigh R. near Allentown and Easton; inc. as a city 1917. Local manufacturing, once dominated by the giant Bethlehem Steel Corp., is now more diversified.
..... Click the link for more information. , ErieErie,
city (1990 pop. 108,718), seat of Erie co., NW Pa., on Lake Erie; inc. as a city 1851. Pennsylvania's only port on the Great Lakes, Erie is a busy shipping point for coal, iron ore, grain, petroleum, machinery, and lumber.
..... Click the link for more information. , ReadingReading.
1 Town (1990 pop. 22,539), Middlesex co., NE Mass., a suburb of Boston; settled 1639, set off from Lynn and inc. 1644. Printing is the major industry. A 17th-century tavern is in Reading. 2 City (1990 pop. 12,038), Hamilton co.
..... Click the link for more information. , ScrantonScranton,
city (1990 pop. 81,805), seat of Lackawanna co., NE Pa., in a mountain region, on the Lackawanna River; settled in the 1700s, inc. 1866. Named for George W. Scranton, it is a commercial and industrial center of the surrounding anthracite coal region of NE Pennsylvania.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Wilkes-BarreWilkes-Barre
, city (1990 pop. 47,523), seat of Luzerne co., E Pa., on the east bank of the Susquehanna River; settled 1769, inc. as a city 1871. Once a major anthracite coal center, Wilkes-Barre has plants that produce processed food; machinery; metal, vinyl, wire, and plastic
..... Click the link for more information. .

Agriculture is concentrated in the fertile counties of the southeast, and prized farmlands lie in the Great Appalachian Valley, rich with limestone soils; here the Pennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch
[Ger. Deutsch=German], people of E Pennsylvania of German descent who migrated to the area in the 18th cent., particularly those in Northampton, Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh, Lebanon, York, and adjacent counties.
..... Click the link for more information. farmer built a culture that is identified with the bountiful agrarian life. Principal agricultural products include dairy products, cattle, hay, corn, wheat, oats, mushrooms, poultry, potatoes, and fruit.

Government and Higher Education

Pennsylvania is governed under the constitution adopted in 1873 and amended extensively since then. The governor serves a four-year term and may be reelected for one additional term. Thomas RidgeRidge, Tom
(Thomas Joseph Ridge), 1945–, U.S. politician and government official, first secretary of the Dept. of Homeland Security (2003–5), b. Munhall, Pa.
..... Click the link for more information. , a Republican, was elected in 1994 and reelected in 1998. Ridge resigned in 2001 to head the U.S. Office of Homeland Security; he was succeeded by Lt. Gov. Mark S. Schweiker. A Democrat, Ed Rendell, was elected to the office in 2002 and reelected in 2006. In 2010 Tom Corbett, a Republican, was elected governor, but in 2014 he lost to Democrat Tom Wolf. Wolf was reelected in 2018. The state legislature, called the general assembly, consists of a senate of 50 members and a house of representatives of 203 members. Pennsylvania sends 2 senators and 18 representatives to the U.S. Congress and has 20 electoral votes.

Among the state's many universities and colleges are Bryn Mawr College, at Bryn Mawr; Bucknell Univ., at Lewisburg; Carnegie-Mellon Univ., the Univ. of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne Univ., at Pittsburgh; Dickinson College, at Carlisle; Drexel Univ., Temple Univ., the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Saint Joseph's Univ., and La Salle College, at Philadelphia; Franklin and Marshall College, at Lancaster; Haverford College, at Haverford; Lafayette College, at Easton; Lehigh Univ., at Bethlehem; Lincoln Univ., at Oxford; Pennsylvania State Univ., mainly at University Park; Swarthmore College, at Swarthmore; Villanova Univ., at Villanova; and the 14 universities in the state system.

History

Exploration and Early Settlement

In the early 1600s the English, Dutch, and Swedes disputed the right to the region of Pennsylvania. Explorations were confined to the Delaware River vicinity, where fur trading with the Native Americans was carried on. The original permanent settlement was established on Tinicum IslandTinicum Island
, area in the Delaware River, SW of Philadelphia, separated from the mainland by creeks and marshes. Site of the first European settlement in Pennsylvania, it was the capital of New Sweden from 1643 to 1655.
..... Click the link for more information. (1643) in the Delaware River by Johan PrintzPrintz, Johan Björnsson
, 1592–1663, colonial governor of New Sweden, b. Bottnaryd, Sweden. After serving as a mercenary in the armies of various European princes, he obtained a post in the Swedish army (1625) and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
..... Click the link for more information. , governor of New SwedenNew Sweden,
Swedish colony (1638–55), on the Delaware River; included parts of what are now Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. With the support of Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna, Admiral Klas Fleming (a Finn), and Peter Minuit (a Dutchman), the New Sweden Company
..... Click the link for more information. , and was followed in the succeeding years by the neighboring colony of Uppland.

Swedish jurisdiction was short-lived as the Dutch, operating from their stronghold in New Amsterdam, succeeded in gaining control of the Middle Atlantic region in 1655. In turn the Dutch were overpowered by the British forces of Col. Richard Nicolls, acting for the duke of York (later James II), and in 1664 the British took over the Delaware area. The duke of York remained in control until 1681, when, in payment of a royal debt, William PennPenn, William,
1644–1718, English Quaker, founder of Pennsylvania, b. London, England; son of Sir William Penn. Early Life

He was expelled (1662) from Oxford for his religious nonconformity and was then sent by his father to the Continent to overcome his
..... Click the link for more information. was granted proprietary rights to almost the whole of what is now Pennsylvania, and, in addition, leased the three Lower Counties (see DelawareDelaware
, one of the Middle Atlantic states of the United States, the country's second smallest state (after Rhode Island). It is bordered by Maryland (W, S), and there is a short border with Pennsylvania (N); New Jersey (E) is across the Delaware Bay and Delaware River
..... Click the link for more information. ).

Penn's Colony

A devout Quaker who had suffered for his beliefs, Penn viewed his colony as a holy experiment, designed to grant asylum to the persecuted under conditions of equality and freedom. In 1681 he sent William Markham as his deputy to establish a government at Uppland and sent instructed commissioners to plot the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia), which was laid out a few miles north of the confluence of the Delaware and the Schuylkill rivers.

Penn carefully constructed a constitution, known as the Frame of Government, that gave Pennsylvania the most liberal government in the colonies. Religious freedom was guaranteed to all who believed in God, a humane penal code was adopted, and the emancipation of slaves was encouraged. However, under the representative system that it established, the popular assembly was left in an inferior position in relation to the executive branches controlled by the proprietors. In 1682 Penn arrived at Uppland (renamed Chester). Shortly thereafter he met with the chiefs of the Delaware tribes and a famous treaty was signed that promoted long-lasting goodwill between the Native Americans and the European settlers. After Penn's death in 1718 proprietary rights were held by his heirs.

By this time Pennsylvania had developed into a dynamic and growing colony, enriched by the continuous immigration of numerous different peoples. The Quakers, English, and Welsh were concentrated in Philadelphia and the eastern counties, where they acquired great commercial and financial power through foreign trade and where they achieved a political dominance which they held until the time of the American Revolution. Philadelphia had by then become the finest city in the nation, a leader in the arts and the professions. The Germans (Pennsylvania Dutch)—largely of the persecuted religious sects of Mennonites (including Amish), Moravians, Lutherans, and Reformed—settled in the farming areas of SE Pennsylvania, where they retained their cohesion and to a considerable extent their language, customs, architecture, and superstitions.

Western Settlement and Native American Resistance

After 1718 the Scotch-Irish began colonizing in the Cumberland Valley and gradually pushed the frontiers toward W Pennsylvania. Their rugged independence and the peculiarities of their frontier problems made them rebellious against the established order. Throughout the province agriculture was the chief occupation, although industry was spurred by abundant water power and plentiful natural resources.

In the west settlement was hindered by a growing unrest among the Native Americans. Penn's heirs lacked both the good sense and the ethical values that prompted Penn's fair and considerate treatment. Resentful of encroachment on their lands and of the land purchase made by the Albany CongressAlbany Congress,
1754, meeting at Albany, N.Y., of commissioners representing seven British colonies in North America to treat with the Iroquois, chiefly because war with France impended.
..... Click the link for more information. (1754), the Native Americans allied themselves with the French, who were then fortifying positions in the Ohio valley (see French and Indian WarsFrench and Indian Wars,
1689–1763, the name given by American historians to the North American colonial wars between Great Britain and France in the late 17th and the 18th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. ). The frontier settlements were severely ravaged until, after several reverses, the French abandoned (1758) Fort DuquesneFort Duquesne
, at the junction of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, on the site of Pittsburgh, SW Pa. Because of its strategic location, it was a major objective in the last of the French and Indian Wars.
..... Click the link for more information. to British and American forces under Gen. John Forbes.

The power of the Native Americans was not completely broken until the suppression of the uprising of 1763 (see Pontiac's RebellionPontiac's Rebellion,
Pontiac's Conspiracy,
or Pontiac's War,
1763–66, Native American uprising against the British just after the close of the French and Indian Wars, so called after one of its leaders, Pontiac.
..... Click the link for more information. ). The inept defenses provided by the Quaker-controlled assembly during the crisis aroused bitter resentment and intensified efforts to overturn proprietary rule. The struggle between proprietary and antiproprietary parties was soon overshadowed, however, by the opposition to British imperial policies that culminated in the American Revolution.

The American Revolution and a New Nation

Important Pennsylvanians of both dominant political parties emerged as leaders of the Revolutionary movement—Benjamin FranklinFranklin, Benjamin,
1706–90, American statesman, printer, scientist, and writer, b. Boston. The only American of the colonial period to earn a European reputation as a natural philosopher, he is best remembered in the United States as a patriot and diplomat.
..... Click the link for more information. , Benjamin RushRush, Benjamin,
1745?–1813, American physician, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Byberry (now part of Philadelphia), Pa., grad. College of New Jersey (now Princeton, 1760), M.D. Univ. of Edinburgh (1768).
..... Click the link for more information. , Joseph ReedReed, Joseph,
1741–85, American Revolutionary political leader and army officer, b. Trenton, N.J. He studied law, was admitted (1763) to the bar, and then went to London to study at the Middle Temple.
..... Click the link for more information. , Thomas MifflinMifflin, Thomas,
1744–1800, American Revolutionary general and political leader, b. Philadelphia. Turning from business to public affairs, he was a member of the Pennsylvania provincial assembly and of the First Continental Congress.
..... Click the link for more information. , John DickinsonDickinson, John,
1732–1808, American patriot and statesman, b. Talbot co., Md. After studying law in Philadelphia and in London at the Middle Temple, he developed a highly successful practice in Philadelphia.
..... Click the link for more information. , Robert MorrisMorris, Robert,
1734–1806, American merchant, known as the "financier of the American Revolution," and signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Liverpool, England.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Haym SalomonSalomon, Haym
, 1740–85, American Revolutionary financier, b. Lissa (now Leszno), Poland. A Jewish emigrant from Poland, he was imprisoned (1778) by the British in New York City for aiding the Revolutionaries and was condemned to death, but he escaped to Philadelphia.
..... Click the link for more information. . In 1776 a provincial convention dominated by radical patriots created the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under one of the most democratic of the new state constitutions.

The state was invaded by British troops, and notable engagements were fought in 1777 on the Brandywine (see Brandywine, battle ofBrandywine, battle of,
in the American Revolution, fought Sept. 11, 1777, along Brandywine Creek. The creek, formed by two small branches in SE Pennsylvania, flows southeast to join, near Wilmington, Del., the Christina River, which empties into the Delaware.
..... Click the link for more information. ) and at GermantownGermantown,
residential section of NW Philadelphia. Settled by Dutch and Germans in 1683, Germantown became one of the earliest printing and publishing centers in the country.
..... Click the link for more information. . Philadelphia was occupied by the British, while Valley ForgeValley Forge,
on the Schuylkill River, SE Pa., NW of Philadelphia. There, during the American Revolution, the main camp of the Continental Army was established (Dec., 1777–June, 1778) under the command of Gen. George Washington.
..... Click the link for more information. witnessed the heroic endurance of Washington's troops in the winter of 1777–78, making the site a shrine of patriotism. In the postwar period, Pennsylvania's role as the geographical keystone of the new nation was strengthened by its resolution of boundary disputes that had persisted throughout the colonial period: agreement was reached with Maryland in 1784 by acceptance of the Mason-Dixon line; with Virginia and New York in 1786; with the United States and the Iroquois Confederacy in 1789; and with Connecticut in 1799 after bitter dissension in the Wyoming Valley.

Philadelphia, host to the First and Second Continental Congresses (1774, 1775–81) and scene of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was for many years the nation's leading city. It was the site of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, served as the seat of the new federal government from 1790 to 1800, and became a financial center through the organization of the First Bank of the United States (1791) and the U.S. Mint (1792). In 1790 it was also the site of a convention that replaced the radical state constitution of 1776 with a more conservative one patterned after the federal Constitution, while retaining such liberal achievements as the act (1780) providing for the gradual abolition of slavery. Philadelphia was not, however, typical of the state as a whole.

From the Whiskey Rebellion to the Civil War

Opposition to federal taxation in rural Pennsylvania led to violence in the Whiskey RebellionWhiskey Rebellion,
1794, uprising in the Pennsylvania counties W of the Alleghenies, caused by Alexander Hamilton's excise tax of 1791. The settlers, mainly Scotch-Irish, for whom whiskey was an important economic commodity, resented the tax as discriminatory and detrimental to
..... Click the link for more information. of 1794 and the Fries Rebellion of 1798 (see FriesFries, John,
c.1750–1818, American rebel, b. Montgomery co., Pa. After serving in the American Revolution, Fries became a traveling auctioneer. Strongly opposed to the federal property taxes levied (1798) for a possible war with France, he stirred the Pennsylvania Germans
..... Click the link for more information. , John), while anti-eastern sentiment forced removal of the state capital to LancasterLancaster.
1 Uninc. city (1990 pop. 97,291), Los Angeles co., S Calif., in Antelope Valley and in the Mojave Desert; laid out 1894. It developed as a trade center for an irrigated farming area and has since become an important site for electronic, aerospace, aircraft, and
..... Click the link for more information. in 1799, then to Harrisburg in 1812. Western influence in state affairs increased as the rapid movement of settlers into the Ohio country created new markets, stimulated the growth of new industries, and assured the importance of Pittsburgh and Erie as commercial centers. The economic and social development of W Pennsylvania also encouraged programs of internal improvements. The turnpike era, initiated by the incorporation of the Lancaster Turnpike in 1792, was followed by an extensive canal-building program in the 1820s and 30s and, after the introduction of steam power, by an era of extensive railroad construction.

Adequate provisions for free public education, championed by Gov. George Wolf and Thaddeus StevensStevens, Thaddeus,
1792–1868, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania (1849–53, 1859–68), b. Danville, Vt. He taught in an academy at York, Pa., studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Maryland.
..... Click the link for more information. , emerged in the Free School Act of 1834, which was implemented in 1849 by legislation making attendance by those of school age compulsory. Much of the early education was denominational, and many schools remained church-affiliated.

In political life the Democratic party was generally dominant, and in 1857 Pennsylvania gave the nation a Democratic president in James Buchanan. However, a split within the party over its opposition to slavery and the desire for a high protective tariff to protect the state's growing industries led to a Republican victory in 1860 and began Pennsylvania's long affiliation with the Republican party. Because of Pennsylvania's location near the South, it was the scene of several battles in the Civil War, notably the Gettysburg campaignGettysburg campaign,
June–July, 1863, series of decisive battles of the U.S. Civil War. The Road to Gettysburg

After his victory in the battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate general Robert E. Lee undertook a second invasion of the North.
..... Click the link for more information. of 1863.

The Rise of Industry and the Labor Movement

With the close of the war came the rapid emergence of the state as a mighty industrial commonwealth. Supported by high protective tariffs, the industries found favorable markets and a constant supply of immigrant labor. The first oil well was dug at Titusville in 1859, and a number of fortunes, particularly that of the Rockefeller family, was founded on petroleum. But it was steel that became the basic industry, using iron ore from the Lehigh valley and the Bethlehem area and the native Pennsylvania coal. Later the iron ore was transported in massive amounts across the Great Lakes. Under the manipulation of such men as Andrew CarnegieCarnegie, Andrew
, 1835–1919, American industrialist and philanthropist, b. Dunfermline, Scotland. His father, a weaver, found it increasingly difficult to get work in Scottish factories and in 1848 brought his family to Allegheny (now Pittsburgh), Pa.
..... Click the link for more information. , Henry FrickFrick, Henry Clay,
1849–1919, American industrialist, b. Westmoreland co., Pa. He worked on his father's farm, was a store clerk, and did bookkeeping before he and several associates organized (1871) Frick & Company to operate coke ovens in the Connellsville coal
..... Click the link for more information. , Charles SchwabSchwab, Charles Michael
, 1862–1939, American steel magnate, b. Williamsburg, Pa. He started as a stake driver in Andrew Carnegie's steelworks and rose to become (1897) president of the Carnegie Steel Company and then the first president (1901) of the U.S. Steel Corp.
..... Click the link for more information. , and J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913; see under MorganMorgan,
American family of financiers and philanthropists.

Junius Spencer Morgan, 1813–90, b. West Springfield, Mass., prospered at investment banking. As a boy he became a dry-goods clerk in Boston; later he entered a brokerage house in New York City.
..... Click the link for more information. , family) numerous interests were merged into vast combines with state and national influence.

In the face of this increasing concentration of power, labor struggled to achieve safer working conditions, higher wages, and shorter hours. The campaign brought bloodshed during the fight between mine owners and the radical Molly MaguiresMolly Maguires
, secret organization of Irish-Americans in the coal-mining districts of Pennsylvania. Its name came from a woman who led an extralegal, antilandlord organization in Ireland during the 1840s, and its membership was drawn from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an
..... Click the link for more information. and reached a climax in the strike at Homestead (see Homestead strikeHomestead strike,
in U.S. history, a bitterly fought labor dispute. On June 29, 1892, workers belonging to the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers struck the Carnegie Steel Company at Homestead, Pa. to protest a proposed wage cut. Henry C.
..... Click the link for more information. ) in 1892. The miners, under the leadership of John MitchellMitchell, John,
1870–1919, American labor leader, b. Braidwood, Ill. He became a miner at the age of 12 and in 1885 joined the Knights of Labor. When the United Mine Workers of America was formed (1890), he became a member; after his successful leadership of the S Illinois
..... Click the link for more information. and aided by the intervention of Theodore Roosevelt, achieved a qualified victory in the anthracite strike of 1902, but the great steel strike of 1919 was broken. During the 1930s the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) successfully promoted unionization in many new areas and somewhat weakened the strength of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). By 1941 the CIO had succeeded in organizing the steel industry, while the United Mine Workers had acquired increasing strength among the workers in the coal fields.

Government Reform and Economic Restructuring

The powerful and corrupt political machine that had been built by Simon Cameron continued into the 20th cent. under the leadership of such bosses as Boies Penrose. Gifford Pinchot, a Progressive Republican and a vigorous "dry," was governor for two terms (1923–27, 1931–35) and did much to repair government through a new administrative code, an improved budget system, and pioneer work in conservation.

In 1979 the state suffered a near-disaster as an accident at the Three Mile IslandThree Mile Island,
site of a nuclear power plant 10 mi (16 km) south of Harrisburg, Pa. On Mar. 28, 1979, failure of the cooling system of the No. 2 nuclear reactor led to overheating and partial melting of its uranium core and production of hydrogen gas, which raised fears of
..... Click the link for more information. nuclear facility near Harrisburg resulted in a partial meltdown. Pennsylvania's population has grown slowly since the 1940s, when it was the second largest state in the union; it was the sixth most populous state after the 2000 census. After losing hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs in the 1980s, the state's economy experienced a notable shift to the service sector. Some of Pennsylvania's enterprises did grow, however, and in recent years such high-tech industries as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals have flourished, largely in the suburbs of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Bibliography

See S. G. Fisher, The Making of Pennsylvania (2d ed. 1969); A. S. Bolles, Pennsylvania, Province and State: A History from 1609 to 1790 (2 vol., 1970); P. H. Gibbons, Pennsylvania Dutch (3d ed. 1971); W. H. Egle, Pennsylvania Women in the American Revolution (1898, repr. 1972); C. A. Hanna, The Wilderness Trail (2 vol., 1911; repr. 1972); P. S. Klein and A. Hoogenboom, A History of Pennsylvania (2d ed. 1980); E. W. Miller, Pennsylvania: Keystone to Progress (1986); D. J. Cuff et al., Atlas of Pennsylvania (1989).

Pennsylvania State Information

Phone: (717) 787-2121
www.state.pa.us

Area (sq mi):: 46055.24 (land 44816.61; water 1238.63) Population per square mile: 277.30
Population 2005: 12,429,616 State rank: 0 Population change: 2000-20005 1.20%; 1990-2000 3.40% Population 2000: 12,281,054 (White 84.10%; Black or African American 10.00%; Hispanic or Latino 3.20%; Asian 1.80%; Other 2.80%). Foreign born: 4.10%. Median age: 38.00
Income 2000: per capita $20,880; median household $40,106; Population below poverty level: 11.00% Personal per capita income (2000-2003): $29,695-$31,911
Unemployment (2004): 5.40% Unemployment change (from 2000): 1.20% Median travel time to work: 25.20 minutes Working outside county of residence: 27.60%

List of Pennsylvania counties:

Adams County

Allegheny County

Armstrong County

Beaver County

Bedford County

Berks County

Blair County

Bradford County

Bucks County

Butler County

Cambria County

Cameron County

Carbon County

Centre County

Chester County

Clarion County

Clearfield County

Clinton County

Columbia County

Crawford County

Cumberland County

Dauphin County

Delaware County

Elk County

Erie County

Fayette County

Forest County

Franklin County

Fulton County

Greene County

Huntingdon County

Indiana County

Jefferson County

Juniata County

Lackawanna County

Lancaster County

Lawrence County

Lebanon County

Lehigh County

Luzerne County

Lycoming County

McKean County

Mercer County

Mifflin County

Monroe County

Montgomery County

Montour County

Northampton County

Northumberland County

Perry County

Philadelphia County

Pike County

Potter County

Schuylkill County

Snyder County

Somerset County

Sullivan County

Susquehanna County

Tioga County

Union County

Venango County

Warren County

Washington County

Wayne County

Westmoreland County

Wyoming County

York County

Pennsylvania Parks

US National Parks

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
Delaware National Scenic River
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
Eisenhower National Historic Site
Flight 93 National Memorial

Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Friendship Hill National Historic Site
Gettysburg National Military Park
Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church National Historic Site
Great Egg Harbor National Scenic & Recreational River
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Independence National Historical Park

Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Steamtown National Historic Site
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial
Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River
Valley Forge National Historical Park

Urban Parks
Cobbs Creek Park
Fairmount Park, East and West
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
Frick Park
Highland Park
Pennypack Park
Riverview Park
Schenley Park
Tacony Creek Park
Wissahickon Valley Park

State Parks

Allegheny Islands State Park
Archbald Pothole State Park
Bald Eagle State Park
Beltzville State Park
Bendigo State Park
Benjamin Rush State Park
Big Pocono State Park
Big Spring State Park
Black Moshannon State Park
Blue Knob State Park
Boyd Big Tree Conservation Area
Buchanan's Birthplace State Park
Bucktail State Park
Caledonia State Park
Canoe Creek State Park
Chapman State Park
Cherry Springs State Park
Clear Creek State Park
Codorus State Park
Colonel Denning State Park
Colton Point State Park
Cook Forest State Park
Cowans Gap State Park
Delaware Canal State Park
Denton Hill State Park
Elk State Park
Erie Bluffs State Park
Evansburg State Park
Fort Washington State Park
Fowlers Hollow State Park
Frances Slocum State Park
French Creek State Park
Gifford Pinchot State Park
Gouldsboro State Park
Greenwood Furnace State Park
Hickory Run State Park
Hillman State Park
Hills Creek State Park
Hyner Run State Park
Hyner View State Park

Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center
Jennings Environmental Education Center
Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area
Kettle Creek State Park
Keystone State Park
Kings Gap Environmental Education & Training Center
Kinzua Bridge State Park
Kooser State Park
Lackawanna State Park
Laurel Hill State Park
Laurel Mountain State Park
Laurel Ridge State Park
Laurel Summit State Park
Lehigh Gorge State Park
Leonard Harrison State Park
Linn Run State Park
Little Buffalo State Park
Little Pine State Park
Locust Lake State Park
Lyman Run State Park
Marsh Creek State Park
Maurice K. Goddard State Park
McCalls Dam State Park
McConnells Mill State Park
Memorial Lake State Park
Milton State Park
Mont Alto State Park
Moraine State Park
Mount Pisgah State Park
Nescopeck State Park
Neshaminy State Park
Nockamixon State Park
Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
Norristown Farm Park
Ohiopyle State Park
Oil Creek State Park
Ole Bull State Park
Parker Dam State Park
Patterson State Park
Penn-Roosevelt State Park

Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Poe Paddy State Park
Poe Valley State Park
Point State Park
Presque Isle State Park
Prince Gallitzin State Park
Promised Land State Park
Prompton State Park
Prouty Place State Park
Pymatuning State Park
R. B. Winter State Park
Raccoon Creek State Park
Ralph Stover State Park
Ravensburg State Park
Reeds Gap State Park
Ricketts Glen State Park
Ridley Creek State Park
Ryerson Station State Park
S. B. Elliott State Park
Salt Springs State Park
Samuel S. Lewis State Park
Sand Bridge State Park
Shawnee State Park
Shikellamy State Park
Sinnemahoning State Park
Sizerville State Park
Susquehanna State Park
Susquehannock State Park
Swatara State Park
Tobyhanna State Park
Trough Creek State Park
Tuscarora State Park
Tyler State Park
Upper Pine Bottom State Park
Warriors Path State Park
Whipple Dam State Park
White Clay Creek Preserve
Worlds End State Park
Yellow Creek State Park

Parks and Conservation-Related Organizations - US
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association
Pennsylvania Forestry Association
Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS)
National Wildlife Refuges
Erie National Wildlife Refuge
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
National Trails
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Byways
Historic National Road - Pennsylvania
Seaway Trail Scenic Byway - Pennsylvania

National Heritage Areas

Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area

Oil Region National Heritage Area
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area

Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area
Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrical Heritage Route

National Forests
Allegheny National Forest

Pennsylvania

a state in the northeastern USA. Area, 117,400 sq km; population, 12 million, of which 71.5 percent is urban (1973). The capital is Harrisburg; the largest cities and industrial centers are Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, which is the second-largest seaport of the USA in cargo turnover (90 million tons in 1970).

A large part of Pennsylvania is occupied by the Appalachian Mountains (elevations to 979 m). In the west, the steep Allegheny Front separates the Appalachians from the Appalachian Plateau, which is deeply cut by river valleys. The Atlantic lowland is in the southeastern part of the state. The climate is humid and temperate. The average temperature in January is – 3°–2”C, and in July 21°-25°C. The annual precipitation is about 1,000 mm. The Ohio, Susquehanna, and Delaware rivers are navigable.

Pennsylvania is one of the most economically developed states. It ranks third in population and in the number of employed and fifth in output value of processing industries. Heavy industry predominates. Pennsylvania is the USA’s leading producer of pig iron (18 million tons in 1971), steel, coke (17 million tons in 1970), and cement (7.3 million tons in 1969) and ranks third in coal mining (82 million tons in 1970). There is some extraction of oil, natural gas, and iron ore. The installed capacity of power plants totals 24 million gigawatts (1973). The chief metallurgical centers are Pittsburgh, Bethlehem, and Fairless Hills (near Philadelphia). Developed industries include metal-working, machine building, chiefly equipment manufacturing, shipbuilding (Philadelphia), and reactor construction. Also important is the electrotechnical and radio-electronics industry. Other industries include oil refining (Philadelphia) and the production of chemicals, clay and glass products, textiles, and clothing, including knitwear. In 1971 there were 1.4 million persons (about 33 percent of the working population) employed in processing industries and 38,000 in the mining industry; less than 2 percent were employed in agriculture (1970). The number of farms declined from 129,000 in 1954 to 63,000 in 1969. Livestock raising (primarily dairy farming) and poultry breeding yield more than three-fourths of commercial agricultural output. Truck farming, horticulture, and mushroom cultivation are also developed. The number of livestock (1972) totaled 1.8 million head of cattle (including 700,000 milch cows), 700,000 hogs, and 150,000 sheep and goats.

In the first half of the 17th century, what is now Pennsylvania was the object of a conflict between the English, Dutch, and Swedes. In the 1660’s the territory was seized by the English, who founded a colony there in the 1680’s. In the 1760’s and 1770’s the English colonizers waged destructive wars against the indigenous Indian population.

Pennsylvania is one of the 13 original states of the USA. In 1776, during the War of Independence in North America (1775–83), the establishment of the USA was proclaimed in Philadelphia. During the Civil War (1861–65), Pennsylvania fought on the side of the North.

Pennsylvania

Second state; adopted the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787

State capital: Harrisburg Nicknames: Keystone State; Quaker State State motto: Virtue, Liberty, and Independence State animal: White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) State beverage: Milk State dog: Great Dane State fish: Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) State flagship: U.S. Brig Niagara State flower: Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) State fossil: Phacops rana State game bird: Ruffed grouse or partridge (Bonasa umbel

lus)
State insect: Firefly (Poturis pennsylvanica)
State plant: Penngift crownvetch (Coronilla varia)
State song: “Pennsylvania”
State tree: Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

More about state symbols at:

www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/pahist/

SOURCES:

AmerBkDays-2000, p. 827 AnnivHol-2000, p. 207

STATE OFFICES:

State web site: www.state.pa.us

Office of the Governor 225 Main Capitol Bldg Harrisburg, PA 17120 717-787-2500 fax: 717-772-8284 www.governor.state.pa.us

Secretary of the Commonwealth 302 North Office Bldg Harrisburg, PA 17120 717-787-6458 fax: 717-787-1734 www.dos.state.pa.us

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Libraries 333 Market St Harrisburg, PA 17126 717-787-2646 fax: 717-772-3265 www.statelibrary.state.pa.us

Legal Holidays:

Day after Thanksgiving

Nov 25, 2011; Nov 23, 2012; Nov 29, 2013; Nov 28, 2014; Nov 27, 2015; Nov 25, 2016; Nov 24, 2017; Nov 23, 2018; Nov 29, 2019; Nov 27, 2020; Nov 26, 2021; Nov 25, 2022; Nov 24, 2023

Pennsylvania

a state of the northeastern US: almost wholly in the Appalachians, with the Allegheny Plateau to the west and a plain in the southeast; the second most important US state for manufacturing. Capital: Harrisburg. Pop.: 12 365 455 (2003 est.). Area: 116 462 sq. km (44 956 sq. miles)

Pennsylvania

Related to Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University

PENNSYLVANIA. The name of one of the original states of the United States of America. Pennsylvania was occupied by planters of various nations, Dutch Swedes, English, and others; but obtained no separate name until the year 1681, when Charles II. granted a charter to William Penn, by which he became its proprietary, saving, however, allegiance to the crown, which retained the sovereignty of the country. This charter authorized the proprietary, his heirs and successors, by and with the assent of the freemen of the country, or their deputies assembled for the purpose, to make laws. Their laws were required to be consonant to reason, and not repugnant or contrary, but as near as conveniently could be to the laws and statutes of England. Pennsylvania was governed by this charter till the period of the Revolution.
2. The constitution of the state was adopted on the second day of September, 1790, and amended by a convention selected by the people, on the twenty-second day of February, 1838. The powers of the government are divided into three distinct branches: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
3.-1st. The legislative power is vested in a general assembly, which consists of a senate and house of representatives.
4.-1. The senate will be considered with reference to the qualification of the electors; the qualification of the members; the length of time for which they are elected; and the time of their election. 1. In elections by the citizens, every white freeman of the age of twenty-one years having resided in this state one year, and in the election district where he offers to vote ten days immediately preceding such election, and within two years paid a state or county tax, which shall have been assessed at least ten days before the election, shall enjoy the rights of an elector. But a citizen of the United States who had previously been a qualified voter of this state and removed therefrom and returned, and who shall have resided in the election district and paid taxes as aforesaid, shall be entitled to vote after residing in the state six months: Provided, that white freemen, citizens of the United States, between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-two years, and having resided in the state one year, and in the election district ten days as aforesaid, shall be entitled to vote although they shall not have paid taxes. Art. 3, s. 1. 2. No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the state four years next before his election, and the last year thereof an inhabitant of the district for which he shall be chosen, unless he shall have been absent on the public business of the United States or of this state; and no person elected as aforesaid, shall hold the said office after he shall have removed from such district. Art. 1, s. 8. 3. The number of senators shall never be less than one-fourth, nor greater than one-third of the number of representatives. Art. 1, s. 6. 4. The senators hold their office for three years.
5. Their election takes place on the second Tuesday of October, one-third of the senate each year.
6.-2. The house of representatives will be treated of in the same manner which has been observed in considering the senate. 1. The electors are qualified in the same manner as the electors of the senate. 2. No person shall be a representative who shall Dot have attained the age of twenty-one years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the state three years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof an inhabitant of the district in and for which he shall be chosen a representative, unless be shall have been absent on the public business of the United States or of this state. Art. 1, s. 3. 3. The number of representatives shall never be less than sixty, nor greater than one hundred. Art. 1, s. 4. 4. They are elected yearly. 5. Their election is on the second Tuesday of October, yearly.
6.-2d. The supreme executive power of this commonwealth is vested in a governor. 1. He is elected by the electors of the legislature. 2. He must be at least thirty years of age, and have been a citizen and an inhabitant of the state seven years next before his election, unless he shall have been absent on the public business of the United States or of this state. Art. 2, s. 4. 3. The governor shall hold his office during three years from the third Tuesday of January next ensuing his election, and shall not be capable of holding it longer than six in any term of nine years. Art. 2, s. 3. 4. His principal duties are enumerated in the second article of the constitution, as follows: The governor shall at stated times receive for his services a compensation which shall be neither increased or diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected. He shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of this commonwealth, and of the militia, except when they shall be called into the actual service of the United States. He shall appoint a secretary of the commonwealth during pleasure; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the senate appoint, all judicial officers of courts of record, unless otherwise provided for in this constitution. He shall have power to fill all vacancies that may happen in such judicial offices during the recess of the senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session: Provided, that in acting on executive nominations the senate shall sit with open doors, and in confirming or rejecting the nominations of the governor, the vote shall be taken by yeas and nays. He shall have power to remit fines and forfeitures, and grant reprieves and pardons, except in cases of impeachment. He may require information in writing from the officers in the executive department, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices. He shall, from time to time, give to the general assembly information of the state of the commonwealth, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge expedient. He may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the general assembly; and, in case of disagreement between the two houses with respect to the time of adjournment, adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper, not exceeding four months. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. In case of the death or resignation of the governor, or of his removal from office, the speaker of the senate shall exercise the office of governor until another governor shall be duly qualified; but in such case another governor shall be chosen at the next annual election of representatives, unless such death, resignation or removal shall occur within three calendar months, immediately preceding such next annual election, in which case a governor shall be chosen at the second succeeding annual election of representatives. And if the trial of a contested election shall continue longer than until the third Monday of January next ensuing the election of governor, the governor of the last year, or the speaker of the senate who may be in the exercise of the executive authority, shall continue therein until the determination of such contested election, and until a governor shall be duly qualified as aforesaid.
7.-3d. The judicial power of the commonwealth is vested by the fifth article of the constitution as follows:
Sec. 1. The judicial power of this commonwealth shall be vested in a supreme Court, in courts of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery, in a court of common pleas, orphans' court, register's court, and a court of quarter sessions of the peace, for each county in justices of the peace, and in such other courts as the legislature may from time to time establish.
8.-Sec. 2. By an amendment to this constitution, the judges of the supreme court, of the several courts of common pleas, and of such other courts of record as are or shall be established by law, shall be elected by the qualified electors, as provided by act of April 15, 1851. Pam. Laws, 648. The judges of the supreme court shall hold their offices for the term of fifteen years if they shall so long behave themselves well. The president judges of the several courts of common pleas and of such other courts of record as are or shall be established by law, and all other judges required to be learned in the law, shall hold their offices for the term of ten years if they shall so long behave themselves well. The associate judges of the courts of common pleas shall hold their offices for the term of five years if they shall so long behave themselves well. But for any reasonable cause which shall not be sufficient ground of impeachment, the governor may remove any of them on the address of two-thirds of each branch of the legislature. The judges of the supreme court and the presidents of the several courts of common pleas, shall at stated times receive for their services an adequate compensation to be fixed by law, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office, but they shall receive no fees or prerequisites of office, nor hold any other office of profit under this commonwealth.
9.-Sec. 3. Until otherwise directed by law, the courts of common pleas shall continue as at present established. Not more than five counties shall at any time be included in one judicial district organized for said courts.
10.-Sec. 4. The jurisdiction of the supreme court shall extend over the state; and the judges thereof shall, by virtue of their offices be justices of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery, in the several counties.
11.-Sec. 5. The judges of the court of common pleas, in each county, shall, by virtue of their offices, be justices of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery, for the trial of capital and other offenders therein; any two of the said judges, the president being one, shall be a quorum; but they shall not hold a court of oyer and terminer, or jail delivery, in any county, when the judges, of the supreme court, or any of them, shall be sitting in the same county. The party accused, as well as the commonwealth, may, under such regulations as shall be prescribed by law, remove the indictment and proceedings, or a transcript thereof, into the supreme court,
12.-Sec. 6. The supreme court, and the several courts of common pleas, shall, besides the powers heretofore usually exercised by them, have the power of a court of chancery, so far as relates to the perpetuating If testimony, the obtaining of evidence from places not within the state, and the care of the persons and estates of those who are non compotes mentis. And the legislature shall vest in the said courts such other powers to grant relief in equity, as shall be found necessary; and may, from time to time, enlarge or diminish those powers, or vest them in such other courts as they shall judge proper for the due administration of justice.
13,-Sec. 7. The judges of the court of common pleas of each county, any two of whom shall be a quorum, shall compose the court of quarter sessions of the peace, and orphans' court thereof: and the register of wills, together with the said judges, or, any two of them, shall compose the register's court of each county.
14.-Sec. 8. The judges of the courts of common pleas shall, within their respective counties, have the like powers with the judges of the supreme court, to issue writs of certiorari to the justices of the peace, and to cause their proceedings to be brought before them, and the like right and justice to be done.
15.-Sec. 9. The president of the court in each circuit within such circuit, and the judges of the court of common pleas within their respective counties, shall be justices of the peace, so far as relates to criminal matters.
16.-Sec. 10. A register's office, for the probate of wills and granting letters of administration, and an office for the recording of deeds, shall be kept in each county.
17.-Sec. 11. The style of all process shall be "The commonwealth of Pennsylvania." All prosecutions shall be carried on in the name and by the authority of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and conclude, "against the peace and dignity of the same."

Pennsylvania

Penn·syl·va·nia

Pennsylvania

Penn•syl•va•nia

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Facts and Figures

Geography

Economy

Government and Higher Education

History

Exploration and Early Settlement

Penn's Colony

Western Settlement and Native American Resistance

The American Revolution and a New Nation

From the Whiskey Rebellion to the Civil War

The Rise of Industry and the Labor Movement

Government Reform and Economic Restructuring

Bibliography

Pennsylvania State Information

List of Pennsylvania counties:

Pennsylvania Parks

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Legal Holidays:

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Synonyms for Pennsylvania

noun a Mid-Atlantic state

Synonyms

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noun a university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Synonyms

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