History of Pennsylvania facts for kids

The Birth of Pennsylvania shows William Penn getting a special paper from King Charles II of England. Penn started the colony in 1681 as a safe place for Quakers.

The history of Pennsylvania began in 1681. That's when William Penn received a special paper, called a royal deed, from King Charles II of England. But Europeans were active in the area even before that. For example, the Dutch first settled there in 1643.

Before Europeans arrived, many Native American tribes lived in this area. These included the Lenape, Susquehannocks, Iroquois, Erie, and Shawnee. Sadly, many of these tribes were greatly reduced or driven away. This happened because of diseases like smallpox, which spread long before many European settlers came to stay.

The English took control of the colony in 1667. In 1681, William Penn, a Quaker, created a colony where people could have religious freedom. Many Quakers settled there, along with its main city, Philadelphia. Philadelphia was also the first planned city in the area. In the mid-1700s, many German and Scots-Irish immigrants moved to Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania played a big part in the American Revolution. Philadelphia was even the nation's capital for some time in the 1700s. Pennsylvania was the second most populated state in the country from the 1700s to the 1900s. Philadelphia was also the second most populated city in the nation. The state grew, and Pittsburgh became one of America's largest and most important cities for a while. Pennsylvania was also very important in the Union's win during the American Civil War. After the war, Pennsylvania became a strong Republican state. It also became a major center for making goods and for transportation. After the Great Depression in the 1930s and World War II in the 1940s, Pennsylvania's economy shifted. It moved more towards the service industry. Politically, it became a state where elections could go either way, known as a swing state.

Early People and Native American Tribes

Lappawinsoe of the Lenape tribe, painted in 1735. The Lenape lived in southeastern Pennsylvania.

People have lived in Pennsylvania for thousands of years. Scientists believe the first people came to North America at least 15,000 years ago. It's not clear exactly when they first arrived in the area we now call Pennsylvania. One of the oldest known signs of human life in Pennsylvania is at the Meadowcroft Rockshelter. This site shows that people lived there over 10,000 years ago.

By the year 1000, the native people of Pennsylvania had changed their way of life. Their ancestors were hunter-gatherers who moved around a lot. But by this time, they had learned farming techniques. They had a mix of farmed foods and hunted foods.

When Europeans started to arrive, several Native American tribes lived in the region.

• The Lenape spoke an Algonquian language. They lived in an area called the Lenapehoking, which included southeastern Pennsylvania.
• The Shawnee also spoke an Algonquian language. They lived in different parts of Pennsylvania.
• The Susquehannock spoke an Iroquoian language. They lived near the Susquehanna River.
• The powerful Iroquois Confederacy was based in New York. But they also had influence in Pennsylvania.
• Other tribes like the Eries, Mahican, and Conoy also lived in Pennsylvania.

Like other native peoples in the Americas, the Native Americans in Pennsylvania faced a huge drop in population. This was caused by diseases that came with the Europeans after 1492. For example, the Monongahela culture in southwestern Pennsylvania almost disappeared by the 1600s because of these diseases.

European Settlers Arrive

The locations of New Netherland (magenta) and New Sweden (blue) in the 1600s. New Sweden was later taken over by New Netherland. Then the English took over New Netherland.

Europeans began exploring the Americas more after Christopher Columbus's trip in 1492. John Cabot is known for discovering continental North America for Europeans in 1497. In the 1500s, European exploration continued. The area of Pennsylvania was mapped by the French in 1524. They called it L'arcadia, meaning "wooded coast."

Even before many Europeans settled, Native American tribes in Pennsylvania traded with them. The fur trade was a big reason Europeans wanted to colonize North America. This trade also caused wars among Native American tribes, like the Beaver Wars. These wars helped the Iroquois Confederacy become more powerful.

In the 1600s, the Dutch, Swedish, and British all wanted control of southeastern Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the French expanded into parts of western Pennsylvania.

New Sweden and New Netherland

In 1638, the Kingdom of Sweden started the colony of New Sweden. This colony was in the area of today's Mid-Atlantic states. It was founded by Peter Minuit, a former governor for the Dutch. New Sweden stretched into modern-day Pennsylvania. Its main area was along the Delaware River. In 1643, the governor of New Sweden, Johan Björnsson Printz, built Fort Nya Gothenburg. This was the first European settlement in Pennsylvania, located on Tinicum Island.

In 1609, the Dutch Republic sent Henry Hudson to explore North America. Soon after, the Dutch started the colony of New Netherland to profit from the fur trade. In 1655, the Dutch, led by Peter Stuyvesant, captured New Sweden. Even though Sweden no longer controlled the land, many Swedish and Finnish colonists stayed. They brought with them America's first log cabins.

English and French Rivalry

The Kingdom of England had already started colonies like Virginia (1607) and Maryland (1632). England also claimed the Delaware River area. During the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667), the English took control of the Dutch lands in North America. A treaty in 1674 officially confirmed England's control.

The French had a colony called New France in the 1600s. They wanted to profit from the fur trade too. New France grew into the Great Lakes region and along the Mississippi River. By the 1700s, New France reached into western Pennsylvania. The French built Fort Duquesne to protect the Ohio River valley.

With the Swedish and Dutch colonies gone, the French were the last rivals to the British in Pennsylvania. Starting in 1688, France and England fought a series of wars for control of North America. These wars ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris. France lost New France, and the British gained control.

Pennsylvania's Colonial Period

William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania. He was a Quaker.

On March 4, 1681, Charles II of England gave the land for the Province of Pennsylvania to William Penn. This was to pay back a large debt the king owed to Penn's father. Penn created a special colony that offered religious freedom for Quakers. King Charles named the colony Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's woods" in Latin. Penn didn't like it because he thought people would think he named it after himself.

Penn arrived in North America in 1682. That same year, he founded the capital city, Philadelphia.

Diverse Settlers and Religious Freedom

Besides English Quakers, Pennsylvania attracted many other groups. Many of them were escaping difficult times or religious wars.

• Welsh Quakers settled a large area north and west of Philadelphia. This area became known as the "Welsh Tract."
• The colony's promise of religious freedom also brought many German, Scots-Irish, Scots, and French settlers.
• Many of these settlers followed types of Christianity that were not liked in their home countries. Huguenots, Puritans, Catholics, and Calvinists all moved to Pennsylvania.
• Other groups, like Anglicans and Jews, also came.
• By 1730, Pennsylvania also had a significant African-American population.
• Several Native American tribes lived in the area under their own rules.
• Settlers from the earlier Swedish and Dutch colonies also continued to live in the region.

To give his new colony access to the ocean, Penn leased land from the king's brother, James, Duke of York. These were the "three lower counties," which are now the state of Delaware. In Penn's plan for government in 1682, he set up a combined assembly. It had equal members from each county. Laws needed approval from both the Lower Counties (Delaware) and the Upper Counties (Pennsylvania).

In 1704, after some disagreements, the lower counties started meeting in their own assembly. Pennsylvania and Delaware continued to share the same royal governor. This lasted until the American Revolutionary War, when both became separate states.

Growth and Conflict

Penn died in 1718. His sons took over as leaders of the colony. William Penn had earned the respect of the Lenape tribe because he dealt with them fairly. However, Penn's sons and their agents were not as careful with Native American concerns. The Walking Purchase in 1737 expanded the colony. But it also made relations with the Lenape worse.

Pennsylvania continued to grow and settle westward. This continued until the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This rule stopped all settlers from moving to the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. Meanwhile, Philadelphia became an important port and trading center. The University of Pennsylvania was founded during this time. Benjamin Franklin also started other groups, like the American Philosophical Society. By the start of the American Revolution, Philadelphia was the largest city in British North America.

The lands controlled by Britain (pink), France (blue), and Spain (orange) in 1750. France lost its North American lands to England after the French and Indian War.

The western parts of Pennsylvania were disputed between the British and French during the French and Indian War. This war was part of a larger conflict called the Seven Years' War. The French had built many forts in Pennsylvania. These included Fort Le Boeuf, Fort Presque Isle, and Fort Duquesne, near where Pittsburgh is today. Many Native American tribes were allied with the French. This was because of their long trading history and their opposition to British expansion.

The conflict started near Uniontown, Pennsylvania in 1754. A group of soldiers led by George Washington attacked a French force. Washington later had to surrender to a larger French force. In 1755, the British tried to capture Fort Duquesne. But they lost a major battle. In 1758, the British tried again. The French won the battle, but they were outnumbered. So, they destroyed Fort Duquesne and left the area. Fighting in North America mostly ended by 1760. The war officially ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Britain's victory helped secure Pennsylvania's frontier. The Ohio Country came under British control.

During the French and Indian War, Pennsylvania settlers faced attacks from Native American allies of the French. The settlers asked for military help. But there was a power struggle in Philadelphia between the Governor and the Pennsylvania Assembly. The dispute was finally settled. Military help was sent when the Penn family sent money to the government.

Soon after the French and Indian War, Native Americans tried to push the British out of the Ohio Country. This was called Pontiac's Rebellion. The war began in 1763. There was heavy fighting in western Pennsylvania. The native forces were defeated in the Battle of Bushy Run. The war lasted until 1766, when the British made peace. During the war, the king issued the Proclamation Act. This act stopped Americans from settling west of the Appalachians. That land was saved for the Native Americans.

Fighting between Native Americans and Americans in Pennsylvania continued in other wars. Native American tribes stopped being a military threat to European settlers in Pennsylvania after 1795.

American Revolution and New Government

The Thirteen Colonies and the Indian Reserve in 1775. The English king stopped settlement in the Indian Reserve, which made Americans angry.

People in Pennsylvania generally supported the protests happening in all 13 colonies. This was after the Proclamation of 1763 and the Stamp Act were passed. Pennsylvania sent representatives to the Stamp Act Congress in 1765. Philadelphia hosted the First and Second Continental Congresses. The Second Congress led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Independence Hall in 1776.

Pennsylvania was the site of several battles during the American Revolution. These included George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, the Battle of Brandywine, and the Battle of Germantown. During the Philadelphia campaign, George Washington's army spent the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In 1781, the Articles of Confederation were written and approved in Philadelphia. Philadelphia remained the capital of the new nation for a while.

Important Pennsylvanians who supported the Revolution included Benjamin Franklin, John Dickinson, and Robert Morris. However, Pennsylvania also had many Loyalists, who supported the British.

After elections in May 1776, the Second Continental Congress encouraged Pennsylvania to create a new government. Delegates met in June in Philadelphia. On July 8, they elected people to write a state constitution. A committee was formed with Benjamin Franklin as the head. The new constitution was announced on September 28, 1776. It called for new elections.

Benjamin Franklin, a very smart person with many skills, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

The new constitution didn't have a governor or an upper house of lawmakers. This meant there were fewer checks on popular decisions. In 1776, radicals gained control of the Assembly. By early 1777, they chose an executive council. This constitution was never formally adopted. So, the government worked on a temporary basis until a new constitution was written 14 years later.

In 1780, Pennsylvania passed a law to slowly end slavery. This made Pennsylvania the first state to pass such a law. Children born after that date to enslaved mothers were considered free. But they had to work for their mother's master until they were 28. The last enslaved person was recorded in the state in 1847.

Six years after the Articles of Confederation were adopted, leaders from across the country met again. They met at the Philadelphia Convention to create a new constitution. Pennsylvania approved the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787. It was the second state to do so after Delaware.

The Constitution became law after 11 states approved it in 1788. George Washington became the first President of the United States on March 4, 1789. Philadelphia served as the nation's capital again from 1790-1800. Then the capital moved permanently to Washington, D.C.. Pennsylvania approved a new state constitution in 1790. This new constitution replaced the executive council with a governor and a two-house legislature.

Expanding Westward

Land purchases from Native Americans in the 1600s and 1700s.

Pennsylvania's borders became clear in the years around the Revolutionary War. The Mason–Dixon line set the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland. It was later extended to be the border between Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Native Americans gave up their claims to southwestern Pennsylvania in treaties. The Treaty of Paris (1783) gave the United States independence. Great Britain also gave up its land claims in the nearby Ohio Country. In another treaty, Pennsylvania gained control of northwestern Pennsylvania from the Iroquois League. The border between New York and Pennsylvania was set in 1787. Pennsylvania bought the Erie Triangle from the federal government in 1792.

After the U.S. government gave land to Revolutionary War soldiers, Pennsylvania passed a land act in 1792. This allowed the sale of large areas of land to encourage development. This process led to a lot of land speculation, but not much settlement. Many soldiers sold their land cheaply.

Three big land companies were involved in this land speculation. The Holland Land Company bought a lot of land in eastern and western Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Population Company controlled land mostly in Erie County. The North American Land Company also held some Pennsylvania lands.

The Whiskey Rebellion, in Western Pennsylvania, was an early challenge to the new U.S. government. From 1791-1794, farmers protested a tax on alcohol. They stopped federal officials from collecting the tax. In 1794, President George Washington led a large army into Western Pennsylvania to stop the rebellion. Most rebels went home before the army arrived.

Early 1800s in Pennsylvania

Stephen Decatur, a naval commander in the 1800s. He fought well in the War of 1812.

Pennsylvania was one of the largest states. It had the second most electoral votes from 1796 to 1960. From 1789 to 1880, the state almost always voted for the winning presidential candidate. The Democratic-Republicans were strong in the state for a long time. Pennsylvania generally supported Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party from 1828 to 1854.

Several Pennsylvanians fought in the War of 1812. These included Jacob Brown and Stephen Decatur. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry became famous as the "Hero of Lake Erie." He built a fleet at Erie, Pennsylvania and defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie. Pennsylvanians also fought in the Mexican–American War. Pennsylvania Congressman David Wilmot became well-known for the Wilmot Proviso. This would have banned slavery in land gained from Mexico.

Philadelphia continued to be one of the most populated cities in the country. It was the second largest city after New York for most of the 1800s. In 1854, the city and county of Philadelphia were combined. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Franklin Institute were founded during this time. Philadelphia was also home to the first stock exchange, museum, insurance company, and medical school in the new nation.

A locomotive in 1848. Pennsylvania became an important railroad center in the 1800s.

Settlers continued to move across the Allegheny Mountains. Pennsylvanians built many new roads, including the National Road through southwestern Pennsylvania. Thousands of miles of railroad tracks were also built. The Pennsylvania Railroad became one of the largest railroads in the world. Pittsburgh grew into an important city west of the Alleghenies. In 1834, Pennsylvania finished building the Main Line of Public Works. This was a system of railroads and canals that connected Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In 1812, Harrisburg became the state capital. It was a more central location than Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania was the largest food producer in the country by the 1720s. Farming in Pennsylvania had a "golden age" from 1790 to 1840. In 1820, farming provided 90 percent of jobs in Pennsylvania. New farm equipment was invented. Even though farmers lost some political power as other industries grew, farming remains a major industry in Pennsylvania today.

In 1834, Governor George Wolf signed the Free Schools Act. This created a system of state-controlled school districts. The state created the Department of Education to oversee these schools. In 1857, a new law helped create schools to train teachers.

Several Pennsylvania politicians became nationally famous. Frederick Muhlenberg was the nation's first Speaker of the House of Representatives. Albert Gallatin was the Secretary of the Treasury from 1801–14. Democrat James Buchanan, the only President of the United States from Pennsylvania, was president from 1857 to 1861.

Pennsylvania During the Civil War

Map of the USA and the CSA during the Civil War. Pennsylvania was a key part of the Union.

Before and during the Civil War, Pennsylvania was a divided state. Even though Pennsylvania had outlawed slavery, many conservative Pennsylvanians believed the federal government should not interfere with slavery. One such person was Democrat James Buchanan, the last president before the Civil War.

However, the new Republican Party held its first convention in Philadelphia. In the 1860 elections, the Republican Party won the state's presidential vote and the governor's office. After the South seceded and the war began, Pennsylvania became a key member of the Union.

Democrats remained powerful in the state. Some "copperheads" called for peace during the war. Democrats took control of the state legislature in 1862. But Republican Governor Andrew Curtin stayed in office in 1863. In the 1864 election, President Abraham Lincoln narrowly won Pennsylvania's votes against Pennsylvania native George B. McClellan.

The Gettysburg Campaign, which ended with the Battle of Gettysburg. This was a major turning point in the Civil War.

Pennsylvania was attacked several times by the Confederate States Army. But the most famous and important battle in Pennsylvania was the Battle of Gettysburg. Many historians see this as a major turning point of the American Civil War. This battle was a big Union victory. After it, the Confederacy was mostly on the defensive. Soldiers who died in this battle are buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery. This is where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address. Several smaller battles were also fought in the state during the Gettysburg Campaign.

Pennsylvania's Thaddeus Stevens and William D. Kelley became important members of the Radical Republicans. This group wanted to win the war, end slavery, and protect the rights of African-Americans during Reconstruction. Pennsylvania generals in the war included George G. Meade and Winfield Scott Hancock. Governor Andrew Curtin strongly supported the war. Former Pennsylvania Senator Simon Cameron served as Secretary of War.

From Civil War to the Roaring Twenties

Simon Cameron, Secretary of War and a powerful leader of the state Republican Party. He built a political system that controlled Pennsylvania for many years.

After the Civil War, the Republican Party became very strong in Pennsylvania politics. Republicans won almost every election from 1860 to 1930. Pennsylvania remained one of the most populated states. Its many electoral votes helped Republicans win presidential elections for a long time. Only once did Pennsylvania vote for a presidential candidate who wasn't a Republican. This was Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, who was a former Republican.

The Pennsylvania Republican party was led by powerful figures called "bosses." These included Simon Cameron and Matthew Quay. Quay was a very important political figure of his time. He helped put Theodore Roosevelt on the Republican ticket in 1900. Even though party bosses were powerful, there was also a reform movement. Many Pennsylvanians supported the Progressive movement. This included Gifford Pinchot, who later became governor. Several new state agencies were created, like the Department of Welfare. Pennsylvanians twice voted against giving women the right to vote. But the state was one of the first to approve the Nineteenth Amendment. This amendment gave women the right to vote across the country.

Gifford Pinchot, the first head of the United States Forest Service and a progressive Republican Governor.

The time after the Civil War, called the Gilded Age, saw industry continue to grow in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was home to some of the biggest steel companies in the world. Andrew Carnegie started the Carnegie Steel Company. Charles M. Schwab founded the Bethlehem Steel Company. Other powerful business leaders, like John D. Rockefeller, also worked in the state.

In the late 1800s, the U.S. oil industry began in western Pennsylvania. This area supplied most of the kerosene for many years. As the oil boom grew, towns like Titusville quickly appeared and then faded. Coal mining was also a major industry. In 1903, Milton S. Hershey started building a chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Hershey Company became the largest chocolate maker in North America. The Heinz Company was also founded during this time. These huge companies had a big influence on Pennsylvania politics.

Hazleton coal miners in 1900. Coal mining was a very important part of Pennsylvania's economy.

The growth of industry eventually led to better pay for working-class families. This happened after labor unions helped them get fair wages. However, the rise of unions also led to efforts to stop them. Pennsylvania was the site of the first organized strike in North America. The state experienced the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Coal Strike of 1902. Eventually, the eight-hour workday was adopted.

During this period, millions of immigrants came to the United States. Earlier immigrants were mostly from western and northern Europe. But now, Pennsylvania saw many immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. Many of these new immigrants were Catholic and Jewish. They changed the population of major cities and industrial areas. Many poor immigrants took jobs in factories, steel mills, and coal mines. They were not limited by not knowing English. The availability of jobs and public education helped these millions of immigrants and their families fit in. They also kept their ethnic cultures. Pennsylvania also experienced the Great Migration. Millions of African Americans moved from the southern United States to other places, including Pennsylvania. By 1940, African Americans made up almost five percent of the state's population.

Frederick Winslow Taylor, who helped create the idea of scientific management.

Even before the Civil War, Pennsylvania was a center for science. The state, especially its two big cities, continued to be a major place for new ideas. Pennsylvanians invented the first iron and steel rails, iron bridges, air brakes, and more. They also helped with advances in aluminum, radio, television, and airplanes. Pittsburgh became an important center for industry and new technology. George Westinghouse became one of America's top inventors. Philadelphia became a leading medical science center. By 1910, Chicago had passed Philadelphia as the second most populated city in the U.S.

Education continued to be very important. The state constitution of 1874 promised money for education every year. School attendance became required in 1895. By 1903, school districts had to have their own high schools or pay for students to attend another high school. Two of Pennsylvania's largest public schools were founded in the mid-to-late 1800s. The Pennsylvania State University was founded in 1855. Temple University in Philadelphia was founded in 1884. Other schools like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh also grew.

Thousands of Pennsylvanians volunteered during the Spanish–American War. Many fought in the successful campaign against Spain in the Philippine Islands. Pennsylvania was an important industrial center in World War I. The state provided over 300,000 soldiers for the army. After the war, the state suffered from the Spanish Flu.

The Great Depression and World War II

A 1935 WPA poster. The WPA gave jobs to millions of Americans during the Great Depression.

During the Great Depression, Democrats became much more successful in Pennsylvania. The Great Depression finally broke the Republican Party's strong hold on the state. Democrat Franklin Roosevelt won Pennsylvania's electoral votes in all three of his re-election campaigns. He was the first Democrat to win the state's electoral votes since James Buchanan in 1856.

In 1934, Pennsylvania elected Joseph F. Guffey to the Senate and George Earle III as governor. They were the first Democrats elected to those offices in the 1900s. Governor Earle, with help from a Democratic legislature, passed the "Little New Deal" in Pennsylvania. This included reforms similar to the national New Deal. However, Republicans regained power in the state in 1938. Democrats would not win another gubernatorial election until 1954.

General George Marshall, a key military leader during and after the war.

Pennsylvania, with its large industrial workforce, suffered greatly during the Great Depression. The state tried to get federal funds for projects. But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that a state act violated the state constitution. This made it hard for the state to get federal money for Works Progress Administration projects. This also made it difficult to lower the very high unemployment rate.

Pennsylvania produced 6.6 percent of all U.S. military weapons during World War II. This ranked it sixth among the 48 states. The Philadelphia Naval Yard was an important naval base. Pennsylvania produced important military leaders like George C. Marshall and Hap Arnold. During the war, over one million Pennsylvanians served in the armed forces. More Medals of Honor were given to Pennsylvanians than to people from any other state.

Pennsylvania Today

The 2012 presidential election results in Pennsylvania. The Democrat won eastern counties and Allegheny County. The Republican won most other counties.

The Republican Party's strong hold on Pennsylvania ended after World War II. Pennsylvania became a less powerful state in terms of electoral votes and number of House seats. Pennsylvania adopted its fifth and current constitution in 1968. This new constitution created a unified judicial system. It also allowed governors and other statewide elected officials to serve two terms in a row.

In presidential elections, the Republican Party won Pennsylvania in seven out of 11 elections between 1948 and 1988. But Democrats have won the state in every presidential election from 1992 to 2012. Pennsylvania is now generally considered an important swing state in elections.

The state was hit hard by the decline of the steel industry and other heavy U.S. industries in the late 1900s. With job losses came population losses, especially in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. With the end of mining and the downturn in manufacturing, the state has moved towards service industries. Pittsburgh's many universities have helped it become a leader in technology and healthcare. Philadelphia also has many universities and healthcare centers. Healthcare, retail, transportation, and tourism are some of the state's growing industries today.

Most population growth has happened in suburban areas. However, both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have seen their downtown areas improve a lot. Pittsburgh is no longer among the top ten most populated cities in the U.S. Philadelphia is now the fifth largest city. Philadelphia is part of the Northeast megalopolis. Pittsburgh is part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis.