Pennsylvania
Why settle for anything else
Origins
Pennsylvania is a combination of two words Penn and Sylvania. Penn comes from William Penn the founder of the colony. Sylvania comes from the Latin word for woodland. King Charles II of England owed the dead father of William Penn, so to pay off the debt King Charles gave Penn a land grant. William Penn used this land to create a place where his fellow Quakers could practice without persecution.
Location, location, location
Pennsylvania is located on the east coast and consists of mountains, coastal plains, and plateau area. The climate is mild with a warm summer and a mild winter, and it also has good fertile soil. These conditions are perfect for agriculture. Pennsylvania has many natural resources that include iron, timber, coal, and furs. They exported agriculture products and manufactured goods made from iron.
Government, Religion, and Economy
Pennsylvania was a proprietary colony, which means that the King was still the ruler of the colony and that the colony was still subjected to British rule. The colony had a freedom of religion, and this meant that their was no specific religion of the colony. Pennsylvania's economy consisted of trade with England and the other colonies. They traded raw materials, agriculture products, and manufactured goods made from iron.
Top contributors to Pennsylvania
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin moved to Pennsylvania when he was seventeen and their he founded the College of Philadelphia, created his own newspaper in Philadelphia, created a library with a group called the Junto, created a firefighting system. Franklin was also a scientist, politician, and a strong supporter of the American revolution.
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine moved to America with help of his friend Benjamin Franklin. It was here in Philadelphia that Paine published his book Common Sense and helped convince more people to help aid the American Revolution.
Robert Morris
Robert Morris played an important role in the American Revolution. Morris financed the war and after the war he served as the Superintendent of Finance. He managed the economy of the newly independent United States.
Important Events
Continental Congress
The first and second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia
The Capital
From 1790-1800 Philadelphia was the capital of the U.S.A.
The Declaration of Independence
The signing of the Declaration of Independence happened in Philadelphia