The 'History of Pennsylvania' is as varied as any in the American experience and reflects the ''
melting pot'' vision of the
United States.
A map of the Province of Pennsylvania.
Pre-colonial period
Before
Pennsylvania was settled by Europeans, the area was home to the
Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape),
Susquehannock,
Iroquois,
Eriez,
Shawnee and other
Native American tribes.
The Dutch and Swedes
Main articles: New Sweden
The Delaware River watershed was claimed by the
British based on the explorations of
John Cabot in
1497,
Captain John Smith and others, and was named for
Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, the Governor of
Virginia from
1610 until
1618. At that time the area was considered to be part of the
Virginia colony.
However, the Dutch thought they also had a claim, based on the
1609 explorations of
Henry Hudson, and under the auspices of the
Dutch West India Company were the first Europeans to actually occupy the land. They established trading posts in
1624 at Burlington Island, opposite Bristol, Pennsylvania, and then in
1626 at Fort Nassau, now
Gloucester City,
New Jersey.
Peter Minuit was the Dutch Director-General during this period and probably spent some time at the Burlington Island post, thereby familiarizing himself with the region.
In any case,
Minuit had a falling out with the directors of the
Dutch West India Company, was recalled from the
New Netherlands, and promptly made his services available to his many friends in
Sweden, then a major power in European politics. They established a
New Sweden Company and, following much negotiation, he led a group under the flag of
Sweden to the
Delaware River in
1638. They established a trading post at
Fort Christina, now in
Wilmington,
Delaware.
Minuit claimed possession of the western side of the
Delaware River, saying he had found no European settlement there. Unlike the
Dutch West India Company, the Swedes intended to actually bring settlers to their outpost and begin a colony.
Minuit drowned in a hurricane on the way home that same year, but the Swedish colony continued to grow gradually. By
1644 Swedish and Finnish settlers were living along the western side of
Delaware River from Fort Christina to the
Schuylkill River.
New Sweden's best known governor,
Johan Björnsson Printz, moved his residence to what is now Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania, nearer center of the settlements.
The Dutch never gave up their claim to the area, however, and once they had some vigorous military leadership under
Peter Stuyvesant, they attacked the Swedish communities and in
1655 reincorporated the area back into the
New Netherlands colony. It was not long, though, before the Dutch as well were forcibly removed by the
British, asserting their earlier claim. In
1664, James, the Duke of York, and brother of King Charles II, outfitted an expedition that easily ousted the Dutch from both the Delaware and Hudson Rivers and leaving the Duke of York the proprietary authority in the whole area.
The British colonial period
Main articles: Province of Pennsylvania
Land purchases from Native Americans.
On
March 4,
1681,
Charles II of England granted a land tract to
William Penn for the area that now includes Pennsylvania. Penn then founded a
colony there as a place of religious freedom for
Quakers, and named it for the
Latin ''sylvania'' meaning "Penn's woods".
A large tract of land north and west of Philadelphia, in Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties, was settled by
Welsh Quakers and called the "
Welsh Tract". Even today many cities and towns in that area bear the names of Welsh municipalities.
The western portions of Pennsylvania were among disputed territory between the colonial
British and
French during the
French and Indian War. The French established numerous fortifications in the area, including the pivotal
Fort Duquesne on top of which the city of
Pittsburgh was built.
The colony's reputation of religious freedom also attracted significant populations of
German and
Scots-Irish settlers who helped to shape colonial Pennsylvania and later went on to populate the neighboring states further west.
In order to give his new province access to the ocean, Penn had leased the proprietary rights of the King's brother, James, Duke of York to what became known as the "three lower counties" on the
Delaware. The Province of
Pennsylvania was never merged with the
Lower Counties because the Duke of York, and therefore Penn, never had a clear title to it. He did govern them both, however, and his deputy governors were assigned to both as well. In Penn's ''
Frame of Government of 1682,'' he tried to establish a combined assembly by providing for equal membership from each county and requiring legislation to have the assent of both the
Lower Counties and the
Upper Counties of Chester, Philadelphia and Bucks. The meeting place also alternated between
Philadelphia and
New Castle. Once Philadelphia began to grow its leaders resented having to go to
New Castle and gain agreement of the assemblymen from the sparsely populated
Lower Counties and so there was a mutual agreement in
1704 for the two assemblies to meet separately from thenceforth.
The Revolution
Most of Pennsylvania's residents generally supported the protests and dismay common to all
13 colonies after the
Proclamation of 1763 and the
Stamp Act. Pennsylvanians originally supported the idea of common action, and sent delegates to the
Stamp Act Congress in 1765. When difficulties continued, they sent delegates to the first
Continental Congress and its later meetings, and even hosted the Congress in
Philadelphia.
Constitution of 1776
''Main article:
Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776''
In late June a convention of delegates met in Philadelphia. They had been selected by the ''Committees of Correspondence'', the ''
Sons of Liberty'', and other revolutionary groups around the state. By June, the old Assembly altered their delegate instructions in an effort to remain effective. but it was too late. On
July 8 they selected delegates to meet as a Constitutional Convention. A Committee was formed with
Benjamin Franklin as chair and
George Bryan and
James Cannon as prominent members. By
September 28 1776 the Convention produced a constitution.
The Constitution called for a unicameral legislature or Assembly. Executive authority rested in a ''Supreme Executive Council'' whose members were to be appointed by the assembly. This constitution was never formally adopted. In elections during 1776 radicals gained control of the Assembly. By early
1777, they selected an executive council, and
Thomas Wharton, Jr. was named as the President of the Council. This ''ad-hoc'' government continued through the revolution, and would not be replaced until the Constitution of
1790.
The revolutionary war
''See:
Battle of Brandywine,
Battle of Germantown,
Valley Forge.''
Antebellum and Civil War
Main articles: Pennsylvania in the Civil War
Pennsylvania was the target of several raids by the
Confederate States Army, including cavalry raids in 1862 and 1863 by
J.E.B. Stuart, in 1863 by
John Imboden, and in 1864 by
John McCausland in which his troopers burned the city of
Chambersburg.
Pennsylvania also saw the
Battle of Gettysburg, near
Gettysburg. Many historians consider this battle the major turning point of the
American Civil War. Dead from this battle rest at
Gettysburg National Cemetery, site of
Abraham Lincoln's
Gettysburg Address.
A number of smaller engagements were also fought in Pennsylvania, including the
Battle of Hanover,
Battle of Carlisle,
Battle of Hunterstown, and the
Battle of Fairfield, all during the
Gettysburg Campaign.
Industrial Power, 1865-1900
In the latter half of the 19th century, the U.S. oil (kerosene) industry was born in western Pennsylvania, which supplied the vast majority of U.S. kerosene for years thereafter, and saw the rise and fall of oil boom towns.
Ethnicity and Labor 1865-1945
During this time, America saw the arrival of millions of immigrants, mainly Europeans. Pennsylvania and New York received the bulk of them. Many of these poor immigrants took jobs in factories, steel mills, and coal mines throughout the state.
Progressive Pennsylvania 1900-1930
Depression and War 1929-1950
WPA poster 1935
During the Depression, the Commonwealth attempted to fund public works through passage of the 'Pennsylvania State Authority Act' in 1936. The Act caused the incorporation of the 'General State Authority', which would purchase land from the state and add improvements to that land using state loans and grants. The state expected to receive Federal grants and loans to fund the project. The
Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in ''Kelly v Earle'', found the Act violated the state constitution.
[1]
Decline of manufacturing and mining: 1950-75
During the 20th century Pennsylvania's existing iron industries expanded into a major center of steel production. Shipbuilding and numerous other forms of manufacturing flourished in the eastern part of the state, and coal mining was also extremely important in many regions. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Pennsylvania received a very large numbers of immigrants from Europe seeking work; dramatic, sometimes violent confrontations took place between organized labor and the state's industrial concerns. The state was hard-hit by the decline of the steel industry and other heavy U.S. industries during the late 20th century.
In 1962, the Republican party which had lost the two previous gubernatorial elections and seen the state's electoral votes go Democratic in the
1960 presidential election, became convinced that a moderate like
Bill Scranton would have enough bipartisan appeal to revitalize the party. He ran for Governor of Pennsylvania against
Richardson Dilworth, the
mayor of Philadelphia. The ticket was balanced by having
Raymond P. Shafer, who would succeed him as governor, as his
running mate. After one of the most acrimonious campaigns in state history, the Scranton/Shafer team won a landslide victory in the election besting their opponents by nearly half a million votes out of just over than 6.6 million cast.
As governor 1963-67, Scranton signed into law sweeping reforms in the state's education system including creation of the state community college system, the state board of education, and the state Higher Education Assistance Agency. Furthermore, he created a program designed to promote the state in national and international markets and to increase the attractiveness of the state's products and services.
The Service State: 1975-Present
Pennsylvania has suffered severely from the fall of steel and coal. Economic failure, severe population loss in many areas, closed-up factories, and much more. However, beginning in the late 1970s, Pennsylvania began to turn around and make a recovery. At every new census, the state grew faster than the previous ten years. Many new immigrants, especially from Asia and Latin America, have arrived for many reasons. Dirty, lifeless towns have become vibrant, growing places. Jobs and companies have begun transferring their headquarters to the state, and Pennsylvania has one of the best economies in the nation.
With the turnaround from manufacturing, the state has turned to service industries. Healthcare, retail, transportation, and tourism are some of the state's biggest industries of this era.
Politics
Bob Casey was the governor, 1987-1995--Casey was an
Irish American Democrat "pol" of the old school, the son and grandson of coal miners, who championed unions and believed in government as a beneficent force. Casey pushed through the legislature the "Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act," which placed limitations on abortion, including the notification of parents of minors, a twenty-four-hour waiting period, and a ban on partial-birth procedures except in cases of risk to the mother's life. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania sued, with Casey as the named defendant, asserting that the law violated
Roe v. Wade. The case went to the Supreme Court in April, 1992. The Court decided The Court decided
Planned Parenthood v. Casey on June 29th, upholding all of Pennsylvania's contested restrictions but one (a requirement for spousal notification) and affirming the right of states to restrict abortions.
[2]
At the national level Governor Casey was the most prominent pro-life Democrat and he demanded publicly to give a minority plank on abortion at the
1992 Democratic National Convention. He was refused, and protested loudly. In 1994, Casey refused to endorse
Harris Wofford, the Democrat he had appointed to the Senate and who was running for re-election. The reason was Casey rejected Wofford's
pro-choice views. The result was a deep split in the state Democratic party that helped elect arch-conservative Republican
Rick Santorum in 1994. Casey’s critics within the Democratic Party accused him of treason.
[3] The Democratic divisiveness over abortion did not fade away seat so in 2006, five years after Casey's death, national Democratic leaders promoted Casey's son
Bob Casey, Jr. for Senator as a way of defusing the issue and attracting disaffected pro-life Democrats; the son defeated Santorum by a landslide.
[4]
See also
★
History of Pittsburgh
★
History of Philadelphia
★
History of Veterinary Medicine in Pennsylvania
★
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
References
Surveys
★ Miller, Randall M. and William A. Pencak, eds. ''Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth'' (2002) detailed scholarly history
★ Beers, Paul B. '' Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday'' (1980)
★
★ Klein, Philip S and Ari Hoogenboom. ''A History of Pennsylvania'' (1973).
★ Weigley, Russell. ''Philadelphia: A 300-Year History'' (1982)
Pre 1900
★ Buck, Solon J., Clarence McWilliams and Elizabeth Hawthorn Buck. ''The Planting of Civilization in Western Pennsylvania'' (1939), social history
online edition
★ Dunaway, Wayland F. ''The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania'' (1944)
online edition
★ Higginbotham, Sanford W. ''The Keystone in the Democratic Arch: Pennsylvania Politics, 1800-1816'' (1952)
★ Illick Joseph E. ''Colonial Pennsylvania: A History'' (1976)
onlineedition
★ Ireland, Owen S. ''Religion, Ethnicity, and Politics: Ratifying the Constitution in Pennsylvania'' (1995)
★ Kehl, James A. ''Boss Rule in the Gilded Age: Matt Quay of Pennsylvania'' (1981)
onlineedition
★ Klees, Fredric. ''The Pennsylvania Dutch'' (1950)
★ Klein, Philip Shriver. ''Pennsylvania Politics, 1817-1832: A Game without Rules'' (1940)
★ McCullough, David. ''The Johnstown Flood'' (1987)
★ Mueller, Henry R. ''The Whig Party in Pennsylvania'' (1922)
★ Snyder, Charles Mccool. ''The Jacksonian Heritage: Pennsylvania Politics, 1833-1848'' (1958)
online edition
★ William A. Sullivan; ''The Industrial Worker in Pennsylvania, 1800-1840'' Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1955
online edition
★ Tinkcom, Harry Marlin. ''The Republicans and Federalists in Pennsylvania, 1790-1801: A Study in National Stimulus and Local Response'' (1950)
online edition
★ Williamson, Harold F. and Arnold R. Daum. ''The American Petroleum Industry: The Age of Illumination, 1859-1899'' (1959)
★ Wood, Ralph. et al. ''The Pennsylvania Germans'' (1942)
online edition
★ Karin Wulf; ''Not All Wives: Women of Colonial Philadelphia.'' Cornell University Press, 2000
online edition
Since 1900
★ John Bodnar; ''Immigration and Industrialization: Ethnicity in an American Mill Town, 1870-1940,'' (1977), on Steelton
online edition
★ Thomas Dublin and Walter Licht, ''The Face of Decline: The Pennsylvania Anthracite Region in the Twentieth Century'' Cornell University Press, (2005). ISBN 0-8014-8473-1.
★ Kenneth J. Heineman; ''A Catholic New Deal: Religion and Reform in Depression Pittsburgh,'' 1999
online edition
★ M. Nelson McGeary, ''Gifford Pinchot: Forester-Politician'' (1960) Republican governor 1923–1927 and 1931–1935
★ Warren, Kenneth. ''Big Steel: The First Century of the United States Steel Corporation, 1901-2001'' (2002)
Primary sources
★ Vincent P. Carocci, ''A Capitol Journey: Reflections on the Press, Politics, and the Making Of Public Policy In Pennsylvania.'' (2005) memoir by senior aide to Gov Casey in 1990s
excerpts online
★ Casey, Robert P. ''Fighting for Life: The Story of a Courageous Pro-Life Democrat Whose Own Brush with Death Made Medical History''. Dallas, Texas: Word Publishing (1996). Autobiography. Hardcover: ISBN 0-849-91224-5, ISBN 978-0-84991-224-5.
★ W. E. B. Dubois; ''The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study'' (1899)
online edition
★ Albert Cook Myers; ed., ''Narratives of Early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707,'' (1912)
online edition
External links
★
ExplorePAHistory.com
★
History of Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania legislature site
★
Pennsylvania State Archives web site
★
View the Pennsylvania State Archives Online
★
1776 Constitution text
★
"Pennsylvania's Anarchist Experiment: 1681-1690," Prof. Murray N. Rothbard, excerpt from ''Conceived in Liberty'', Vol. 1 (Auburn, Alabama: The
Ludwig von Mises Institute, 1999)
★
Pennsylvania Indian Tribes Listing of Native American tribes with a historical presence in Pennsylvania
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
