Pennsylvania

__ Geography __ ==== Pennsylvania is located on the Eastern coast of the United States, bordered by New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland in the northeast United States. The Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains run through the state, as well as the major rivers, the Allegheny and Susquehanna. Pennsylvania also has parts of the Monongahela, Ohio and Delaware Rivers running through it. Mt. Davis is also located in Pennsylvania, near the southwestern tip of the state. Major harbors in Pennsylvania include the Erie Turning Basin and the Harbor Basin. Pennsylvania had sufficient farming conditions and farmers grew grains such as wheat, rye and corn. Tobacco was grown in small quantities throughout the colony, but cotton, rice and indigo were not often grown there because of the climate. Farmers in Pennsylvania grew crops for their own use and to sell on the market, but on fewer acres than other colonies. There was no need for working bands, but a small amount of slaves worked with the farmers daily on the fields. Pennsylvania was the center of the 13 colonies, so that contributed to the reason why it developed to be the Keystone state of the colonies. Since it is towards the northeast part of the colonies, the climate took a toll on growing seasons. 5 months out of the year were spent farming, and the other 7 months were spent clearing land for next growing season and marketing crops. Farming was more difficult towards the mountainous areas of the state. ====

__History__
====Pennsylvania was colonized on December 12, 1787. Most people that came to Pennsylvania were from Spain and Holland. The Spanish came to the colony in the 1600’s, and later it was invaded by the Dutch and the explorations of Henry Hudson. This was the cause of the later establishment of the Dutch West India Company in Pennsylvania, making the Dutch the first Europeans to occupy the land. A Quaker named William Penn granted Pennsylvania colonial status when the state was named to him to pay off a debt to his father. People came to Pennsylvania in search of job opportunities and for a better way of life in the colonies with more resources. Pennsylvania’s geographic location gave it a mixed economy. It had industry common to the north, gun-making and ship-building, as well as industry common to the south, which was growing food and tobacco. Fertile soil supported southern industries in the colony and all the crops produced from it, and manufacturing also established in the colony: textiles, paper-making and shipbuilding. William Penn allowed for a representative assembly elected by landowners. The colony was founded for the purpose of providing freedom and religious tolerance for Quakers. Once the colony was established, William Penn and the Quakers granted religious freedom to everyone living there. The Native Americans in the region were from the Mongoloid incestry. Penn also formed a treaty with the Delaware Indians that inhabited the area.====



__Economics__
====In Pennsylvania, colonists lived with a mixed economy. Part of their economy derived from southern cultures, while part of their economy derived from northern cultures. Colonists grew wheat, corn and produced dairy from cows to get the supplies they needed on a daily basis. These activities resembled those of the south. Other people in the colony were shipbuilders, and had jobs in manufacturing. These kinds of activities resembled those of the north. Both forms of labor were common in Pennsylvania, so they were both principal forms of commerce. There was slavery in the colony, but only few at a time worked with farmers daily on their field because large working bands were not needed.====

__Social__
====Pennsylvania was one of the colonies with the most ethnic and religious diversity, along with a lot of non-English immigrants. English was spoken throughout the Colony, as well as German and French. The Germans of Pennsylvania divided into a wide variety of religious groups: Lutherans, Reformers, Pietists or Quakers. Other minority ethnic groups included the Moravians, Mennonites and the Dunkers. Generally, women married very young and had no control of what they earned on a daily basis. They also had no say in property and could not vote. Their full-time job consisted of homemaking: cooking meals, making clothes for the whole family and taking care of them, and working for hours in the kitchen and gardens.====

__Political__
====The violence of these war years were so severe that Pennsylvania's Indian and colonial inhabitants could no longer live peaceably together. After this War, Pennsylvania was never the same. The first democracy in the colonies was created in Pennsylvania. The Second Continental Congress encouraged people of Pennsylvania to call for a new form of government. Delegates met in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence denied the Assemblymen's effort to control the colony. Later in July, the delegates met again to write a Constitution, which called for new elections in the colony. The new elections voted out the Assemblymen from power in the colony, but the colony faced problems in the Constitution because of democracy. There was no governor or upper house of legislature to provide checking within other parts of the colony.====

__Terms__
====The Pennsylvania colony was one of the main interests within the years of the war. Things like the triangular trade system brought slaves to the colonies against their will from Africa and also presented a wider range of agriculture. While Salutary Neglect granted Pennsylvania privileges to participate in triangle trade which included the mass production of such things as tobacco, sugar, and grains. Mercantilism also played a huge role in separating the colonies from England and created wealth their country. During this time, the first great awakening appeared among Presbyterians in Pennsylvania and promoted religion in the colonies. Economically, cash crops such as corn, barley and wheat were grown as cash crops in colonial Pennsylvania for money.====

__French and Indian War__
====Pennsylvania was where the hostilities broke out between English and French troops to start off the war. The violence of these war years were so severe that Pennsylvania's Indian and colonial inhabitants could no longer live peaceably together. After this War Pennsylvania was never the same. In Pennsylvania most were loyalists. They feared their royal land grants would be in danger with a republican form of government. However, Pennsylvania did not support the ideas of the revolution because the main occupants were loyalists who didn’t want anyone to rise up.====

__Revolution__
====The Pennsylvanians that served as leaders of the American Revolutionary movement were Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Joseph Reed, Thomas Mifflin, John Dickinson, Robert Morris, and Haym Salomon. Pennsylvania supported England because they were loyalists. Pennsylvania was heavily affected by the revolution The Americans were well outnumbered; about two-thirds of the defenders were killed in battle and many of the prisoners were tortured and killed by the Native Americans. This defeat demolished the entire Pennsylvania frontier. However in 1787, delegates to the Pennsylvania constitutional meeting at the Pennsylvania State House voted to ratify the Constitution and were all in favor.====

__Citation:__

"Pennsylvania." //American History//. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. 

"Pennsylvania." //History of the USA//. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. .