4 PENNSYLVANIA Independence Hall in Philadelphia was restored in 1898 and is now a museum Some of the original furniture is still inside INTRODUCTION Pennsylvania means Penn’s woodland England had laid claim to the land in 1664 and in 1681 the king of England gave it to William Penn the son of a British admiral as payment for a debt the king owed his father Penn founded a Quaker colony there in 1682 The state has a rich political history During the American Revolution Pennsylvania was the center of action The Declaration of Independence was approved there on July 4 1776 in the Pennsylvania State House Later a famous Civil War battle was fought in Pennsylvania The Battle of Gettysburg was an important victory for the North the Union As a result of heavy losses at Gettysburg the South the Confederacy would never again be able to launch a major attack against the North The historic Gettysburg battlefield stands as a reminder of the heavy loss of life suffered in the American Civil War The state motto is Virtue Liberty and Independence On Dec 12 1787 Pennsylvania became the second state to join the Union The state seal is a shield depicting a ship a plow and bundles of wheat Above it sits an eagle The state flag bears the official coat of arms on a background of dark blue
INTRODUCTION 5 Pennsylvania is in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States It is bordered by the states of New York on the north and New Jersey on the east Delaware and Maryland on the south West Virginia on the south and west and Ohio on the west Water boundaries are formed by the Delaware River on the eastern edge of the state and Lake Erie on the northwest Pennsylvania can be reached by automobile railroad and airplane Interstates 80 and 76 run the east west length of Pennsylvania and Interstates 81 and 75 run north south across the state Pennsylvania is nicknamed the Keystone State To be a keystone means to be at the center of something The nickname represents the state’s central role in the formation of the United States It also stands for Pennsylvania’s central location among the original 13 colonies that became the first states Pennsylvania Location Map Capital Harrisburg Interstate highways Mi 30 60 0 Scale 0 48 96 Km Population 12,281,054 Size 45,759 square miles Highest peak Mount Davis 3,213 feet The U S Brig Niagara is the official flagship of Pennsylvania Its home port is Erie Smaller cities in the state are Allentown Bethlehem Erie Lancaster Reading and Scranton Mason and Dixon’s Line which was considered the boundary between the North and the South is the border that Pennsylvania shares with Maryland It was established in 1769 The first covered bridge in the country is thought to be the one built over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia in 1805 Philadelphia is the state’s largest city In 2000 it had about 1 5 million residents
Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 states in the Union It was the center of government from 1776 to 1800 Laws passed in that time formed the basis of the United States government Modern-day Pennsylvania is a busy and diverse place Citizens of the state work in a variety of areas from farming to high technology manufacturing In addition to the many historical sites the state’s beautiful countryside and mountains make Pennsylvania a treat to visit Historical guides take visitors on tours of Pennsylvania’s heritage Tour guides wear period costumes to give visitors a sense of early American life In the fall Lake Naomi explodes with stunning autumn colors 6 PENNSYLVANIA The crest of the state seal is an eagle which is a symbol of strength and purity Milk is the official state beverage in honor of Pennsylvania’s many dairy farms
INTRODUCTION 7 Harrisburg has been the state capital since 1812 Past capital cities include Philadelphia and Lancaster Over time Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have become the two most populated urban centers in the state In 2003 Philadelphia’s population was the fifth highest in the country behind New York City Los Angeles Chicago and Houston Despite the size of its cities Pennsylvania has not lost its rural charm The state is still largely covered by farmland and forests Pennsylvania has one of the highest rural populations of the nation Beautiful well-kept farms can be found in the Pennsylvania Dutch farming region The city of Pittsburgh is known for being comfortable affordable and safe Rectangular in shape the state measures 45,759 square miles Although well populated Pennsylvania is quite small The state ranks 32nd in size among all the states Betsy Ross was a native Pennsylvanian She is credited with sewing the first United States flag in 1776 The original flag consisted of 13 stripes and 13 stars in honor of the 13 original colonies
