Pennsylvania (State)

Pennsylvania is one of the first thirteen states of the North American Union. Historically, it delineated the once distinct states: the free northeastern states that formed New England and the slaveholding South of the United States. Geographically, the state is the natural boundary between the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes region.

History

For centuries this region was inhabited by the Delaware (Lenni-Lenape), Susquehannock, Iroquois, Erie, and Shawnee Indian tribes. These lands were hidden from uninvited visitors from Europe for some time. Most likely, the first European, in whose sight the future Pennsylvania came, was the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485-1528): in 1524 he explored the eastern coast of North America. By the beginning of the 17th century, a dispute had already broken out between England, which thought it was part of its colony of Virginia, and Holland, whose subjects had established the first settlements here in the 1620s, which served as trading posts for the West India Company. By the 1630s, Sweden had joined the dispute: the head of the West India Company’s New Holland colony, Peter Minhoit (1589-1638), quarreled with its leaders in 1631 and organized the alternative colony of New Sweden, just in the area of the present-day states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The disputed territory first came under Dutch possession, and by 1664 was finally ceded to England, as were other Dutch possessions.

When the British religious philosopher William Penn (1644-1718) landed here, he had no idea how rich the land was. Penn inherited his claim to the territory: after the death of his father, an English admiral, he inherited, among other things, a debt of £16,000 from the state. To repay the royal debt to the admiral, on March 4, 1681, the English King Charles II (1630-1685) transferred part of the colonial lands in North America to his son. Later it turned out that one of the world’s largest coal basins, the Appalachian Basin, ran through the colony’s territory. And with Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) sediments the main industrial coal-bearing capacity is connected: more than 75 coal seams of working capacity are counted in the Pennsylvanian strata (360-1670 m). In the XX century. Pennsylvania will be in the group of leaders in the number of coal pits, which here were then more than 750. Its mines “Robena” (commissioned in the early 1940s, 2.1 million tons) and “Maple Creek” (commissioned in 1959, 2 million tons) would become one of the largest in the country. It didn’t take long for the new owner to decide to name the colony after his father: Penn Sylvania, which is Latin for “Penn’s Land and Forests” or, more accurately, “Penn’s Wooded Land.” The Appalachian Mountain system runs from northeast to southwest, descending to the coast in the form of several wooded plateaus (Piedmont, Alleeney) and plains. One of the mighty rivers of this coast of America, the Delaware, forms the eastern boundary of the province. The southern one was laid out from 1763 to 1767 by the English astronomers and surveyors Charles Mason (1728-1786) and Jeremiah Dixon (1733-1779): the Mason-Dixon line ended territorial conflicts between the colonists of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia. A supporter of Quakerism, Penn preached religious tolerance, equality (the state was the first to pass a law freeing slaves as early as 1790), and an aversion to violence. Being a businessman, he nevertheless tried to set a high tone for the worldview of his colony’s inhabitants by enshrining these attitudes in the provincial constitution, a humane penal code, and the structure of government.

In the 18th century, Pennsylvania became a refuge for Europeans who disagreed with the religious and political doctrines of their governments. Germans, Scots, and Irish joined the ranks of the colony’s inhabitants, and the Dutch had lived here since the days of New Holland. Pennsylvania became one of the few states where, in addition to the official English, recognized a second language, the so-called “Pennsylvania Dutch”. A humanist by conviction, Penn made the only one in history, in the words of Voltaire (1694-1778), “a treaty between Indians and Christians which has never been broken”-an alliance with the Leni-Lenape people. Pen’s successors violated his covenants during the Franco-Indian War (1754-1763). After the end of the war, Indian discontent culminated in the “Pontiac Rebellion,” named after the Ottawa chief who led it. When suppressing it, the Europeans did not disdain anything. In fact, it was the first time they used bacteriological weapons: Indians were alloyed with blankets infected with smallpox to cause an epidemic. Subsequently, Pennsylvania became the battleground of the Civil War (War of the North and South 1861-1865): here, at Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863), the battle took place, which is considered a turning point in the development of events. In addition, it was Pennsylvania that provided the army of the North with everything necessary: from food to warships built in local shipyards. The state performed the same role during World War II.

Penn is honored as one of the “founding fathers of the state”: he laid out Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love”. On July 4, 1776, the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed here. The residents were summoned to its announcement by ringing the Liberty Bell on the belfry of Independence Hall (now it is one of the main symbols of the USA). Here the delegates of the thirteen first independent states adopted the Constitution of the country, which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ratified on December 12, 1787, becoming the second state of the Union after Delaware. Before moving to Washington, D.C., it was the seat of the U.S. federal government.

The XIX century became the time of consolidation of political positions and the era of “Pennsylvania oil fever”, which began in 1859 with the drilling of the first well in the United States near the town of Titusville. By the end of the century, however, the attention of industrialists had shifted to coal and iron ore mining. The state’s steel industry became the basis for the emergence of powerful financial dynasties. At the same time, not surprisingly, the labor movement grew strong here. By the 1970s, the local energy industry had grown strong. But its success was overshadowed by an accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near the state capital of Harrisburg. The events of March 28, 1979, are still the worst in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry and were the worst in the world until the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters. In the 1980s, the industrial crisis caused by the decreasing demand for coal turned Pennsylvania from the leading state of the “Industrial Belt of the United States” into an economically depressed territory of the “Rust Belt” of the country. And the state authorities staked on the development of innovative high-tech manufacturing, tourism, and service industries. Although the plants of the state still produce the best in the U.S. special steels, engineering (the country’s largest locomotive plant General Electric, the city of Erie) and transportation (plant-producer of legendary motorcycles “Harley-Davidson”, the city of York) equipment.

The state’s National Recreation Area in the Delaware River Valley is considered one of the best places in the country for hunting, licensed in itself. In 2004, the state legalized gambling, which also attracts tourists from all over the country. Not to mention the wonderful museums and many music and art festivals.

General Information

• Official name: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
• Date of formation: December 12, 1787.
• Region: New England.
• Border territories: along Lake Erie – border with Ontario Province (Canada), U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio.
• Administrative-territorial division: 67 districts.
• Capital: Harrisburg, 49,528 people (2008) – according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Languages: English (de facto), “Pennsylvania Dutch”.
• Ethnicity: European (by ethnicity): Germans 28.5%, Irish 18.2%, Italians 12.8%, English 8.5%, Poles 7.2%; African Americans 11%; Hispanics 5.7%; Other (Asians, Indians, Eskimos, etc.) 8.1% (2010).
• Religions: about 95% are Christian (Catholics 53%, Protestants about 40%, Orthodox 2%), 4% Judaism, 1% Muslim (2010).
• Currency unit: American dollar.
• The largest rivers: Susquehanna, Delaware, Ohio (tributary of the Mississippi).
• The largest lake: Erie.
• Mountain range: Appalachian Mountains.
• The largest cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown.
• The most important airport: Philadelphia International Airport.
• Area: 119,283 km2.
• Population: 12,702,379 (2010).
• Population density: 106.5 people/km2.
• Highest point: Mount Davis (979 m).
• About 3000 lakes and 1200 rivers.
• The state has 121 natural parks.
• Up to 254 cm of snowfall per year in the Lake Erie area.
• Pennsylvania’s current GDP is comparable to that of Indonesia.

Economy

• GDP: $558.3 billion (August 2011).
• Industries: mining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, forestry, electrical and instrumentation, biotechnology.
• Agriculture: crop production (corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, grapes, fruits), maple syrup production, mushroom production (first place in the U.S.), floriculture, cattle breeding (breeding of horses and cattle, dairy production). Winemaking.
• Service sector: tourism, banking, information technologies, trade.

Climate and weather

• Continental. Humid.
• Average temperature in January: from -5ºС to 0ºС (in the central part), from -4ºС to +4ºС (in the south-east).
• Average July temperature: from +17ºС to +30ºС (in the central part), from +21ºС to +30ºС (in the south-east).
• Average annual precipitation: 1041 mm, in the west of the state, in the mountains near Lake Erie, up to 254 mm of snow falls annually. Tropical cyclones are frequent in summer and fall, bringing torrential rains. Tornadoes occur up to 10 times a year.

Attractions

• Historical monuments: Old Bedford Village (40 authentic buildings from the era of the region’s development), Pennsylvania Dutch District, Intercourse Township (preserved historical surroundings);
• Natural monuments: 80-kilometer Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania (depth up to 300 m), Fallingwater Falls;
• National Parks: military Gettysburg – the site of the most important battle of the period of the struggle for independence (1863), historical Eisenhower Park (house and farm of the president), historical Steamtown (contains a huge exposition of antique locomotives), historical Valley Forge – a shrine of the American Revolution, Point State Park-Fountain (symbolic source of the Ohio River).
• Philadelphia: Historical and architectural monuments: Pence Landing – the landing place of “Father of the City” William Penn and Penn Tower (top of the City Hall building), Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Pavilion, Customs House and Stock Exchange, First and Second U.S. Banks (XVIII-XIX centuries, now here is the National Portrait Gallery), American Mint. Pennsylvania Academy of Art (1805), University (1855), Benjamin Franklin Institute and National Memorial, National Constitution Center, Elfret Alley – the oldest residential street in all America with buildings in colonial style (1720-1728), Longwood Gardens (since 1700).
• Museums: Maritime Museum (cruiser “Olympia”, submarine “Beckun”, Lincoln “New Jersey”) Rodin Museum (the largest collection of the sculptor’s works outside France), Philadelphia Museum of Atwater-Kent History, University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, National Museum of American Jewish History. Philadelphia Museum of Art with “Rocky steps” and a bronze statue of the famous movie character, Edgar Poe House Museum, Mario Lanza Museum;
• Other attractions: Fairmont Park (37 km2, one of the largest municipal parks in the world), tallest skyscrapers: 2000s – Comcast Center, 297 m; 1980s – Wan Liberty Place, 288 m, and Tu Liberty Place, 258 m, and City Hall, Masonic Temple, City Hall, Love Park, Academy of Natural History, Italian Market. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The first zoo in the United States.

Fun Facts

• Pennsylvania did a lot of things first, on a larger scale, and better than anyone else. For example, Philadelphia is home to the U.S. Mint, which is the largest in the world. It is also home to the first zoo in the United States. And in the town of Hershey they created the world’s largest chocolate factory. There are even streets with sweet names: Chocolate Avenue, Cocoa Avenue.