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The Pennsylvania Colony was one of the original 13 colonies located on the Atlantic coast of North America. The original 13 colonies were divided into three geographic areas consisting of the New England, Middle and Southern colonies. The Pennsylvania Colony was classified as one of the Middle Colonies. The Province of Pennsylvania was an English colony in North America that existed from 1682 until 1776, when it joined the other 12 of the 13 colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

Founding of the Pennsylvania Colony
When was the colony of Pennsylvania founded? The Pennsylvania Colony was founded in 1682 by William Penn and other colonists.

William Penn (1644-1718) was famous as a Quaker and the leader of the Pennsylvania Colony. He was a land investor and a philosopher who promoted the ideals of religious tolerance. The city of Philadelphia was planned and developed under the direction of William Penn. This article contains a short biography and fast facts and information about the early American colonist, William Penn. Who was William Penn and why was he famous?

The Naming of the Pennsylvania Colony
King Charles II of England specified in the charter given to William Penn that the name should be Pennsylvania. This is a combination of the Latin word ' Sylvania ' meaning woodland together with Penn

Facts about the Pennsylvania Colony
Fact 1 | History | Year Founded: 1682 by William Penn and others, at Philadelphia

Fact 2 | Cities | Major Towns / Cities: Philadelphia, Lancaster, York |

Fact 3 | Geography | Geography: Mountains, coastal plain and plateau areas to Lake Erie lowlands. The general geography of the Middle Colonies had a mix of the New England and Southern features but had fertile soil and land that was suited to farming

Fact 4 | Climate | Climate: The Middle Colonies had a mild climate with warm summers and mild winters that were suited to farming and agriculture

Fact 5 | Religion | Religion: Not dominated by a specific religion which gave way to religious freedom for Quakers, Catholics, Lutherans, Jews and others. Refer to Religion in the Colonies

Quakers held their first religious meeting at Upland (now Chester) in 1675, and they came to Pennsylvania in great numbers after William Penn received his Charter. Most numerous in the southeastern counties, the Quakers gradually declined in number but retained considerable influence. The Pennsylvania Germans belonged largely to the Lutheran and Reformed churches, but there were also several smaller sects: Mennonites, Amish, German Baptist Brethren or "Dunkers," Schwenkfelders, and Moravians. Although the Lutheran Church was established by the Swedes on Tinicum Island in 1643, it only began its growth to become the largest of the Protestant denominations in Pennsylvania upon the arrival of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg in 1742. The Reformed Church owed its expansion to Michael Schlatter, who arrived in 1746. The Moravians did notable missionary work among the Native Americans. The Church of England held services in Philadelphia as early as 1695. The first Catholic congregation was organized in Philadelphia in 1720, and the first chapel was erected in 1733; Pennsylvania had the second largest Catholic population among the colonies. The Scotch brought Presbyterianism; its first congregation was organized in Philadelphia in 1698. Scotch-Irish immigrants swelled its numbers. Methodism began late in the colonial period. St. George's Church, built in Philadelphia in 1769, is the oldest Methodist building in America. There was also a significant Jewish population in colonial Pennsylvania. Its Mikveh Israel Congregation was established in Philadelphia in 1740.

Fact 6 | Raw Materials | Natural Resources: Good farmland, timber, furs and coal. Iron ore was a particularly important natural resource

Fact 7 | Economy | Economics and Trade: Exported agricultural products and natural resources but were also able to manufacture iron ore products such as plows, tools, kettles, locks, nails and large blocks of iron which they exported to England

Fact 8 | Government | Government: By 1775 Pennsylvania was governed as a Proprietary Colony.

Meaning and Definition of Proprietary Colonies: Proprietary colonies were territories granted by the English Crown to one or more proprietors who had full governing rights. A proprietor was a person granted governmental powers over a tract of land. Proprietary Colonies were run under a colonial charter agreement, which was reviewed by the ruling Monarch.

Proprietary colonies in North America were owned by an individual proprietor or by a group of proprietors under a charter from the English monarch. The men who received these grants were called Proprietary Governors or "Lords Proprietors". The vast powers of the Lords Proprietors governed the Proprietary Colonies as landlords or overseers. The following facts detail their powers and political privileges:

The land was titled in the name of the proprietor - not the king

The proprietors established land grants and purchases

The Lords proprietors recouped their investments in the colonies by collecting yearly land fees from the settlers who had purchased land within the colony. These farm-fees were called quitrents

Lords Proprietors could create courts and make laws and issue decrees. They could also hear appeals and pardon offenders

Lords Proprietors could establish churches

Lords Proprietors could establish towns and ports and ordered the construction of public buildings

Fact 9 | History
Original Name: The original name of the colony was the Province of Pennsylvania, later Pennsylvania

Reason for Founding: Religious freedom for Quakers; trade and profits

Fact 11 | Economy
Pennsylvania was often referred to as a breadbasket colony because it grew so many crops, especially wheat. The wheat was ground into flour in flour mills then shipped to England.

A typical farm was 50 to 150 acres consisting of a house, barn, yard and fields

Fact 13 | History | In 1682 William Penn (1644 - 1718) lands at New Castle, Delaware

Fact 14 | Trade / Exports | The Middle Colonies were the big food producing region that included corn and wheat and livestock including beef and pork. Other industries included the production of iron ore, lumber, textiles, furs and shipbuilding -  refer to Colonial Times.

Fact 15 | Industry | Flax and hemp farms were established in the Middle Colonies furthering the textiles industry

Fact 16 | Society and Culture, Arts and Learning

Philadelphia was known in colonial times as the "Athens of America" because of its rich cultural life. Because of the liberality of Penn's principles and the freedom of expression that prevailed, the province developed a conspicuous variety and strength in its intellectual and educational institutions and interests. An academy that held its first classes in 1740 became the College of Philadelphia in 1755, and ultimately grew into the University of Pennsylvania. It was the only nondenominational college of the colonial period. The arts and sciences flourished, and the public buildings of Philadelphia were the marvel of the colonies. Many fine old buildings in the Philadelphia area still bear witness to the richness of Pennsylvania's civilization in the eighteenth century. Such men of intellect as Benjamin Franklin, David Rittenhouse, John Bartram, and Benjamin West achieved international renown. Newspapers and magazines flourished, as did law and medicine. Pennsylvania can claim America's first hospital, first library, and first insurance company.

Modern-Day connections
The Colony became a state on December 12, 1787. For additional facts and info refer to the Change from Colonies to States

Current Population

Pennsylvania's population was determined in 2010 by the U.S. Census Bureau to be 12,702,379, a 3.4 percent increase since the 2000 Census which recorded a population of 12,281,071. Pennsylvania had long been the second most populous state, behind New York, but in 1950 it fell to third due to the growth of California. In 1980 Texas also exceeded our population, as did Florida in 1987 and Illinois in 1990. Our present national rank is sixth. In density of population, Pennsylvania ranks eleventh, and in terms of the federal government's definition of metropolitan statistical areas, Pennsylvania is tied with Texas and Illinois for having the fourteenth highest percent of state population residing in metropolitan areas. Women outnumbered men by 51.3 percent, or 330,261 in 2010. Pennsylvania's population has continued to age.

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Websites:
Pennsylvania Colony
https://www.landofthebrave.info/pennsylvania-colony.htm
Author: Linda Alchin

Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission: http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/pa-history/1681-1776.html