Discover Pennsylvania – The second state of the original thirteen states of the USA

The state of Pennsylvania was the second state to be ratified in the Constitution on December 12, 1787. 

The first 13 states of the United States of America were comprised of the original British colonies established between 17th and 18th centuries.

Today, the American flag prominently displays 13 horizontal red and white stripes representing the original thirteen colonies.

Fast Facts

• Nickname: The Keystone State
• Statehood: 1787; 2nd state
• Capital: Harrisburg
• Biggest City: Philadelphia
• Abbreviation: PA
• State bird: ruffed grouse
• State flower: mountain laurel

History

• Archaeologists don’t agree on when the first humans came to the area, we now call Pennsylvania, but they’ve found artifacts that are at least 19,400 years old. Native American tribes including the Lenape, Susquehannocks, Erie, Seneca, and Oneida, lived on the land that’s now Pennsylvania thousands of years later.
• In 1681 Englishman William Penn, a member of a Christian group called the Quakers, founded the British colony of Pennsylvania. Because Penn’s colony offered settlers religious freedom, it attracted people of other denominations. A wave of German immigrants including Quakers, Mennonites, and Amish moved to the area. These settlers eventually developed their own dialect, and their descendants are now called the Pennsylvania Dutch.
• The French and English fought for control of the land during the French and Indian War, which lasted from 1754 to 1763. The English won but ended up in debt from fighting. To make back the money, they taxed the colonists — something many people didn’t think was fair. Anger over this action helped lead to the Revolutionary War, which started in 1775.
• In 1775 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, held the second Continental Congress. This was when representatives from each of the colonies met for the second time after deciding to go to war with Britain. And it was during this time that Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. That same year George Washington led the colonial forces known as the Continental Army across the Delaware River—and to an important victory—in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. In 1787, after the war ended, Pennsylvania became the second U.S. state.
• Pennsylvania supported the Union during the Civil War. One of the most important battles took place at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1863. The Union won the battle, marking a turning point toward eventual victory in the war.

Why is it called Pennsylvania?

• Pennsylvania is a combination of Latin words that together mean “Penn’s woods.” The name was created by William Penn to honor his father.
• Some think Pennsylvania’s nickname comes from its central location among the 13 colonies.

Geography

• Pennsylvania is bordered by New York and Lake Erie in the north; New York and New Jersey in the east; Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia in the south; and West Virginia and Ohio in the west. The land can be divided into six regions.