Previous Next
Previous Next
Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
Pennsylvania's State Flag is composed of a blue field on which is embroidered the State Coat of Arms. The flag is flown from all state buildings, and further display on any public building within the Commonwealth is provided for by law. The first State Flag bearing the State Coat of Arms was authorized by the General Assembly in 1799. During the Civil War, many Pennsylvania regiments carried flags modeled after the U.S. Flag, but substituted Pennsylvania's Coat of Arms for the field of stars. An act of the General Assembly of June 13, 1907, standardized the flag and required that the blue field match the blue of Old Glory.
Nickname: The Keystone State.
Capital: Harrisburg.
Constitution: The 2nd State.
Statehood: December 12th 1787.
Motto: Virtue, Liberty, and Independence
History:
Indians probably lived in the Pennsylvania region hundreds or even thousands of years before white people arrived. Early white explorers found Algonquian and Iroquoian tribes there.
Swedes made the first permanent white settlements in the region. The Dutch captured the Swedish colony in 1655, and held it until 1664, when the English took control. In 1681, King Charles II of England granted the region to William Penn in payment of a debt to Penn's father. William Penn, a Quaker, wanted people of all faiths to have freedom of worship in Pennsylvania.
From the late 1600's to the middle 1700's, the English colonists fought several wars against the French colonists and France's Indian allies. In the French and Indian War, which began in western Pennsylvania in 1754, they fought for control of the Ohio River region and the interior of the continent. The war ended in 1763, with a British victory.
In the mid-1700's, Britain imposed new taxes and trade restrictions on its American colonies. Colonial leaders united to discuss how to resist these restrictions. The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on Sept. 5, 1774, and voted to stop all trade with Britain.
The American Revolution began in April 1775. That May, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and voted for independence from Britain. On July 4, 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
British troops captured Philadelphia in September 1777, and held the city until June 1778. The American general George Washington, and his troops spent the harsh winter and spring of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge. The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787. Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify (approve) the Constitution. Philadelphia served as the nation's capital from 1790 until 1800. After the American Revolution, Pennsylvania became a national centre of industrial growth.
Many Pennsylvanians were among the leaders of the U.S. abolitionist (antislavery) movement. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Pennsylvania gave strong support to the anti-slavery Union side. On July 1, 1863, Union forces under General George C. Meade met General Robert E. Lee's Confederate troops at Gettysburg, in southern Pennsylvania. Lee retreated to Virginia following the three-day battle. Casualties were heavy on both sides. On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address during ceremonies at the battlefield.
Pennsylvania prospered after the war. Existing industries expanded, and new industries developed. Thousands of immigrants moved to the state. But industrial growth also brought labour problems. Dissatisfied workers in many industries formed unions. Railway workers went on strike.
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, manufacturing and mining in Pennsylvania achieved even greater growth. During the Great Depression of the 1930's, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians lost their jobs. The state and federal governments passed laws and set up programmes to ease the hardship.
Pennsylvania's economy recovered during World War II. The state produced huge quantities of goods for the armed services.
During the mid-1900's, Pennsylvania began to modernize in many fields, including transportation and urban development. Economic problems also developed during the 1950's. The state faced declines in the steel, coal mining, rail, and textile industries.
In 1979, an accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg threatened the release of deadly levels of radiation into the area. Scientists and technicians prevented a major disaster.
The steel industry declined in the late 1970's and early 1980's. As a result, many cities shifted to service industries and to industries that use new technology.
Bird:
Ruffed Grouse.
Coat of Arms:
Pennsylvania's Coat of Arms, while not used in the same official capacity as the State Seal (although it contains the emblems of the seal), is perhaps a more familiar symbol of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It appears on countless documents, letterheads, and publications, and forms the design on Pennsylvania's State Flag. Provincial Pennsylvania's coat of arms was that of the Penn family. A state coat of arms first appeared on state paper money issued in 1777. This first coat of arms was nearly identical to the State Seal, without the inscription. In 1778, Caleb Lownes of Philadelphia prepared a coat of arms. Heraldic in design, it consisted of: a shield, which displayed the emblems of the State Seal --- the ship, plough, and sheaves of wheat; an eagle for the crest; two black horses as supporters; and the motto "Virtue, Liberty and Independence." An olive branch and a cornstalk were crossed below the shield. Behind each horse was a stalk of corn, but these were omitted after 1805. Numerous modifications were made to this coat of arms between 1778 and 1873, chiefly in the position and colour of the supporting horses. In 1874, the legislature noted these variations and the lack of uniformity and appointed a commission to establish an official coat of arms for the Commonwealth. In 1875, the commission reported that it had adopted, almost unchanged, the coat of arms originally designed by Caleb Lownes ninety-six years earlier. This is the coat of arms in use today.
Economy:
Agriculture: Dairy products, poultry, cattle, nursery stock, mushrooms, hogs, hay. Industry: Food processing, chemical products, machinery, electric equipment, tourism.
Flower:
The Mountain Laurel is the state flower, as enacted by the General Assembly on May 5, 1933. The mountain laurel is in full bloom in mid-June, when Pennsylvania's woodlands are filled with its distinctive pink flower.
Nickname:
The word "keystone" comes from architecture and refers to the central, wedge-shaped stone in an arch, which holds all the other stones in place. The application of the term "Keystone State" to Pennsylvania cannot be traced to any single source. It was commonly accepted soon after 1800.
At a Jefferson Republican victory rally in October 1802, Pennsylvania was toasted as "the keystone in the federal union," and in the newspaper Aurora the following year the state was referred to as "the keystone in the democratic arch." The modern persistence of this designation is justified in view of the key position of Pennsylvania in the economic, social, and political development of the United States.
Seal:
The State Seal is the symbol used by the Commonwealth to authenticate certain documents. It is impressed upon the document by an instrument known as a seal-press or stamp. The State Seal has two faces: the obverse, which is the more familiar face and the one most often referred to as the "State Seal," and the reverse, or counter-seal, which is used less frequently. The State Seal is in the custody of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. When Pennsylvania was still a province of England, its seals were those of William Penn and his descendants. The transition from this provincial seal to a state seal began when the State Constitutional Convention of 1776 directed that "all commissions shall be . . . sealed with the State Seal," and appointed a committee to prepare such a seal for future use. By 1778, there was in use a seal similar to the present one. The seal received legal recognition from the General Assembly in 1791, when it was designated the official State Seal.
The obverse of the seal contains a shield upon which are emblazoned a sailing ship, a plough, and three sheaves of wheat. To the left of the shield is a stalk of Indian corn; to the right, an olive branch. The shield's crest is an eagle, and the entire design is encircled by the inscription "Seal of the State of Pennsylvania." These three symbols, the plough, ship, and sheaves of wheat, have despite minor changes through the years remained the traditional emblems of Pennsylvania's State Seal.They were first found in the individual seals of several colonial Pennsylvania counties which mounted their own identifying crests above the existing Penn Coat of Arms. Chester County's crest was a plough; Philadelphia County's crest was a ship under full sail; Sussex County, Delaware (then a part of provincial Pennsylvania) used a sheaf of wheat as its crest. The shield of the City of Philadelphia contained both a sheaf of wheat and a ship under sail. It was a combination of these sources that provided the three emblems now forming the obverse of the State Seal. The reverse of this first seal shows a woman who represents liberty. Her left hand holds a wand topped by a liberty cap, a French symbol of liberty. In her right hand is a drawn sword. She is trampling upon Tyranny, represented by a lion. The entire design is encircled by the legend "Both Can't Survive."
Indians probably lived in the Pennsylvania region hundreds or even thousands of years before white people arrived. Early white explorers found Algonquian and Iroquoian tribes there.
Swedes made the first permanent white settlements in the region. The Dutch captured the Swedish colony in 1655, and held it until 1664, when the English took control. In 1681, King Charles II of England granted the region to William Penn in payment of a debt to Penn's father. William Penn, a Quaker, wanted people of all faiths to have freedom of worship in Pennsylvania.
From the late 1600's to the middle 1700's, the English colonists fought several wars against the French colonists and France's Indian allies. In the French and Indian War, which began in western Pennsylvania in 1754, they fought for control of the Ohio River region and the interior of the continent. The war ended in 1763, with a British victory.
In the mid-1700's, Britain imposed new taxes and trade restrictions on its American colonies. Colonial leaders united to discuss how to resist these restrictions. The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on Sept. 5, 1774, and voted to stop all trade with Britain.
The American Revolution began in April 1775. That May, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and voted for independence from Britain. On July 4, 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
British troops captured Philadelphia in September 1777, and held the city until June 1778. The American general George Washington, and his troops spent the harsh winter and spring of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge. The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787. Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify (approve) the Constitution. Philadelphia served as the nation's capital from 1790 until 1800. After the American Revolution, Pennsylvania became a national centre of industrial growth.
Many Pennsylvanians were among the leaders of the U.S. abolitionist (antislavery) movement. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Pennsylvania gave strong support to the anti-slavery Union side. On July 1, 1863, Union forces under General George C. Meade met General Robert E. Lee's Confederate troops at Gettysburg, in southern Pennsylvania. Lee retreated to Virginia following the three-day battle. Casualties were heavy on both sides. On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address during ceremonies at the battlefield.
Pennsylvania prospered after the war. Existing industries expanded, and new industries developed. Thousands of immigrants moved to the state. But industrial growth also brought labour problems. Dissatisfied workers in many industries formed unions. Railway workers went on strike.
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, manufacturing and mining in Pennsylvania achieved even greater growth. During the Great Depression of the 1930's, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians lost their jobs. The state and federal governments passed laws and set up programmes to ease the hardship.
Pennsylvania's economy recovered during World War II. The state produced huge quantities of goods for the armed services.
During the mid-1900's, Pennsylvania began to modernize in many fields, including transportation and urban development. Economic problems also developed during the 1950's. The state faced declines in the steel, coal mining, rail, and textile industries.
In 1979, an accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg threatened the release of deadly levels of radiation into the area. Scientists and technicians prevented a major disaster.
The steel industry declined in the late 1970's and early 1980's. As a result, many cities shifted to service industries and to industries that use new technology.
Bird:
Ruffed Grouse.
Coat of Arms:
Pennsylvania's Coat of Arms, while not used in the same official capacity as the State Seal (although it contains the emblems of the seal), is perhaps a more familiar symbol of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It appears on countless documents, letterheads, and publications, and forms the design on Pennsylvania's State Flag. Provincial Pennsylvania's coat of arms was that of the Penn family. A state coat of arms first appeared on state paper money issued in 1777. This first coat of arms was nearly identical to the State Seal, without the inscription. In 1778, Caleb Lownes of Philadelphia prepared a coat of arms. Heraldic in design, it consisted of: a shield, which displayed the emblems of the State Seal --- the ship, plough, and sheaves of wheat; an eagle for the crest; two black horses as supporters; and the motto "Virtue, Liberty and Independence." An olive branch and a cornstalk were crossed below the shield. Behind each horse was a stalk of corn, but these were omitted after 1805. Numerous modifications were made to this coat of arms between 1778 and 1873, chiefly in the position and colour of the supporting horses. In 1874, the legislature noted these variations and the lack of uniformity and appointed a commission to establish an official coat of arms for the Commonwealth. In 1875, the commission reported that it had adopted, almost unchanged, the coat of arms originally designed by Caleb Lownes ninety-six years earlier. This is the coat of arms in use today.
Economy:
Agriculture: Dairy products, poultry, cattle, nursery stock, mushrooms, hogs, hay. Industry: Food processing, chemical products, machinery, electric equipment, tourism.
Flower:
The Mountain Laurel is the state flower, as enacted by the General Assembly on May 5, 1933. The mountain laurel is in full bloom in mid-June, when Pennsylvania's woodlands are filled with its distinctive pink flower.
Nickname:
The word "keystone" comes from architecture and refers to the central, wedge-shaped stone in an arch, which holds all the other stones in place. The application of the term "Keystone State" to Pennsylvania cannot be traced to any single source. It was commonly accepted soon after 1800.
At a Jefferson Republican victory rally in October 1802, Pennsylvania was toasted as "the keystone in the federal union," and in the newspaper Aurora the following year the state was referred to as "the keystone in the democratic arch." The modern persistence of this designation is justified in view of the key position of Pennsylvania in the economic, social, and political development of the United States.
Seal:
The State Seal is the symbol used by the Commonwealth to authenticate certain documents. It is impressed upon the document by an instrument known as a seal-press or stamp. The State Seal has two faces: the obverse, which is the more familiar face and the one most often referred to as the "State Seal," and the reverse, or counter-seal, which is used less frequently. The State Seal is in the custody of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. When Pennsylvania was still a province of England, its seals were those of William Penn and his descendants. The transition from this provincial seal to a state seal began when the State Constitutional Convention of 1776 directed that "all commissions shall be . . . sealed with the State Seal," and appointed a committee to prepare such a seal for future use. By 1778, there was in use a seal similar to the present one. The seal received legal recognition from the General Assembly in 1791, when it was designated the official State Seal.
The obverse of the seal contains a shield upon which are emblazoned a sailing ship, a plough, and three sheaves of wheat. To the left of the shield is a stalk of Indian corn; to the right, an olive branch. The shield's crest is an eagle, and the entire design is encircled by the inscription "Seal of the State of Pennsylvania." These three symbols, the plough, ship, and sheaves of wheat, have despite minor changes through the years remained the traditional emblems of Pennsylvania's State Seal.They were first found in the individual seals of several colonial Pennsylvania counties which mounted their own identifying crests above the existing Penn Coat of Arms. Chester County's crest was a plough; Philadelphia County's crest was a ship under full sail; Sussex County, Delaware (then a part of provincial Pennsylvania) used a sheaf of wheat as its crest. The shield of the City of Philadelphia contained both a sheaf of wheat and a ship under sail. It was a combination of these sources that provided the three emblems now forming the obverse of the State Seal. The reverse of this first seal shows a woman who represents liberty. Her left hand holds a wand topped by a liberty cap, a French symbol of liberty. In her right hand is a drawn sword. She is trampling upon Tyranny, represented by a lion. The entire design is encircled by the legend "Both Can't Survive."