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CultureGrams
States Edition
2014
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State
Established 1787
2nd State
Pennsylvania was the first U.S. state to put its URL (web address) on its license plates.
Hershey is known by many people as the Chocolate Capital of the World.
Pennsylvania claims to be the home of the first cheesesteak factory and the first Slinky toy.
Kennett Square has a mushroom museum and is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World.
More than one million people every year visit the Liberty Bell, with its famous 2-foot-long crack, in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is home to the nation’s first public library—the Free Library of Philadelphia—founded by Benjamin
Franklin in 1731.
Philadelphia was the U.S. capital from 1790 until 1800, when the newly built city of Washington, D.C., became the
capital.
Each Groundhog Day you can watch to see if Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, will see his shadow,
which some believe indicates that cold winter weather will continue for six more weeks.
The oldest roller coaster in the world is in Pennsylvania’s Lakemont Park. It was built in 1902 and goes about 10
mph (16 km/h).
In 2005, 18-year-old Christopher Seeley was elected the youngest mayor in Pennsylvania history!
The city of Reading is known as the Pretzel City.
Climate
Pennsylvania has what’s called a continental climate. Winds from the west make it very
hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. Summer temperatures above 90°F
(32°C) and winter temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) are ordinary. But the weather
varies depending on where you are. Northern July temperatures average about 70°F
(21°C), while down in Philadelphia the average is 77°F (25°C). In January,
Philadelphia is about 34°F (1°C), while the north is a cold 26°F (-3°C). Pennsylvania
gets quite a bit of rain, with precipitation averaging around 42 inches (107 cm) a year.
As a result, flooding rivers can sometimes be a problem. The north gets the most snow,
about 7 feet (2 m) every year.
Average Seasonal High and Low Temperatures
Spring: 60/40°F
Summer: 82/62°F
Fall: 63/45°F
Winter: 39/24°F
Geography
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The lowest part of Colorado is still taller than the highest part of Pennsylvania.
However, hills or mountains cover all but two very small parts of the state. One is the
Piedmont Plateau, a flat area at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Philadelphia is at its
lowest end. The Appalachian Mountains run in a line going southwest to northeast. The
Allegheny Mountains are on their west, and the Blue Mountains are on the south and
east. Go northeast and you’ll hit the Pocono Mountains. The land by Lake Erie is a
flatter area called the Allegheny Plateau. About 60 percent of the plateaus, mountains,
and hills are covered with forests, and the state has more than 1,000 square miles
(1,609 sq km) of natural and man-made lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
Resources and Economy
The Pittsburgh Steelers football team is named after the city’s famous steel and iron
industries. Natural resources such as coal, natural gas, oil, and limestone are also
found in Pennsylvania. The lumber industry has grown because of reforestation (when
trees are planted to make up for those that were cut down). Philadelphia is the state’s
manufacturing center, and industries produce items ranging from communications
equipment to ice cream. Apples, grapes, and cherries are grown near Lake Erie, and
peaches are grown in the southeast. Pennsylvania is one of the leading producers of
mushrooms and milk products. All these products are traded easily because of the
excellent waterways.
Time Line
Thousands of years ago, Native Americans live in what is now
Pennsylvania
AD 1600
AD 1609
Henry Hudson explores the Delaware Bay for the Dutch
1664
England takes over the Dutch colony
1681
The English king gives Pennsylvania to William Penn
1700
1737
The Iroquois force the Native Americans to give the colonists their land
in the Walking Purchase
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1774
The First Continental Congress opens in Philadelphia
1775
The Second Continental Congress opens in Philadelphia; delegates
elect George Washington as the Continental Army’s commander in
chief
1776
The Declaration of Independence is signed in Philadelphia; all men are
given the right to vote, regardless of race
1777
The British occupy Philadelphia; Washington and his troops camp for
the winter at Valley Forge
1780
Pennsylvania gradually frees all slaves born in the state; slaves
continue to appear on the Pennsylvania census until 1850
1787
The U.S. Constitution is written in Philadelphia; Pennsylvania becomes
the second state on 12 December
1800
1857
James Buchanan, from Pennsylvania, becomes the 15th U.S.
president
1863
Almost 50,000 soldiers die in the Battle of Gettysburg; President
Lincoln gives the Gettysburg Address
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1873
Andrew Carnegie starts America’s first major steel plant near
Pittsburgh
1889
The Johnstown Flood kills more than 2,200 people
1900
1972
Hurricane Agnes kills 55 people and causes three billion dollars in
property damage
1979
The Three Mile Island nuclear disaster leads to stricter standards for
nuclear power plants
1988
An oil storage tank collapses and spills about one million gallons of oil
into the Monongahela and Ohio rivers
2000
2001
Tom Ridge resigns as governor after President George W. Bush asks
him to lead the Office of Homeland Security
2006
Major flooding forces the evacuation of more than 200,000 homes in
northeastern Pennsylvania
2010
Casino gambling is legalized
2011
A child abuse scandal at Penn State involving an assistant football
coach results in the firings of several staff, including legendary coach
Joe Paterno, as well as severe penalties for the university's sports
program
PRESENT
The Lenape
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The Lenape were the original inhabitants of Pennsylvania. Their name means the
“original people.” They lived in river valleys in the east. Their neighbors were the
Susquehannock, who lived by the Susquehanna River, and the Shawnee, in western
Pennsylvania. However, by the early 1700s the Iroquois Confederacy in New York had
power over all other tribes, including those in Pennsylvania. After the Walking Purchase
(when the Iroquois forced the Pennsylvanian tribes to sell their lands to the settlers) and
the French and Indian War, few Native Americans were left in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Germans
The Quakers were some of the earliest European settlers. They were led by William
Penn, who promised religious freedom in his colony. Other groups followed, including
the Pennsylvania Germans, who were commonly known as the Pennsylvania Dutch,
but who really are not Dutch at all. A long time ago, someone confused Deutsch (the
German language) with Dutch. The Pennsylvania Germans came from Germany in the
early 1700s and settled in the southwest. Some of them belonged to the Mennonite and
Amish religions. The Amish do not use modern technology such as cars or machines.
Instead, they live in a simple manner. They make their own clothing and use horses
and wagons for transportation.
The Fight for Freedom
Philadelphia was the center of revolutionary activity. In 1774, Philadelphia was the
largest city in the colonies. Delegates from 12 of the colonies gathered there to talk
about the unjust British laws. This First Continental Congress decided to draft a petition
to the English king, protesting their treatment. They also organized Committees of
Safety, which made sure that colonists stopped buying British products. This was the
first time the colonies made an organized policy against the British. Two years later, the
Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in
Pennsylvania’s State House (now Independence Hall). Washington’s troops stayed a
winter in Valley Forge trying to regain strength. They left with renewed determination to
fight for their freedom.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
Close to 50,000 people died in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. It was the turning point
in the Civil War for the Union army. Four months later, President Lincoln gave the
famous Gettysburg Address:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new
nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are
created equal . . . and . . . that from these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that
we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this
nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the
people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
The war ended on 9 April 1865 when General Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
Three Mile Island Disaster
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The country’s worst nuclear disaster happened at Three Mile Island, near Harrisburg.
Three Mile Island is located in the middle of the Susquehanna River and is not far from
Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland. Early in the morning on 28
March 1979, a valve that was supposed to keep the nuclear core (where steam is
created to generate power) from melting didn’t close. The core quickly heated up, and
radiation began to leak from the plant. During the week that scientists struggled to
contain the problem, more than 140,000 residents fled their homes. The problem was
resolved, but questions over the safety of nuclear reactors remained.
Population
The Pennsylvania Germans and Quakers were not the only religious groups to settle in the state. The French
Huguenots came for religious freedom, as did the Scots-Irish Presbyterians. Others came because of the work in
mines, factories, and on oil wells. Most came from Europe, but during the 1900s many African Americans moved to the
industrial north from the south. Today, Pennsylvanians are the least likely people in the country to move. More than 75
percent of the population lives in urban (city) areas. Almost two-thirds live in either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.
Government
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Capital: Harrisburg
State Abbreviation: PA
Governor: Tom Corbett (Republican)
U.S. Senators: 2
Bob Casey (Democrat)
Pat Toomey (Republican)
U.S. Representatives: 18
Republicans: 13
Democrats: 5
State Senators: 50
State Representatives: 203
Counties: 67
Philadelphia is a city and a county all in one.
There are four area divisions: counties, townships, cities, and boroughs. Boroughs
are smaller than cities but can choose to be a city after the population reaches
10,000.
Famous People
Bill Cosby
Tina Fey
Louisa May Alcott — Author of Little Women
Lloyd Alexander — Author of The Chronicles of Prydain
James Buchanan — 15th U.S. president
Rachel Carson — Author, scientist, and conservationist
Mary Cassatt — Painter
Bill Cosby — Comedian
Tina Fey — Comedian, writer, and actress
Benjamin Franklin — Statesman and inventor
Milton S. Hershey — Chocolate manufacturer
Gene Kelly — Dancer and actor
Grace Kelly — Academy Award–winning actress
Tamora Pierce — Author
Jonas Salk — Scientist who found the cure for polio
Suzie McConnell Serio — WNBA player
Jimmy Stewart — Academy Award–winning actor
Jim Thorpe — Track, football, and baseball star
Andy Warhol — Pop artist
August Wilson — Playwright
Grace Kelly
Andy Warhol
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Native America
The Lenni-Lenape and Susquehannock tribes lived in what is now Pennsylvania years
before European settlers arrived. The Lenni-Lenape lived in the east along the rivers,
and the Susquehannock lived along the Susquehanna River. The Lenni-Lenape
belonged to the Algonquin family and were very experienced farmers. They combined
their harvest with game hunting to provide enough food for their villages. The
Susquehannock were related to the Iroquois but did not want to be a part of the
powerful Iroquois Confederacy that ruled the area north of them. As a result, they often
fought with the other Iroquois tribes. When European explorers arrived, they formed
alliances with the Iroquois Confederacy. Eventually, so many Susquehannock were
killed by foreign diseases and warfare that they were forced to join other tribes to the
north or south in order to survive. The Lenni-Lenape were also forced off their land,
moving westward to Oklahoma. Today there are no federally recognized tribes left in
Pennsylvania.
Inventors
Have you heard the expression, “Spring forward, fall back”? Every state but Arizona
and Hawaii participates in daylight saving time, an invention of Pennsylvanian Benjamin
Franklin. This famous statesman also invented bifocals and the odometer (which tells
you how far you’ve driven). J. D. Daugherty invented the typewriter, and the Big Mac
was first made at a McDonald’s in Uniontown. The first modern computer was
developed at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946. Pittsburgh is the heart of nuclear
research and also organ transplant research.
Pennsylvania Dutch
The Pennsylvania Dutch are known for their food, which combines the culture of their
German homeland and that of the Pennsylvania countryside where they settled. Many
of their traditional foods have spread across the state and even the country. Coleslaw,
apple dumplings, and potato soup are all common Pennsylvania Dutch dishes. One of
the more unique dishes is called Amish Friendship Bread. A person receives a portion
of uncooked bread dough, along with a recipe from a friend. To the dough, the person
adds sugar, water, and flour. The new dough is then baked into a loaf of bread, but a
small portion of uncooked dough is set aside. The leftover dough is passed on to
someone else. Other popular desserts are funnel cakes and whoopie pies. Funnel
cakes are made by pouring batter through a funnel, deep frying it in hot oil, and then
topping it with powdered sugar or jam. Whoopie pies are made of two small round
chocolate cakes filled with white cream frosting.
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State Symbols
State Bird
Ruffed grouse—These reddish-brown birds are also called partridges or pheasants.
State Tree
Eastern hemlock—The state was originally covered with hemlock, which is used to
make homes and furniture and for firewood.
State Flower
Mountain laurel—These beautiful pinkish flowers fill the woods, but the leaves are
poisonous to some animals.
State Animal
White-tailed deer—Native Americans and the early settlers relied on deer for food and
clothing.
Other Symbols
Beverage: Milk
Dog: Great Dane
Fossil: Trilobite
Insect: Firefly
Song: “Pennsylvania”
State Motto
Virtue, Liberty, and Independence—The Pennsylvania state motto is shown on the commemorative state quarters.
Pro Sports Teams
• Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
• Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
• Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
• Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)
• Philadelphia Union (MLS)
• Philadelphia Soul (AFL)
• Pittsburgh Power (AFL)
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For More Information
See www.pa.gov or contact the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Department of Community and Economic Development,
Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120; phone (800) VISIT-PA; web site
www.visitpa.com.
© 2014 ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University. It is against the law to
copy, reprint, store, or transmit any part of this publication in any form by any
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