From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Overview of and topical guide to Pennsylvania
The location of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the
United States
The following
outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the
United States
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania :
The
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the
fifth most populous of the
50 states of the
United States . Pennsylvania lies west of the
Delaware River in the
Mid-Atlantic United States .
King
Charles II of England granted
William Penn a charter for a
Colony of Pennsylvania in 1681.
Philadelphia , the capital of the colony, soon rose to become the most populous city of
British America . As
Britain attempted to tighten its grip on its American colonies, many prominent
Pennsylvanians called for greater independence for British America. The upper and lower counties of Pennsylvania (now known as
Delaware ) joined eleven other British colonies in declaring their autonomy with signing of the
United States Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
The newly independent state chose the moniker "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" as a token of its prominence and autonomy in
the Americas . The American states prevailed in the
American War of Independence which concluded with the
Treaty of Paris of 1783 . The
Constitution of the United States was written in convention at Philadelphia in 1787. The
State of Delaware and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania became the first two states to ratify the new Constitution, thus Pennsylvania is ranked as the second state to join the
Union .
General reference
An enlargeable map of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
Geography of Pennsylvania
Geography of Pennsylvania
Places in Pennsylvania
Places in Pennsylvania
Environment of Pennsylvania
Natural geographic features of Pennsylvania
Regions of Pennsylvania
Administrative divisions of Pennsylvania
An enlargeable map of the
67 counties of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania .
Demography of Pennsylvania
Government and politics of Pennsylvania
Politics of Pennsylvania
Branches of the government of Pennsylvania
Government of Pennsylvania
Executive branch of the government of Pennsylvania
Legislative branch of the government of Pennsylvania
Judicial branch of the government of Pennsylvania
Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania
Law and order in Pennsylvania
Law of Pennsylvania
Military in Pennsylvania
Local government in Pennsylvania
Local government in Pennsylvania
History of Pennsylvania
History of Pennsylvania
History of Pennsylvania, by period
Indigenous peoples
Indentured servitude in Pennsylvania
Netherlands colony of
Nieuw-Nederland , 1624–1652
Swedish colony of
Nya Sverige , 1638–1655
Netherlands province of
Nieuw-Nederland , 1652–1664
English
Province of New-York , (1664–1681)–1688
English
Province of Pennsylvania , 1681–1707
British
Colony of Pennsylvania , 1707–1776
French colony of
la Louisiane , 1699–(1754–1763)
French and Indian War , 1754–1763
British
Indian Reserve in western Pennsylvania, 1763–1783
American Revolutionary War , April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1776
Whiskey Rebellion , 1790s
Second State to ratify the
Constitution of the United States of America on December 11, 1787
Erie Triangle purchased 1792
War of 1812 , June 18, 1812 – March 23, 1815
Mexican–American War , April 25, 1846 – February 2, 1848
James Buchanan becomes 15th
President of the United States on March 4, 1857
American Civil War , April 12, 1861 – May 13, 1865
History of Pennsylvania, by region
By county
By municipality
History of Pennsylvania, by subject
Culture of Pennsylvania
Culture of Pennsylvania
The Arts in Pennsylvania
Sports in Pennsylvania
Economy and infrastructure of Pennsylvania
Economy of Pennsylvania
Education in Pennsylvania
Education in Pennsylvania
See also
References
External links