The obverse of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of 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
- Names
- Common name: Pennsylvania
- Pronunciation: /ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪniə, -sɪlˈ-/ ⓘ
- Official name: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (also known as the state of Pennsylvania)
- Abbreviations and name codes
- Nicknames
- Liberty Bell State
- Independence State
- Keystone State[1]
- Quaker State
- Common name: Pennsylvania
- Adjectival: Pennsylvania
- Demonym: Pennsylvanian
Geography of Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania is: a U.S. state, a federal state of the United States of America
- Location
- Northern hemisphere
- Western hemisphere
- Americas
- North America
- Anglo America
- Northern America
- United States of America
- Contiguous United States
- Eastern United States
- East Coast of the United States – though Pennsylvania does not include any actual coastline, it is generally considered to be part of the Eastern Seaboard region.
- Mid-Atlantic states
- Great Lakes Region
- Eastern United States
- Contiguous United States
- United States of America
- North America
- Americas
- Population of Pennsylvania: 12,702,379 (2010 U.S. Census[2])
- Area of Pennsylvania:
- Atlas of Pennsylvania
Places in Pennsylvania
- Historic places in Pennsylvania
- National Natural Landmarks in Pennsylvania
- State parks in Pennsylvania
Environment of Pennsylvania
- Climate of Pennsylvania
- Geology of Pennsylvania
- Protected areas in Pennsylvania
- Superfund sites in Pennsylvania
- Wildlife of Pennsylvania
- Fauna 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
- Form of government: U. S. state government
- United States congressional delegations from Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania State Capitol
- Elections in Pennsylvania
- Political party strength in Pennsylvania
Branches of the government of Pennsylvania
Executive branch of the government of Pennsylvania
Legislative branch of the government of Pennsylvania
Judicial branch of the government of Pennsylvania
Law and order in Pennsylvania
- Cannabis in Pennsylvania
- Capital punishment in Pennsylvania
- Constitution of Pennsylvania
- Crime in Pennsylvania
- Gun laws in Pennsylvania
- Law enforcement in Pennsylvania
- Same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania
Military in Pennsylvania
Local government in Pennsylvania
History of Pennsylvania
History of Pennsylvania, by period
- Indigenous peoples
- Indentured servitude in Pennsylvania
- Netherlands colony of Nieuw-Nederland, 1624–1652
- History of slavery in Pennsylvania, 1639–1847
- 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
- United States Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
- Philadelphia campaign, 1777–1778
- Battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777
- Siege of Fort Mifflin, September 26 to November 16, 1777
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1776
- Whiskey Rebellion, 1790s
- Eighth state to ratify the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, signed July 9, 1778
- 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
- Treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814
- 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
- Pennsylvania in the American Civil War, 1861–1865
- 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
- Gettysburg Campaign, June 9 – July 14, 1863
- Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863
- Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863
- Pennsylvania in the American Civil War, 1861–1865
- Whiskey Rebellion, 1790s
History of Pennsylvania, by region
By county
By municipality
History of Pennsylvania, by subject
- History of the Pennsylvania State University
- History of rail transport in Philadelphia
- History of slavery in Pennsylvania
- History of veterinary medicine in Pennsylvania
- Jewish history in Pennsylvania
Culture of Pennsylvania
- Cuisine of Pennsylvania
- Museums in Pennsylvania
- Religion in Pennsylvania
- Scouting in Pennsylvania
- State symbols of Pennsylvania
The Arts in Pennsylvania
Sports in Pennsylvania
Economy and infrastructure of Pennsylvania
- Communications in Pennsylvania
- Allentown economy
- Energy in Pennsylvania
- Health care in Pennsylvania
- Transportation in Pennsylvania
- Airports in Pennsylvania
- Roads in Pennsylvania
Education in Pennsylvania
- Schools in Pennsylvania
- School districts in Pennsylvania
- Colleges and universities in Pennsylvania
- Cedar Crest College (1867)
- DeSales University (1964)
- Lafayette College (1826)
- Lehigh University (1865)
- Moravian College (1742)
- Muhlenberg College (1848)
- University of Pennsylvania (1740)
- University of Pittsburgh (1787)
- Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) (1854)
- Pennsylvania State University (1855)
- Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (1857)
- Temple University (1884)
See also
- Topic overview:
- All pages with titles beginning with Pennsylvania
- All pages with titles containing Pennsylvania
References
- ↑ Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
- ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau State & County QuickFacts Pennsylvania". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
External links
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