1681-1776: The Quaker Province | PHMC > Pennsylvania History
Pennsylvania's political history ran a rocky course during the provincial era. There was a natural conflict between the proprietary and popular elements in the government which began under Penn and grew stronger under his successors.
Pennsylvania Charter | PHMC > Our Documentary Heritage
The controversy ultimately produced the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the War for American Independence, and the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which nullified the Charter and produced the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a state …
Pre-1681: The Eve of Colonization | PHMC > Pennsylvania History
Pre-1681: Pennsylvania on the Eve of Colonization Prehistoric Origins of the Environment. Approximately 12,600 years ago ice glaciers had receded from the area that became Pennsylvania, and about 10,000 years ago (8000 B.C.) a period of warming began in which the rivers and coastlines of Pennsylvania started to take their modern form.
On March 4, 1681, William Penn (1644-1718) received his Charter from Great Britain’s King Charles II for the land that ultimately became Pennsylvania. Because it marks the formal beginnings of the Commonwealth, the Charter is sometimes …
1681 - 1776 | PHMC > Our Documentary Heritage
Documents from 1681 - 1776, Colonial Days. Pennsylvania Charter. The Great Law. Chambers' Map. Oaths of Fidelity. Lancaster Petition. The Walking Purchase
The "Great Law" - December 7, 1682 - Pennsylvania Historical and …
What is known as the "Great Law" is a series of statutes enacted by Pennsylvania's first legislature that met in Upland, now Chester, on December 4-7, 1682. William Penn supervised their preparation before he arrived in America on October 30, 1682.
1776-1861: Independence to the Civil War - Pennsylvania History
Pennsylvania's part in the American Revolution was complicated by political changes within the state, constituting an internal Pennsylvania revolution of which not all patriots approved. The temper of the people outran the conservatism of the Provincial Assembly.
Home | PHMC > Pennsylvania History
This overview of Pennsylvania history is from The Pennsylvania Manual, a comprehensive guide to Pennsylvania's government. For more than 200 years, the Commonwealth has provided this information for the benefit of Pennsylvanians.
The Walking Purchase | PHMC > Our Documentary Heritage
Although King Charles II had granted to Penn in 1681 the land that he called "Pennsylvania," a vast expanse including an enormous unexplored wilderness, Penn himself took the further step of purchasing each portion within the grant from the Native American residents before selling subdivisions within it to his colonists.
History | PHMC > Pennsylvania Agricultural History Project
This section provides an overview of agriculture for all of the farming regions outside southeastern Pennsylvania in this period. Topics such as products, labor and land tenure, and buildings and landscapes introduce the reader to various aspects of farming.