Province of Pennsylvania

Province of Pennsylvania
1681–1776
Map of the Province of Pennsylvania
Map of the Province of Pennsylvania
Land purchases from Native Americans in Pennsylvania
Land purchases from Native Americans in Pennsylvania
Status
CapitalPhiladelphia
Official languagesEnglish and Pennsylvania Dutch
GovernmentProprietary Colony
Proprietor 
• 1681–1718
William Penn (first)
• 1775-1776
John Penn (last)
Governor 
• 1681-1682
William Markham (first)
• 1773-1776
John Penn (last)
Legislature(1683-1776)
Provincial Assembly
(1776)
Provincial Conference
• Upper house
Provincial Council
• Lower house
General Assembly
History 
• Land grant by Charles II of England to William Penn
March 4, 1681
July 4, 1776
CurrencyPennsylvania pound
Preceded by
Succeeded by
New Netherland
Pennsylvania 
Delaware 
Today part ofUnited States

The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from "Penn's Woods", referring to William Penn's father Admiral Sir William Penn.

The Province of Pennsylvania was one of the two major Restoration colonies. The proprietary colony's charter remained in the Penn family until they were later ousted following the American Revolution and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was established as one of the original thirteen states. The lower counties on Delaware, a separate colony within the Pennsylvania Province, broke away during the American Revolution and was established as the Delaware State and also became one of the original thirteen states.

The colony attracted English Quakers, Germans, and Scot-Irish frontiersmen. The Lenape Indian tribe promoted peace with the Quakers. However, after William Penn and Tamanend, who both supported peaceful coexistence, died, wars eventually broke out. The Quakers demonized Lenape mythology even though the Quakers were strong proponents of religious freedom.[1]

Philadelphia, the capital of the Province of Pennsylvania, emerged as a major port and commercial city and central location for the thinking, writings, and planning that ultimately inspired the American Revolution. In the 18th century, Philadelphia emerged as the second-largest city in the British Empire, after London. Following the American Revolutionary War, Philadelphia served as the nation's capital until 1800, when a new capital city in Washington, D.C. was constructed.[2]

  1. ^ Hershey, L. B. (2009). Peace through conversation: William Penn, Israel Pemberton and the shaping of Quaker-Indian relations, 1681-1757 [University of Iowa]. https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.hk7i11nh
  2. ^ Joseph E. Illick, Colonial Pennsylvania: A History (1976).