Pennsylvania is the 6th most populated state in the Union and the 33rd largest by area,
while also being the second state to join the United States on December 12th, 1787.
This was 5 days after Delaware, the first state, joined the Union.
Pennsylvania has a large population of 12.8 million, making it the second largest state
population wise in the Northeastern U.S. behind New York.
The state borders New York in the North, New Jersey in the East, Delaware in the Southeast,
Maryland in the South, West Virginia in the Southwest, Ohio in the West and Canada in
the Northwest.
It’s location places it in the Eastern timezone.
The highest point in the state is Mount Davis at 3,213 feet, and the lowest point is the
Delaware River at sea level.
Over 50% of the land is covered by forest, with the only lowlands being in the Southeast.
The largest city in the state is Philadelphia, with a population of 1.56 million in the city
itself, making it the 5th largest city in the nation.
The metropolitan area has a population of 6 million, spanning 4 states including Maryland,
Delaware, and New Jersey.
The second largest city in the state is Pittsburgh with a population of 305,000 in the city and
2.4 million in the metropolitan area.
The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg, located 107 miles from Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania is split into 67 counties, the largest population wise being Philadelphia
County with a population of 1.56 million.
The second largest county population wise, Allegheny county, has a population of 1.23
million and surrounds the majority of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Pennsylvania’s flag has a background of the same blue used on the American flag with
the state coat of arms in the center.
The seal is surrounded by two black horses on either side, symbolizing Pennsylvania’s
agriculture and rich natural resources.
The seal is topped by a bald eagle, representing the United States and Pennsylvania’s loyalty
to the Union.
Inside the shield is a ship, representing the state’s commercial importance.
The plow in the next stripe symbolizes Pennsylvania’s agricultural importance.
The three sheaves of wheat represent the state’s fertile fields.
The olive branch under the shield symbolizes peace, and the cornstalk represents prosperity.
The state motto, “virtue, liberty and independence”, appears on the bottom of the coat of arms.
Pennsylvania, one of the original 13 states, was disputed in the early 1600s between the
Dutch, Swedes, and the English.
The English acquired the region in 1664 with the capture of New York.
In 1681, Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn as a sanctuary for his fellow Quakers.
The name Pennsylvania means “Penn’s woods”.
King Charles II of England granted William Penn rights to the land in 1681, establishing
the colony of Pennsylvania.
The capital at the time was Philadelphia, which was the site of the first Continental
Congress meetings.
The Congress in 1775 was the meeting that created the Declaration of Independence.
In 1787, the Constitution was drawn up at one of these meetings.
After the Revolutionary War, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the Constitution
after Delaware.
During the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg took place in Pennsylvania, the bloodiest
battle in the Civil War and the turning point of the Civil War for the Union.
In this battle, Confederate General Robert E. Lee was defeated by Union General George
Meade.
The Confederate Army lost 37 percent of its soldiers in the Army of Northern Virginia,
the largest Confederate army.
The Battle of Gettysburg brought an end to the Confederacy’s Northern Invasion as well
as Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg address.
Following the Civil War, Pennsylvania became home to some of the largest steel companies
in the world.
The state continued as a home of industry for years following.
So that’s a brief tour of Pennsylvania.
The state has an incredibly deep history and played a key role in both the Civil War and
the Revolutionary War, as well as industry in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds.
Pennsylvania truly does live up it’s nickname, the Keystone State.
And as always, thanks for watching.