Things to do / Travel Guide
Before the arrival of European explorers, eastern Pennsylvania was home to many Native American tribes, such as the Iroquois and Algonquian tribes who lived and migrated along the region's natural trails. Many rivers, lakes, and valleys still bear tribal names such as the Delaware, Shawnee, and Susquehanna.
Eastern Pennsylvania, during the European colonial area, was, at various times, claimed by Sweden, Holland, and Great Britain. The British forcibly asserted their authority in 1604 when James, Duke of York, the brother of King Charles II of England, gained proprietary authority over the so-called Virginia Territories, which included all of what is now eastern Pennsylvania. The area was first viewed, however, by the Swedes, Finns, and the Dutch, all of whom set up trading posts along the western banks of the Delaware River during the 1630s.
In the early 1650s, Welsh Quakers settled on land north and west of what is now Philadelphia. Pennsylvania's reputation for religious tolerance attracted significant populations of Italians, Swedes, Finns, Germans, Dutch, Scots, and Irish settlers during the mid- to late-1600s, who also helped to shape the colony's character.
In 1682, Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn, a wealthy nobleman, for the area including most of what is now the state of Pennsylvania. Penn founded a colony on this land as a refuge for religious freedom for Quakers, a religious sect whose faith he himself had adopted. Penn named the colony in honor of his father, Penn's Sylvania (Latin for forest).
Immigrants from Europe continued to pour into Pennsylvania, and, in 1776, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was formed, just in time to become one of the original 13 Colonies and an active participant in the American Revolution that same year. After the U.S. declared its independence, Philadelphia served as the nation's capital for most of the time until 1800. Other nearby cities in the region that formerly served as the site of the young nation's capital are Princeton and Trenton, New Jersey.
The products of Pennsylvania's farms, factories, and mines were essential in the victories of the Revolutionary War as well as the Civil War thanks in no small part to eastern Pennsylvania's rich natural resources and heavy industrial power. These components allowed the region to then be known as the “arsenal of America,” supplying the armed forces with everything from food and raw materials to men-at-arms.
As, during the Civil War, a large number of Quakers were adamantly opposed to slavery, the people of Pennsylvania rallied to the Union cause. Notably, the state ranked first in the number of black soldiers who fought for the North.
After the Civil War, the region prospered in tandem with the nation's expansion of the railroad network. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, eastern Pennsylvania received large numbers of European immigrants seeking work in the region's growing iron, steel, and coal industries. Although these industries declined in the late 20th century, eastern Pennsylvania is still considered one of the heaviest industrial areas in the United States.
Today, eastern Pennsylvania's main economic engines are heavy industry, agriculture, and a healthy tourist industry. The region's natural beauty, well-maintained network of national and state parks, and beautiful lakes and streams lure many visitors from the urban areas of the East Coast as well as from further points domestic and abroad.
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