Overview of and topical guide to 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 .
An enlargeable map of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Geography of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Geography of Pennsylvania
Places in Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Places in Pennsylvania
Environment of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Natural geographic features of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Regions of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Administrative divisions of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
An enlargeable map of the 67 counties of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania .
Demography of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Government and politics of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Politics of Pennsylvania
Branches of the government of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Government of Pennsylvania
Executive branch of the government of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Legislative branch of the government of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Judicial branch of the government of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania
Law and order in Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Law of Pennsylvania
Military in Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Local government in Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Local government in Pennsylvania
History of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
History of Pennsylvania
History of Pennsylvania, by period[ edit ]
Indigenous peoples
Indentured servitude in Pennsylvania
Netherlands colony of Nieuw-Nederland , 1624–1652
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
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1776
Whiskey Rebellion , 1790s
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
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
History of Pennsylvania, by region[ edit ]
History of Pennsylvania, by subject[ edit ]
Culture of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Culture of Pennsylvania
The Arts in Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Sports in Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Economy and infrastructure of Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Economy of Pennsylvania
Education in Pennsylvania [ edit ]
Education in Pennsylvania