Rich in historic lore, Pennsylvania
territory was disputed in the early 1600s among the
Dutch, the Swedes, and the English. England acquired
the region in 1664 with the capture of New York, and
in 1681 Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, a
Quaker, by King Charles II.
Philadelphia was the seat of the federal government
almost continuously from 1776 to 1800; there the
Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and
the U.S. Constitution drawn up in 1787. Valley
Forge, of Revolutionary War fame, and Gettysburg,
site of the pivotal battle of the Civil War, are
both in Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell is located in
a glass pavilion across from Independence Hall in
Philadelphia.
The nation's first oil well was dug at Titusville in
1859, and the mining of iron ore and coal led to the
development of the state's steel industry. More
recently Pennsylvania's industry has diversified,
although the state still leads the country in the
production of specialty steel. The service, retail
trade, and manufacturing sectors provide the most
jobs; Pennsylvania is a leader in the production of
chemicals and pharmaceuticals, food products, and
electronic equipment.
Pennsylvania's 59,000 farms (occupying nearly 8
million acres) are the backbone of the state's
economy, producing a wide variety of crops. Leading
commodities are dairy products, cattle and calves,
mushrooms, greenhouse and nursery products, poultry
and eggs, a variety of fruits, sweet corn, potatoes,
maple syrup, and Christmas trees.
Pennsylvania's rich heritage draws billions of
tourist dollars annually. Among the chief
attractions are the Gettysburg National Military
Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park,
Independence National Historical Park in
Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Dutch region, the
Eisenhower farm near Gettysburg, and the Delaware
Water Gap National Recreation Area. |
