39-605: The Pennsylvania Provincial Council helped govern the Province of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1776. The provincial council was based on the English parliamentary system and was analogous to the Upper House or House of Lords . From the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania of 1683, the provincial council consisted of 18 to 72 members from the province's counties. The council had the power to dismiss
78-504: A plan that would grab as much land as they could get and hired the three fastest runners in the colony to run out the purchase on a trail that had been cleared by other members of the colony beforehand. The pace was so intense that only one runner completed the "walk," covering an astonishing 70 miles (110 km). This netted the Penns 1,200,000 acres (4,900 km ) of land in what is now northeastern Pennsylvania , an area roughly equivalent to
117-514: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Province of Pennsylvania 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
156-568: The American Revolutionary War , Philadelphia served as the nation's capital until 1800, when a new capital city in Washington, D.C. was constructed. The Province of Pennsylvania's colonial government was established in 1683, by William Penn 's Frame of Government . Penn was appointed governor and a 72-member Provincial Council and larger General Assembly were responsible for governing the province. The General Assembly, also known as
195-616: The Edenton Tea Party ) in response to the Intolerable Acts that focused on producing goods for the colonies. Additionally, Great Britain's colonies in the West Indies were threatened with a boycott unless they agreed to non-importation of British goods. Imports from Britain dropped by 97 percent in 1775, compared with the previous year. Committees of observation and inspection were to be formed in each Colony to ensure compliance with
234-522: The French and Indian War concluded, an additional treaty was made in 1768, that abided by the limits of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 . This proclamation line was not intended to be a permanent boundary between the colonists and Native American lands, but rather a temporary boundary that could be extended further west in an orderly manner but only by the royal government and not private individuals such as
273-525: The Lenape Indian tribe through a number of treaties. Under Penn's direction, Philadelphia was planned and developed and served as the largest city and national capital until 1800 when it was surpassed in population by New York City and a new national capital was constructed in Washington, D.C. Despite having the land grant from King Charles II , Penn embarked on an effort to purchase the lands from Native Americans . The Lenape Indian tribe held much of
312-659: The Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly , was the largest and most representative branch of government but had limited powers. Succeeding frames of government were produced in 1683, 1696, and 1701. The fourth frame, also known as the Charter of Privileges , remained in effect until the American Revolution . At the time, the Provincial Assembly was deemed too moderate by American revolutionaries, who rejected
351-543: The Royal Proclamation of 1763 banned colonization beyond the Appalachian Mountains to prevent settlers settling lands that Indians tribes were using. This proclamation impacted Pennsylvanians and Virginians the most, since they both had been racing towards the lands surrounding Fort Pitt in modern-day Pittsburgh . The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania , consisting of the Chief Justice and at least one other judge,
390-521: The Shackamaxon Treaty was "the only treaty between Indians and Christians that was never sworn to and that was never broken." The Quakers also refused to provide any assistance to New England 's Indian wars . In 1737, the Colony exchanged a great deal of its political goodwill with the native Lenape for more land. The colonial administrators claimed that they had a deed dating to the 1680s in which
429-652: The Thirteen Colonies participating. The delegates were elected by the people of the respective colonies, the colonial legislature, or by the Committee of Correspondence of a colony. Loyalist sentiments outweighed Patriot views in Georgia , leading that colony to not immediately join the revolutionary cause until the following year when it sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress . Peyton Randolph
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#1732851184937468-592: The 18th century, additional treaties with the Native Americans were concluded. The colony's proprietors made treaties in 1718, 1732, 1737, 1749, 1754, and 1754 pushing the boundaries of the colony, which were still within the original royal grant, north and west. By the time the French and Indian War began in 1754, the Assembly had established the additional counties of Lancaster (1729), York (1749), Cumberland (1750), Berks (1752) and Northampton (1752). After
507-623: The British government's coercive actions, and they worked to make a common cause. As a prelude to its decisions, the Congress's first action was the adoption of the Suffolk Resolves , a measure drawn up by several counties in Massachusetts that included a declaration of grievances, called for a trade boycott of British goods, and urged each colony to set up and train its own militia. A less radical plan
546-491: The Colonies and Great Britain. Others such as Patrick Henry , Roger Sherman , Samuel Adams , and John Adams believed their task to be developing a decisive statement of the rights and liberties of the Colonies. Their ultimate goal was to end what they felt to be the abuses of parliamentary authority and to retain their rights, which had been guaranteed under Colonial charters and the English constitution. Roger Sherman denied
585-761: The General Assembly's authority and held the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia , which produced the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 for the newly established commonwealth and created the new Pennsylvania General Assembly . Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, Quaker , founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, and an advocate of democracy and religious freedom known for fostering peaceful and positive relations with
624-613: The General Assembly, rule in the absence of the Governor or Lieutenant Governor, create courts, and make judicial appointments. Before 1753, the Council and Assembly met at various places such as Quaker meeting houses or private residences in Philadelphia . In the first government meeting on October 28, 1682 took place in Chester, Pennsylvania . After 1753 the government met at what is now Independence Hall . This Pennsylvania -related article
663-589: The Intolerable Acts. That appeal was unsuccessful, leading delegates from the colonies to convene the Second Continental Congress , also held in Philadelphia. the following May, shortly after the Battles of Lexington and Concord , to organize the defense of the colonies as the American Revolutionary War . The Congress met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia with delegates from 12 of
702-634: The Lenape-Delaware had promised to sell a portion of land beginning between the junction of the Delaware River and Lehigh River in present-day Easton, Pennsylvania "as far west as a man could walk in a day and a half." The purchase became known as the Walking Purchase . Although the document was most likely a forgery, the Lenape did not realize that. Provincial Secretary James Logan set in motion
741-807: The Pennsylvania State House ordered a new bell which would become known as the Liberty Bell for the new bell tower being built in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. William Penn had mandated fair dealings with Native Americans in the United States . This led to significantly better relations with the local tribes, mainly the Lenape and Susquehanna , than most other colonies had. The Quakers had previously treated Indians with respect, bought land from them voluntarily, and had even representation of Indians and whites on juries. According to Voltaire ,
780-595: The Proprietors. This effectively altered the original royal land grant to Penn. The next acquisitions by Pennsylvania were to take place as an independent commonwealth or state and no longer as a colony. The Assembly established additional counties from the land before the War for American Independence . These counties were Bedford (1771), Northumberland (1772) and Westmoreland (1773). William Penn and his fellow Quakers heavily imprinted their religious beliefs and values on
819-506: The Quakers were strong proponents of religious freedom . 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
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#1732851184937858-577: The beginning of the American Revolution . The meeting was organized by the delegates after the British Navy implemented a blockade of Boston Harbor and the Parliament of Great Britain passed the punitive Intolerable Acts in response to the Boston Tea Party . During the opening weeks of the Congress, the delegates conducted a spirited discussion about how the colonies could collectively respond to
897-403: The boycott. It was further agreed that if the Intolerable Acts were not repealed, the colonies would also cease exports to Britain after September 10, 1775. The Houses of Assembly of each participating colony approved the proceedings of the Congress, with the exception of New York . The boycott was successfully implemented, but its potential for altering British colonial policy was cut off by
936-474: The colony grew, colonists and British military forces came into confrontation with natives in the state's Western half. Britain fought for control of the neighboring Ohio Country with France during the French and Indian War . Following the British victory, the territory was formally ceded to them in 1763, and became part of the British Empire . With the French and Indian War over and Pontiac's War just beginning,
975-432: The deliberations progressed, it became clear that those in attendance were not of one mind concerning why they were there. Conservatives such as Joseph Galloway , John Dickinson , John Jay , and Edward Rutledge believed their task to be forging policies to pressure Parliament to rescind its unreasonable acts. Their ultimate goal was to develop a reasonable solution to the difficulties and bring about reconciliation between
1014-547: The early Pennsylvanian government. The Charter of Privileges extended religious freedom to all monotheists, and the government was initially open to all Christians. Until the French and Indian War , Pennsylvania had no military, few taxes, and no public debt. It also encouraged the rapid growth of Philadelphia into America's most important city and of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country hinterlands, where German (or "Deutsch") religions and political refugees prospered on
1053-625: The end, the voices of compromise carried the day. Rather than calling for independence, the First Continental Congress passed and signed the Continental Association in its Declaration and Resolves , which called for a boycott of British goods to take effect in December 1774. After Congress signed on October 20, 1774, embracing non exportation they also planned nonimportation of slaves beginning December 1, which would have abolished
1092-873: The fertile soil and spirit of cultural creativeness. Among the first groups were the Mennonites , who founded Germantown in 1683; and the Amish , who established the Northkill Amish Settlement in 1740. 1751 was an auspicious year for the colony. Pennsylvania Hospital , the first hospital in the British American colonies, and The Academy and College of Philadelphia , the predecessor to the private University of Pennsylvania , both opened. Benjamin Franklin founded both of these institutions and Philadelphia's Union Fire Company fifteen years earlier in 1736. Likewise in 1751,
1131-507: The land near present-day Philadelphia , and they expected payment in exchange for a quitclaim to vacate the territory. Penn and his representatives ( Proprietors ) negotiated a series of treaties with the Delaware and other tribes that had an interest in the land in his royal grant. The initial treaties were conducted between 1682 and 1684, for tracts between New Jersey and the former Delaware Colony in present-day Delaware . The province
1170-463: The legislative authority of Parliament, and Patrick Henry believed that the Congress needed to develop a completely new system of government, independent from Great Britain, for the existing Colonial governments were already dissolved. In contrast to these ideas, Joseph Galloway put forward a " Plan of Union " which suggested that an American legislative body should be formed with some authority, whose consent would be required for imperial measures. In
1209-571: The outbreak of hostilities in April 1775. Congress also voted to meet again the following year if their grievances were not addressed satisfactorily. Anticipating that there would be cause to convene a second congress, delegates resolved to send letters of invitation to those colonies that had not joined them in Philadelphia , including Quebec , Saint John's Island (now Prince Edward Island), Nova Scotia , Georgia, East Florida , and West Florida . Of these, only Georgia would ultimately send delegates to
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1248-482: The size of the state of Rhode Island in the purchase. The area of the purchase covers all or part of what are now Pike , Monroe , Carbon , Schuylkill , Northampton , Lehigh , and Bucks counties. The Lenape tribe fought for the next 19 years to have the treaty annulled but to no avail. The Lenape-Delaware were forced into the Shamokin and Wyoming Valleys , which were overcrowded with other displaced tribes. As
1287-493: The slave trade in the United States of America 33 years before it actually ended. The primary accomplishment of the First Continental Congress was a compact among the colonies to boycott British goods beginning on December 1, 1774, unless parliament should rescind the Intolerable Acts. While delegates convened in the First Continental Congress, fifty-one women in Edenton, North Carolina formed their own association (now referred to as
1326-525: Was elected as president of the Congress on the opening day, and he served through October 22 when ill health forced him to retire, and Henry Middleton was elected in his place for the balance of the session. Charles Thomson , leader of the Philadelphia Committee of Correspondence, was selected as the congressional secretary. The rules adopted by the delegates were designed to guard the equality of participants and to promote free-flowing debate. As
1365-463: 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
1404-505: Was founded by statute in 1722 (although dating back to 1684 as the Provincial Court) and sat in Philadelphia twice a year. 40°17′46″N 75°30′32″W / 40.296°N 75.509°W / 40.296; -75.509 First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates of 12 of the Thirteen Colonies held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia at
1443-630: 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
1482-473: Was then proposed to create a Union of Great Britain and the Colonies , but the delegates tabled the measure and later struck it from the record of their proceedings. The First Continental Congress agreed on a Declaration and Resolves that included the Continental Association , a proposal for an embargo on British trade. They also drew up a Petition to the King pleading for redress of their grievances and repeal of
1521-532: Was thus divided first into three counties, plus the three Lower counties on Delaware Bay . The easternmost, Bucks County , Philadelphia County and Chester County , the westernmost. The lower counties on Delaware, a separate colony within the province, constituted the same three counties that constitute the present State of Delaware : New Castle , the northernmost, Sussex , the southernmost, and Kent , which fell between New Castle and Sussex County. Their borders remain unchanged to this day. Several decades into
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