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There are several theories about this origin but no one knows for certain.\u00a0 It could be that nine of the delegates to the Continental Congress<\/a> debating declaring independence from Great Britain were from Pennsylvania, with four for independence and four against, and the swing voter went for and thus Pennsylvania became the keystone vote in favor of independence.\u00a0 It could be that a bridge built in Washington DC, over which runs Pennsylvania Avenue, has Pennsylvania’s initials carved into the keystone.\u00a0 It could also reflect the geographic position of the state among the thirteen original colonies.\u00a0 Whatever the source, it was in general use by the early 1800s when ti was used in a victory celebration for Thomas Jefferson where Pennsylvania was declared “the keystone of the federal union.”<\/p>\n Perhaps the nickname would have more relevance if anyone, today, commonly knew what a “keystone” refers to.\u00a0 Most bridges and such are built in a very different manner that doesn’t require such a piece per se so the term has fallen out of common use.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania is officially known as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.\u00a0 It is located in both the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.\u00a0 Through the middle of the state run the Appalachian Mountains.\u00a0 Pennsylvania bordered by Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and New Jersey to the east.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania is the 33rd-largest state by area, and the 6th-most populous state according to the last official US census count in 2010.<\/p>\n The state is one of the 13 original founding states of the United States, ratifying the Constitution a mere five days after Delaware.<\/p>\n Originally, the land now known as Pennsylvania was inhabited by a number of native American tribes.\u00a0 Upon the arrival of the Europeans both the British and the Dutch claimed the land on both sides of the Delaware river, the eastern side of which would be in today’s Pennsylvania.\u00a0 The Dutch were the first to actively colonize the area, although they were mostly restricted to the western side of the river in what is now Delaware.\u00a0 The Swedes also claimed and settled small amounts of land but with only a small number of colonists.<\/p>\n There were conflicts between the British and the Dutch regarding control of land that would eventually become part of Pennsylvania but these conflicts were resolved in favor of the British in 1667 despite there being few, if any, actual British settlers in the area under contention.<\/p>\n In 1681 King Charles II<\/a> granted land to William Penn<\/a> to repay a debt owed to William’s father, Admiral William Penn<\/a>.\u00a0 This was one of the largest land grants to an individual in history.\u00a0 The King named it Pennsylvania (literally “Penn’s Woods”) in honor of the Admiral.<\/p>\n When the Founding Fathers of the United States convened in Philadelphia in 1774, 12 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress.\u00a0 The Second Continental Congress, which also met in Philadelphia, in May 1775, drew up and signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, but when that city was captured by the British, the Continental Congress escaped westward, meeting at the Lancaster courthouse on Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then to York.<\/p>\n There they and its primary author, John Dickinson, drew up the Articles of Confederation<\/a> that formed 13 independent colonies into a new nation. Later, the Constitution was written, and Philadelphia was once again chosen to be cradle to the new American Nation.<\/p>\n The Constitution was drafted and signed at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, and the same building where the Declaration of Independence was signed.<\/p>\n The Battle of Gettysburg<\/a>, the major turning point of the Civil War, took place near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania was also the home of the first commercially drilled oil well.\u00a0 In 1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania, Edwin Drake successfully drilled the well, which led to the first major oil boom in United States history.<\/p>\n At the beginning of the 20th century Pennsylvania’s economy centered on steel production, logging, coal mining, textile production and other forms of industrial manufacturing.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania’s 2016 total gross state product of $719.8 billion ranks the state 6th in the nation.\u00a0 If Pennsylvania were an independent country, its economy would rank as the 19th-largest in the world.\u00a0 Philadelphia is home to six Fortune 500 companies; it is a leader in the financial and insurance industries.\u00a0 Pittsburgh is home to eight Fortune 500 companies, including U.S. Steel, PPG Industries, and H.J. Heinz.\u00a0 In all, Pennsylvania is home to fifty Fortune 500 companies.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania has seven major airports: Philadelphia International<\/a>, Pittsburgh International<\/a>, Lehigh Valley International<\/a>, Harrisburg International<\/a>, Erie International<\/a>, University Park Airport<\/a> and Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton International<\/a>.<\/p>\n The port of Pittsburgh is the second-largest inland port in the United States and the 18th-largest port overall;<\/p>\n the Port of Philadelphia is the 24th-largest port in the United States.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania’s only port on the Great Lakes is located in Erie.<\/p>\n Now for the part that we have all been waiting for and have patiently slogged through the rest of this blog to get to: the flag.<\/p>\n The flag of Pennsylvania is both simple, in that it consists of a solid blue field with only the coat of arms of the state centered and embroidered on said field, but also complicated because, as is commonly true of heraldic symbols such as the coat of arms, there is a great deal going on there.<\/p>\n The coat of arms of Pennsylvania was adopted in 1778.\u00a0 The coat of arms features a shield crested by an American bald eagle, flanked by horses, and adorned with symbols of Pennsylvania’s strengths\u2014a ship carrying state commerce to all parts of the world; a clay-red plough, a symbol of Pennsylvania’s rich natural resources; and three golden sheaves of wheat, representing fertile fields and Pennsylvania’s wealth of human thought and action.\u00a0 An olive branch and cornstalk cross limbs beneath\u2014symbols of peace and prosperity.\u00a0 The state motto, “Virtue, Liberty and Independence”, appears festooned below.\u00a0 Atop the coat of arms is a bald eagle, representing Pennsylvania’s loyalty to the United States.<\/p>\n Whew!\u00a0 Like I said, there’s a lot going on in that circular symbol.<\/p>\n The state flag was originally authorized by the state in 1799 although the current design was not enacted by law until 1907.<\/p>\n That’s a lot of information about the state of Pennsylvania in a quick and short burst.\u00a0 Of course, as is true of all of the states, entire books could be, and have been, written about the rich and complex history of the fascinating state that is Pennsylvania and I heartily encourage interested readers to investigate further by reading, or at least perusing volumes such as:<\/p>\n Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth – Edited by Randall M. Miller and William A. Pencak<\/a><\/p>\nPhysical Geography:<\/h2>\n
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History:<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/06\/Worlds-End-State-Park-300x191.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Economy:<\/h2>\n
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Transportation and Trade:<\/h2>\n
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The Flag:<\/h2>\n
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Conclusion:<\/h2>\n