By Cole Hayes

        Pennsylvania was first settled in the 1600s.  People from Sweden, England, and the Netherlands moved there.  They came to trade with the Indians.In 1642, colonists settled on a land called Tinicum Island.  They renamed their settlement New Sweden.

        Netherland took over in 1655.  The Duke of York took over in 1664.  King Charles II of England gave it to William Penn.  While New Sweden was being settled, the Dutch were creating their own settlement called New Amsterdam (later New York) to the north. 

        William Penn was born in London on 1644 and was a Quaker.  He was wealthy and liked by the Duke of York, and later, King James ll.  King James owed William Penn money which had been lent to the King by William’s father.  Instead of wanting the money, he asked the King for land in the New World between Lord Baltimore’s province of Maryland and the Duke of York’s land of New York.   William wanted the land to protect the Quakers.  King James gave him the land and signed the Charter of Pennsylvania on March 4, 1681.  The King named the land after William Penn’s father.

        Penn decided that he needed to buy the claims of land from the Indians who lived there.  He and his heirs bought up all the land except for the northwestern area by 1768.  The Commonwealth bought up the rest of the land from the Six Nation’s claims, the Indians, by 1784.  The Indians left the area  because the colonists and Indians could not live side by side peacefully.

         English Quakers moved to Pensylvania.  Many Agelicans, another religious group moved there too.  Phildelphia grew into a big city.  A lot of Germans came to live in Pennsylvania after 1727.  They settled in areas where they changed the land into rich farming land.  Many Scotch Irish people moved to the area as well.  Even though the Quakers didn’t want slaves brought to Pennsylvania, about 10,000 slaves were brought .  About 6,300 of the slaves were freed.  Many other groups moved to the land.  French Huegonots and Jewish settlers helped settle and build Pennsylvania.  All of these groups got along and helped each other.

         This land had a lot of rich farmland.  Many crops grew.  There were  even enough crops to send to England.  Wheat and corn were the crops that were sent.  Rye, hemp, and flax were also important.

        Pennsylvania was in a great spot because of the farmland, rivers, and roads.  Philadelphia became  one of the most important places.  There were lots arts and learning going on.  It became known as “the Athens of America” because so much learning  and culture was there.  By 1776, Pennsylvania became the third largest English colony in America.  It was a place that was important in the American Revolution.

Resource: http//www.phmc.state.pa.us

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Last Updated: 02/10/06