Pennsylvania
Founding
Henry Hudson also claimed this land for the Dutch but the English took over this land. The people in England despised Quakers. Even though William Penn knows he becomes a Quaker. His decision was influenced by his in-laws. He wants to find a safe haven not just for Quakers but all religions that were persecuted by the English. So he gets a charter on April 2, 1681 and makes a colony called Pennsylvania and called it his "Holy Experiment".
Important Documents
The Great Law: This document stated that everyone had their own rights.
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&mode=2&objID=8642
The Frame of Government: Pennsylvania's first constitution.
http://www.constitution.org/bcp/frampenn.htm
Government
Penn was very organized he made a document called “The Great Law”. This stated that everyone had their own rights. He also made the first constitution of Pennsylvania. It was called the Frame of Government. This document stated that everyone had a right to say how the government should be run and that the people had a voice. He let the people of the colony choose their own representatives, but in order to vote you had to be a male that owned land and believed in God. Penn believed that people should govern themselves so there were many documents in which he gave people more rights. Penn also believed that they should treat the Natives fairly so conflict never arose between these two groups. Many people liked it here and many wanted to move here because the heard that there were political rights.
Geography
The land in Pennsylvania wasn’t too bad. The soil was pretty rich so they could grow crops such as tobacco and corn. There were hardwood trees in the southern part of the area such as oaks, chestnuts, and maples. In the northern part trees like evergreens grew because the land was rockier. There were also mosquitoes, bedbugs, and wasps here. The colonists also brought bees with them. Some of those bees escaped and they multiplied. Both the settlers and the Natives used the honey that the bees made.
Economy
There was fish, deer, buffalo, and rabbit. They also hunted birds. Philadelphia was known as the Port City. They sold meat, grains, and produce. There weren’t many slaves in this area because Pennsylvania was made so that whoever moved there could have free religion. A lot of Quakers lived here and they don't support slavery. Pennsylvania was one of the colonies that were known as the bread-basket colonies. It was the major port city.
Religion
Pennsylvania was made so everyone could worship whoever they wanted. William Penn supported the idea of freedom of religion. He made the colony so that everyone could worship whoever they wanted without being persecuted. At first slavery was permitted in Pennsylvania. Even some Quakers and William Penn owned slaves. Some of the colonists however were against slavery and in 1761 owning a slave was illegal. This did not last forever but at least the slaves were free for some time.
Celebrity Residents
John Printz was the first governor of the fist European settlement in Pennsylvania. William Penn wrote many documents giving people rights. His documents contributed to the US constitution that stands today.
Target Resident Profile
If you want a very big say in what goes on in the colonies, come here. If you want freedom of religion this is the perfect place for you. If you want all of these things and you're a farmer you can't pass up this opportunity. The soil is fertile and very good for growing crops. This colony basically has self-government, so it is ideal for people who enjoy making their own decisions.
Henry Hudson also claimed this land for the Dutch but the English took over this land. The people in England despised Quakers. Even though William Penn knows he becomes a Quaker. His decision was influenced by his in-laws. He wants to find a safe haven not just for Quakers but all religions that were persecuted by the English. So he gets a charter on April 2, 1681 and makes a colony called Pennsylvania and called it his "Holy Experiment".
Important Documents
The Great Law: This document stated that everyone had their own rights.
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&mode=2&objID=8642
The Frame of Government: Pennsylvania's first constitution.
http://www.constitution.org/bcp/frampenn.htm
Government
Penn was very organized he made a document called “The Great Law”. This stated that everyone had their own rights. He also made the first constitution of Pennsylvania. It was called the Frame of Government. This document stated that everyone had a right to say how the government should be run and that the people had a voice. He let the people of the colony choose their own representatives, but in order to vote you had to be a male that owned land and believed in God. Penn believed that people should govern themselves so there were many documents in which he gave people more rights. Penn also believed that they should treat the Natives fairly so conflict never arose between these two groups. Many people liked it here and many wanted to move here because the heard that there were political rights.
Geography
The land in Pennsylvania wasn’t too bad. The soil was pretty rich so they could grow crops such as tobacco and corn. There were hardwood trees in the southern part of the area such as oaks, chestnuts, and maples. In the northern part trees like evergreens grew because the land was rockier. There were also mosquitoes, bedbugs, and wasps here. The colonists also brought bees with them. Some of those bees escaped and they multiplied. Both the settlers and the Natives used the honey that the bees made.
Economy
There was fish, deer, buffalo, and rabbit. They also hunted birds. Philadelphia was known as the Port City. They sold meat, grains, and produce. There weren’t many slaves in this area because Pennsylvania was made so that whoever moved there could have free religion. A lot of Quakers lived here and they don't support slavery. Pennsylvania was one of the colonies that were known as the bread-basket colonies. It was the major port city.
Religion
Pennsylvania was made so everyone could worship whoever they wanted. William Penn supported the idea of freedom of religion. He made the colony so that everyone could worship whoever they wanted without being persecuted. At first slavery was permitted in Pennsylvania. Even some Quakers and William Penn owned slaves. Some of the colonists however were against slavery and in 1761 owning a slave was illegal. This did not last forever but at least the slaves were free for some time.
Celebrity Residents
John Printz was the first governor of the fist European settlement in Pennsylvania. William Penn wrote many documents giving people rights. His documents contributed to the US constitution that stands today.
Target Resident Profile
If you want a very big say in what goes on in the colonies, come here. If you want freedom of religion this is the perfect place for you. If you want all of these things and you're a farmer you can't pass up this opportunity. The soil is fertile and very good for growing crops. This colony basically has self-government, so it is ideal for people who enjoy making their own decisions.