Province of Pennsylvania - wikipedia Province of Pennsylvania This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2011 ) Province of Pennsylvania Colony of England ( 1681 -- 1707 ) Colony of Great Britain ( 1707 -- 76 ) 1681 -- 1783 Flag Coat of arms A map of the Province of Pennsylvania. Capital Philadelphia Languages English, Pennsylvania German, Welsh, Unami, Susquehannock, Munsee Government Proprietary colony, Semi-autonomous Constitutional monarchy Monarch 1681 -- 1685 Charles II 1685 -- 1688 James II 1689 -- 1702 ( Mary died 1694 ) William III & Mary II 1702 -- 1714 Anne 1714 -- 1727 George I 1727 -- 1760 George II 1760 -- 1776 George III Royal Governor 1681 -- 1783 List of colonial governors of Pennsylvania Legislature Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly History Land grant to William Penn March 4, 1681 Treaty of Paris ( 1783 ) September 3, 1783 Currency Pound sterling, Spanish dollar Succeeded by Pennsylvania Today part of United States The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in English North America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II. The name Pennsylvania, which translates roughly as `` Penn 's Woods '', was created by combining the Penn surname ( in honor of William 's father, Admiral Sir William Penn ) with the Latin word sylvania, meaning `` forest land. '' The Province of Pennsylvania was one of the two major Restoration colonies, the other being the Province of Carolina. The proprietary colony 's charter remained in the hands of the Penn family until the American Revolution, when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was created and became one of the original thirteen states. Contents 1 Government 2 Counties 2.1 Lower Counties 3 Religious freedom and prosperity 4 Relations with Native Americans 4.1 Limits on further settlement 5 Judiciary 6 Famous colonial Pennsylvanians 7 See also 8 References 8.1 Secondary sources 9 External links Government The colonial government, established in 1682 by Penn 's Frame of Government, consisted of an appointed Governor, the proprietor ( William Penn ), a 72 - member Provincial Council, and a larger General Assembly. The General Assembly, also known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, was the largest and most representative branch of government, but had little power. Succeeding Frames of Government, also known as the Charter of Privileges, were produced in 1683, 1696 and 1701. The fourth Frame ( Charter of Privileges ) remained in effect until the American Revolution. At that time, the Provincial Assembly was deemed too moderate by the revolutionaries, who ignored the Assembly and held a convention which produced the Constitution of 1776 for the newly established Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, creating a new General Assembly in the process. William Penn ( 14 October 1644 -- 30 July 1718 ) was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, early Quaker and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early advocate of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Indians. Under his direction, the city of Philadelphia was planned and developed. Counties The province was divided first into 5 counties, plus the three `` lower counties on Delaware Bay. '' The easternmost, Bucks County, extended northwest from Bensalem all the way to what is currently Bradford County, and included not only present - day Bucks County, but also the Poconos, the Lehigh Valley, and Carbon and part of Schuylkill County. Philadelphia County is present - day Philadelphia City ( which also happens to be its own county ). Montgomery County was west of Bucks and northwest of Philadelphia, and extended along the Schuylkill River to the area presently known as Minersville, in Schuylkill County. Chester County extended along the southern border of Pennsylvania ( the Mason -- Dixon line ) from Marcus Hook to the western border of the province. The remainder of the province, which is now North Central and Northwestern Pennsylvania, was part of an enlarged Northumberland County ( Northumberland County presently sits between Harrisburg and Wilkes - Barre along the Susquehanna River ). Lower counties `` 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. Religious freedom and prosperity William Penn and his fellow Quakers heavily imprinted their religious values on the early Pennsylvanian government. The Charter of Privileges extended religious freedom to everyone monotheists and 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 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 along with Philadelphia 's Union Fire Company fifteen years earlier in 1736. Likewise in 1751, 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. They all were Quakers Quakers mean they are peaceful and had religious freedom so they could chose any religion. Relations with Native Americans Benjamin West 's painting ( in 1771 ) of William Penn 's 1682 treaty with the Lenni Lenape William Penn had mandated fair dealings with Native Americans. This led to significantly better relations with the local Native 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, 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 the Lenape - Delaware had promised to sell a portion of land beginning between the junction of the Delaware River and Lehigh River ( present Easton, Pennsylvania ) `` as far west as a man could walk in a day and a half. '' This purchase has become 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 a plan that would grab as much land as they could possibly get and hired the three fastest runners in the colony to run out the purchase on a trail which had been cleared by other members of the colony beforehand. The pace was so intense that only one runner actually 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 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 already overcrowded with other displaced tribes. Limits on further Settlement Further information : Great Britain in the Seven Years ' War As the colony grew, colonists and British military forces came into confrontation with Natives in the Western half of the state. Britain fought for control of the neighboring Ohio Country with France during the French and Indian War, and following the British victory the territory was formally ceded to them in 1763 and became part of the British Empire. With the war just over and Pontiac 's War beginning, the Royal Proclamation of 1763 banned colonization beyond the Appalachian Mountains in an effort to prevent settlers settling lands which the Native Americans considered their own. This proclamation affected Pennsylvanians and Virginians the most, as they had been racing towards the lands surrounding Fort Pitt ( modern - day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ). Judiciary The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, consisting of the Chief Justice and at least one other judge, was founded in 1722 and sat in Philadelphia twice a year. Chief Justices ( 1 ) Incumbent Tenure Notes Took office Left office Arthur Cook 1680 1684 Nicholas Moore 1684 1685 or Nicholas More Arthur Cook 1686 1690 John Simcock 1690 1693 Andrew Robson 1693 1699 Edward Shippen 1699 1701 John Guest 20 Aug 1701 10 Apr 1703 William Clark 10 Apr 1703 1705 John Guest 1705 1706 Roger Mompesson 17 April 1706 1715 Joseph Growden, Jr. 1715 1718 David Lloyd 1718 1731 James Logan 20 Aug 1731 1739 Jeremiah Langhorne 13 Aug 1739 1743 John Kinsey 5 April 1743 1750 William Allen 20 Sept 1750 1774 Benjamin Chew 29 April 1774 1776 Famous colonial Pennsylvanians Benjamin Franklin moved to Philadelphia at age 17 in 1723 ; during his later years he was Pennsylvania 's most famous citizen. Among his accomplishments was founding in 1751 the Academy and College of Philadelphia, the predecessor to the private University of Pennsylvania. Franklin was also a strong advocate for a state militia, creating his own extra-legal militia when the state assembly would not during King George 's War. Thomas McKean was born in New London, Pennsylvania. He was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the second President of the U.S. Congress under the Articles of Confederation, Acting President of Delaware, and Chief Justice and Governor of Pennsylvania. Gouverneur Morris, one of the leading minds of the American Revolution, lived in New York City during most of the colonial period, but moved to Philadelphia to work as a lawyer and merchant during the Revolution. Robert Morris moved to Philadelphia around 1749 at about age 14. He was known as the Financier of the Revolution because of his role in securing financial assistance for the American Colonial side in the Revolutionary War. In 1921, Robert Morris University was founded and named after him. John Morton was born in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a signatory to the Continental Association and the United States Declaration of Independence. Thomas Paine emigrated to Philadelphia in 1774 at Benjamin Franklin 's urging. His tract, Common Sense, published in 1776, was arguably the most famous and influential argument for the Revolution. He was also the first to publicly champion the phrase `` United States of America. '' William Penn was the colony 's founder and son of naval Admiral Sir William Penn. George Ross was born in New Castle, Delaware and moved to Philadelphia to practice law. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a signatory to the Continental Association and the United States Declaration of Independence. Arthur St. Clair moved to Ligonier Valley, Pennsylvania in 1764. He served as a judge in colonial Pennsylvania, a general in the Continental Army, and a President under the Articles of Confederation. James Wilson moved to Philadelphia in 1765 and became a lawyer. He signed the Declaration of Independence and wrote or worked on many of the most difficult compromises in the U.S. Constitution, including the Three - Fifths Compromise, which defined slaves as three - fifths of a person for purposes of census - taking, number of members to be elected to U.S. House of Representatives, and government appropriations. Peggy Shippen was the daughter of prominent Philadelphia merchant Edward Shippen and wife of Benedict Arnold. See also United States portal North America portal Pennsylvania portal British Empire portal Restoration colony Walking Purchase List of colonial governors of Pennsylvania Independence Hall, originally the Pennsylvania State House. Great Wagon Road Pennsylvania in the American Revolution Welsh Tract References Jump up ^ `` About Pennsylvania ''. Jump up ^ Historic Pennsylvania Hospital, The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 39, No. 12 ( Dec., 1939 ), pp. 1306 - 1311 Jump up ^ College Founding in the American Colonies, 1745 - 1775 Beverly McAnear, The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol. 42, No. 1 ( Jun., 1955 ), pp. 24 - 44 Jump up ^ http://www.upenn.edu/about/founder.php Jump up ^ Rothbard, Murray N. ( 2005 ). `` Pennsylvania 's Anarchist Experiment : 1681 -- 1690 ''. LewRockwell.com. Retrieved 2008 - 07 - 02. Jump up ^ Rothbard, Murray N., Conceived in Liberty, Vol. II ( Auburn, AL : Ludwig von Mises Institute, 1999 ), p. 64. Secondary sources Illick Joseph E. Colonial Pennsylvania : A History ( 1976 ) Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, The Quaker Province External links William Penn : Preface to the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania, 1682 `` Members and Districts by Session, 1682 - 1775 '', Wilkes University Election Statistics Project Pennsylvania General Assembly : Pennsylvania Constitution The Thirteen Colonies of Colonial America New England Colonies Middle Colonies Chesapeake Colonies Southern Colonies Connecticut Delaware Georgia Maryland Massachusetts Bay New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania Rhode Island and Providence Plantations South Carolina Virginia Early English colonial entities Carolina East Jersey Maine New England New Haven Plymouth Saybrook West Jersey British Empire Legend Current territory Former territory * Now a Commonwealth realm Now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Historical flags of the British Empire Europe 1542 -- 1800 Ireland ( integrated into UK ) 1708 -- 1757, 1763 -- 1782 and 1798 -- 1802 Minorca Since 1713 Gibraltar 1800 -- 1813 Malta ( Protectorate ) 1813 -- 1964 Malta ( Colony ) 1807 -- 1890 Heligoland 1809 -- 1864 Ionian Islands 1878 -- 1960 Cyprus 1921 -- 1937 Irish Free State North America 17th century and before 18th century 19th and 20th century 1579 New Albion 1583 -- 1907 Newfoundland 1605 -- 1979 * Saint Lucia 1607 -- 1776 Virginia Since 1619 Bermuda 1620 -- 1691 Plymouth 1623 -- 1883 Saint Kitts 1624 -- 1966 * Barbados 1625 -- 1650 Saint Croix 1627 -- 1979 * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1628 -- 1883 Nevis 1629 -- 1691 Massachusetts Bay 1632 -- 1776 Maryland since 1632 Montserrat 1632 -- 1860 Antigua 1635 -- 1644 Saybrook 1636 -- 1776 Connecticut 1636 -- 1776 Rhode Island 1637 -- 1662 New Haven 1643 -- 1860 Bay Islands Since 1650 Anguilla 1655 -- 1850 Mosquito Coast 1655 -- 1962 * Jamaica 1663 -- 1712 Carolina 1664 -- 1776 New York 1665 -- 1674 and 1702 -- 1776 New Jersey Since 1666 Virgin Islands Since 1670 Cayman Islands 1670 -- 1973 * Bahamas 1670 -- 1870 Rupert 's Land 1671 -- 1816 Leeward Islands 1674 -- 1702 East Jersey 1674 -- 1702 West Jersey 1680 -- 1776 New Hampshire 1681 -- 1776 Pennsylvania 1686 -- 1689 New England 1691 -- 1776 Massachusetts Bay 1701 -- 1776 Delaware 1712 -- 1776 North Carolina 1712 -- 1776 South Carolina 1713 -- 1867 Nova Scotia 1733 -- 1776 Georgia 1754 -- 1820 Cape Breton Island 1762 -- 1974 * Grenada 1763 -- 1978 Dominica 1763 -- 1873 Prince Edward Island 1763 -- 1791 Quebec 1763 -- 1783 East Florida 1763 -- 1783 West Florida 1784 -- 1867 New Brunswick 1791 -- 1841 Lower Canada 1791 -- 1841 Upper Canada Since 1799 Turks and Caicos Islands 1818 -- 1846 Columbia District / Oregon Country 1833 -- 1960 Windward Islands 1833 -- 1960 Leeward Islands 1841 -- 1867 Canada 1849 -- 1866 Vancouver Island 1853 -- 1863 Queen Charlotte Islands 1858 -- 1866 British Columbia 1859 -- 1870 North - Western Territory 1860 -- 1981 * British Antigua and Barbuda 1862 -- 1863 Stickeen 1866 -- 1871 British Columbia 1867 -- 1931 * Dominion of Canada 1871 -- 1964 Honduras 1882 -- 1983 * Saint Kitts and Nevis 1889 -- 1962 Trinidad and Tobago 1907 -- 1949 Newfoundland 1958 -- 1962 West Indies Federation 1. 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Coordinates : 40 ° 17 ′ 46 '' N 75 ° 30 ′ 32 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 40.296 ° N 75.509 ° W ﻿ / 40.296 ; - 75.509 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Province_of_Pennsylvania&oldid=814769277 '' Categories : Former countries in North America States and territories established in 1681 States and territories disestablished in 1783 Colonial Pennsylvania 1681 establishments in Pennsylvania 1681 in Pennsylvania 1681 in the Thirteen Colonies 1776 disestablishments in the United States Colonial United States ( British ) English colonization of the Americas Former British colonies and protectorates in the Americas Former English colonies Thirteen Colonies 1681 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from March 2011 All articles needing additional references Former country articles requiring maintenance Pages using infobox former country with unknown parameters All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016 Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Italiano עברית 日本 語 Norsk Occitan Русский Svenska Türkçe Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 10 December 2017, at 20 : 56. 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Question: when did the pennsylvania colony became a state
Answer: September 3, 1783