OFFICIAL SEAL: obverse: a shield displays a sailing ship, a plow, and three sheaves of wheat, with a cornstalk to the left, an olive branch to the right, and an eagle above, surrounded by the inscription “Seal of the State of Pennsylvania.” reverse: a woman representing Liberty holds a wand topped by a liberty cap in her left hand and a drawn sword in her right, as she tramples a lion representing Tyranny. The legend “Both Can’t Survive” encircles the design.

FLAG: The coat of arms appears in the center of a blue field.

COAT OF ARMS: A shield supported by two horses displays a sailing ship, a plow, and three sheaves of wheat; an eagle forms the crest. Beneath the shield an olive branch and a cornstalk are crossed, and below them is the state motto.

MOTTO: Virtue, Liberty and Independence.

SONG: “Pennsylvania.”

FLOWER: Mountain laurel.

TREE: Hemlock.

ANIMAL: White-tailed deer.

BIRD: Ruffed grouse.

FISH: Brook trout.

INSECT: Firefly.

DOG: Great Dane.

FOSSIL: Phacops rana.

BEVERAGE: Milk.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Veterans’ Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November and the following day; Christmas Day, 25 December.

TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Located in the northeastern United States, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the second largest of the three Mid-Atlantic states and ranks 33rd in size among the 50 states. The total area of Pennsylvania is 45,308 square miles (117,348 square kilometers), of which land occupies 44,888 square miles (116,260 square kilometers) and inland water 420 square miles (1,088 square kilometers). The state extends 307 miles (494 kilometers) from east to west and 169 miles (272 kilometers) from north to south. The total boundary length of Pennsylvania is 880 miles (1,416 kilometers).

2 Topography

Pennsylvania may be divided into more than a dozen distinct topographic regions, most of which extend in curved bands from east to south. A narrow coastal plain along the lower Delaware River is the state’s lowest region. Dominating the southeastern corner is the Piedmont Plateau, a wide area of rolling hills and lowlands. The Great Valley runs from the middle of the state’s eastern border to the middle of its southern border. The eastern, central, and western parts of the Great Valley are known as the Lehigh, Lebanon, and Cumberland valleys, respectively. The Appalachian Mountains run from the north-central part of the eastern border to the west-central part of the southern border.

The Allegheny High Plateau, part of the Appalachian Plateaus, makes up the western and northern parts of the state. The Allegheny Front, the escarpment along the eastern edge of the plateau, is the most striking topographical feature in Pennsylvania, dissected by many winding streams to form narrow, steep-sided valleys. The southwestern extension of the Allegheny High Plateau contains the state’s highest peak, Mount Davis, at 3,213 feet (980 meters). A narrow lowland region, the Erie Plain, borders Lake Erie.

Pennsylvania has jurisdiction over about 735 square miles (1,904 square kilometers) of Lake Erie. The state has about 250 natural lakes larger than 20 acres (8 hectares).The largest natural

Pennsylvania Population Profile

Total population estimate in 2006:	12,440,621
Population change, 2000–06:	1.3%
Hispanic or Latino†:	4.0%
Population by race
One race:	98.9%
White:	84.6%
Black or African American:	10.1%
American Indian /Alaska Native:	0.1%
Asian:	2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander:	0.0%
Some other race:	1.9%
Two or more races:	1.1%

Population by Age Group

Major Cities by Population
City	Population	% change 2000–05
Notes: †A person of Hispanic or Latino origin may be of any race. NA indicates that data are not available.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey and Population Estimates. www.census.gov/ (accessed March 2007).
Philadelphia	1,463,281	-3.6
Pittsburgh	316,718	-5.3
Allentown	106,992	0.3
Erie	102,612	-1.1
Reading	80,855	-0.4
Scranton	73,120	-4.3
Bethlehem	72,895	2.2
Lancaster	54,757	-2.8
Harrisburg	47,472	-3.0
Altoona	47,176	-4.7

lake within the state’s borders is Conneaut Lake, with an area of less than 1.5 square miles (39 square kilometers). The largest manmade lake is Lake Wallenpaupack in the Poconos, occupying about 9 square miles (23 square kilometers).

Major rivers include the Susquehanna, Delaware, Allegheny, and Monongahela rivers. The Beaver, Clarion, and Youghiogheny rivers are also important.

3 Climate

Although Pennsylvania lies entirely within the humid continental zone, its climate varies according to region and elevation. The region with the warmest temperatures is the low-lying southeast, in the Ohio and Monongahela river valleys. The region bordering Lake Erie receives the moderating effect of the lake, which prevents early spring and late autumn frosts. The rest of the state, at higher elevations, has cold winters and cool summers.

Among the major population centers, Philadelphia has an annual average temperature of 55°f (12°c) and Pittsburgh has an annual average of 51°f (10°c). In the cooler northern areas, Scranton has a normal annual average ranging from 40°f (4°c) to 59°f (15°c). Erie has a normal annual average ranging from 41°f (5°c) to 57°f (13°c). The record low temperature for the state is -42°f (-41°c), set at Smethport on 5 January 1904. The record high, 111°f (44°c), was reached on 10 July 1936 in Phoenixville.

Philadelphia receives about 40.9 inches (103 centimeters) of precipitation annually and Pittsburgh receives about 37 inches (93 centimeters) per year. Pittsburgh, however, has much more snow, with about 43.1 inches (109 centimeters) annually, compared with 21 inches (52 centimeters) per year in Philadelphia. The snowfall in Erie, in the snow belt, averages 85.5 inches (217 centimeters) per year. The state has experienced several destructive floods. Tornados have also occurred.

4 Plants and Animals

Maple, walnut, and poplar are among the species that fill Pennsylvania’s extensive forests, along with sassafras and sycamore. Mountain laurel (the state flower) and June-berry are among the shrubs and small trees found in most parts of the state. Wintergreen and wild ginger are also common. In 2006, the small whorled pogonia and Virginia spirea were classified as threatened plant species, with the northeastern bulrush also listed as endangered.

Numerous mammals are found in Pennsylvania, among them the white-tailed deer (the state animal), black bear, red and gray foxes, and common cottontail. Native amphibians include the hellbender and Fowler’s toad. Among reptilian species are five varieties of lizard. The ruffed grouse, a common game species, is the official state bird. Other game birds are the wood dove and ring-necked pheasant. The robin, cardinal, and English sparrow are common nongame birds.

More than 170 types of fish have been identified in the state, with brook trout, pirate perch, and white bass among the common native varieties. In 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed 12 species as threatened or endangered, including the Indiana bat, bald eagle, orangefoot pimpleback pearlymussel, dwarf wedgemussel, and pink mucket pearlymussel.

Pennsylvania Population by Race

Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructions to respondents said, “Mark one or more races.” This table shows the number of people who are of one, two, or three or more races. For those claiming two races, the number of people belonging to the various categories is listed. The U.S. government conducts a census of the population every ten years.

	Number	Percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000: Redistricting Data. Press release issued by the Redistricting Data Office. Washington, D.C., March, 2001. A dash (—) indicates that the percent is less than 0.1.
Total population	12,281,054	100.0
One race	12,138,830	98.8
Two races	132,609	1.1
White and Black or African American	35,533	0.3
White and American Indian/Alaska Native	18,962	0.2
White and Asian	16,933	0.1
White and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	1,343	—
White and some other race	30,643	0.2
Black or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native	7,211	0.1
Black or African American and Asian	2,486	—
Black or African American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	911	—
Black or African American and some other race	10,469	0.1
American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian	1,016	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	76	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and some other race	919	—
Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	1,126	—
Asian and some other race	4,346	—
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and some other race	635	—
Three or more races	9,615	0.1

5 Environmental Protection

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) was established to maintain and preserve state parks, manage state forest land, and provide information on the state’s ecological and geologic resources. The DCNR also oversees environmental education and provides assistance and grants for preserving rivers, community trails, parks, and recreation. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was established to protect the state’s air, land, and water from pollution and to provide a cleaner environment for the health and safety of Pennsylvania’s citizens.

Sewage and industrial wastes are the major pollutants in areas with high industrial and population concentrations. In western and parts of central Pennsylvania, drainage from abandoned bituminous coal mines has created serious water quality problems. Active mines in this region were also potentially polluting.

In March 1979, Pennsylvania suffered the worst nuclear power accident in US history when a nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island malfunctioned and radioactive gases escaped. A second reactor was shut down immediately even though it was not damaged. The cleanup of radioactive waste cost about $1 billion, and it was not until late 1985 that the undamaged unit was placed back in operation.

After miners were trapped (and successfully rescued) in an accident at Quecreek Mine in July 2002, the DEP launched a program to build a database of abandoned mine locations to minimize the risk of another such accident occurring.

In 2003, Pennsylvania had 572 hazardous waste sites listed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s database, 94 of which were on the National Priorities List in 2006. In 1996, there were 404,000 acres of wetlands in the state.

6 Population

In 2005, Pennsylvania ranked sixth in the United States in population with an estimated total of 12,440,621 residents. The population is projected to reach 12.8 million by 2025. The population density in 2004 was 276.9 persons per square mile (106.9 persons per square kilometer). The median age in 2004 was 39.3. In 2005, about 15% of all residents were 65 years old or older and 23% were 18 or younger.

In 2005, Philadelphia was the largest city in the state and the fifth-largest in the United States. That year, the city had an estimated population of 1,463,281. Pittsburgh’s population was 316,718 the same year. Other leading cities in 2005 were Allentown, with an estimated 106,992 residents; Erie, 102,612; Reading, 80,855; Scranton, 73,120; Bethlehem, 72,895; Lancaster, 54,757; Harrisburg, 47,472; and Altoona, 47,176.

7 Ethnic Groups

According to the 2000 census, there were 18,348 Native American residents in the state. Black Americans numbered 1,224,612 (10% of the total state population). Hispanics and Latinos in Pennsylvania numbered 394,088, most of whom were Puerto Ricans, with smaller numbers of Cubans and Central Americans. Asians numbered 219,813, including 50,650 Chinese, 31,612 Koreans, 57,241 Asian Indians, 14,506 Filipinos, and 30,037 Vietnamese. Pacific Islanders numbered 3,417.

In 2000, about 508,291 Pennsylvania residents, or 4.1% of the total population, were foreign born. Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, the former Soviet Union, Korea, and Poland were the leading countries of origin.

In 2006, about 10.1% of the population was black, 4.0% was Hispanic or Latino, and 2.2% was Asian.

8 Languages

Although not quite uniform, Pennsylvania’s North Midland dialect is significant as the source of much Midwestern and western speech. The only non-Midland sector is the northern group of counties, settled from southern New York, where features of the Northern dialect predominate. In Southern Pennsylvania common terms include roasting ears (corn on the cob) and spiket (spigot). Western Pennsylvania, however, contrasts with the eastern half by the dominance of terms such as hap (quilt) and clothes press (closet). In much of central Pennsylvania, descendants of the colonial Palatinate German population retain their speech as Deutsch, often misnamed Pennsylvania Dutch.

In 2000, some 91.6% of the population five years old or older spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Spanish, 356,754; Italian, 70,434; and German, 68,672.

9 Religions

With a long history of toleration, Pennsylvania has been a haven for numerous religious groups. The first European settlers were Swedish Lutherans. William Penn brought the Quakers to Pennsylvania during the 1680s. Other early groups included German Mennonites, Dunkars, Moravians, and Schwenkfelders; French Huguenots; Scots-Irish Presbyterians; and English Baptists. The Mennonites and the Quakers were the first religious groups to openly advocate the abolition of slavery and to help runaway slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

The Amish-Mennonite followers of Jacob Amman continue to dress in black clothing and to shun the use of mechanized tools, automobiles, and electrical appliance. The Presbyterians, who built their first church in the state in 1704, played a major role both in the establishment of schools in the colony and in the later development of Pittsburgh and other cities in the western part of the state. In 1872, clergyman Charles Taze Russell formed a new group in Pittsburgh first called the Russellites; members of this group are known today as Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Roman Catholics are the largest religious group in the state, with a total membership of about of 3,686,088 in 2004. In 2005, the United Church of Christ reported 182,779 members. In 2004, the Untied Methodist Church reported 471,311 members.

Other major Protestant groups (with 2000 membership figures) were the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 611,913; the Presbyterian Church USA, 324,714; the American Baptist Church USA, 132,858; and the Episcopal Church, 116,511.

The historically important Mennonites, of various traditions, had over 68,000 adherents in 2000. Amish communities had over 25,000 members and Moravians numbered over 10,000. Friends USA (Quakers) reported a membership of about 11,844. Jewish congregations included an estimated 283,000 members and the Muslim congregations had about 71,190 adherents. About 5.1 million people (42.1% of the population) were not counted as members of any religious organization.

10 Transportation

As of 2003, the major (Class I) lines using the state’s 6,942 rail miles (11,176 kilometers) of track were the Consolidated Rail Corporation, or Conrail, owned by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern. In 2003, Pennsylvania had 60 railroads in operation, more than any other state. Amtrak operates around 100 daily trains through Pennsylvania, offering passenger service to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other cities along the east–west route, and from Philadelphia to New York and Washington, DC, along the northeast corridor.

Mass transit systems exist in metropolitan Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Mass transit systems also operate in Altoona, Allentown, Erie, Harrisburg, Johnstown, Lancaster, Reading, Scranton, State College, and Wilkes-Barre. The Philadelphia Rapid Transit System, the state’s first subway, was established in 1902. It is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which also runs buses, trolleys, trackless trolleys, and commuter trains in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. In 1985, a 1.1-mile (1.8-kilometer) subway was opened in Pittsburgh as part of a 10.5-mile (16.9-kilometer) light-rail (trolley) transit system linking downtown Pittsburgh with the South Hills section of the city.

Throughout its history, Pennsylvania has been home to many pioneers in road transportation. During the mid-1700s, a Lancaster County artisan developed an improved wagon for transporting goods across the Alleghenies. Called a Conestoga wagon after the region from which it came, this vehicle later became the prime means of transport for westward pioneers. Another major improvement in land transportation came with the opening in 1792 of the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, one of the first stone-surfaced roads in the United States. The steel-cable suspension bridge built by John Roebling over the Monongahela River at Pittsburgh in 1846 revolutionized bridge building, leading to the construction of spans longer and wider than had previously been thought possible.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940. It was the first high speed, multilane, toll highway in the United States. In 2004, Pennsylvania had 120,623 miles (194,203 kilometers) of public roads. Besides the Turnpike, the major highways are I-80 (Keystone Shortway), I-81, and I-79. As of 2004, there were 9.9 million motor vehicles registered, including 5.5 million automobiles, 3.7 million trucks, and 29,000 buses. There were 8,430,142 licensed drivers in the state in 2004.

With access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes and with such navigable waterways as the Delaware, Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers, Pennsylvania was an early leader in water transportation. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie are the state’s major shipping ports. Although no longer the dominant gateway to the Mississippi, Pittsburgh is still a major inland port. Erie is the state’s port on the Great Lakes.

In 2005, Pennsylvania had 468 airports, 329 heliports, 10 seaplane bases, and 3 STOLports (Short Take-Off and Landing). The busiest air terminal in the state was the Philadelphia International Airport, which had 13.8 million enplanements in 2004. The Greater Pittsburgh Airport was the next busiest airport with 6.6 million enplanements the same year.

11 History

The first Europeans to sail up the Delaware River found the Leni-Lenape (later called the Delaware) and other Algonquian tribes, including the Nanticoke and the Shawnee. The other major Native American group in Pennsylvania was the Iroquoian, which included the Susquehanna (Conestoga), Wyandot, and Erie tribes. The Iroquoian Confederacy of the Five Nations, located in what is now New York, destroyed the Erie in the 1640s, the Susquehanna by 1680, and conquered the Leni-Lenape by 1720 but failed to destroy them.

The first European to reach Pennsylvania was probably the Dutchman Cornelis Jacobssen, who in 1614 entered Delaware Bay. In 1638, the Swedes began farming along the Delaware River. They established a post at Tinicum Island (1643) and several forts along the Schuylkill River. The Dutch conquered the Swedish territories in 1655 but surrendered the land to the English in 1664.

British Rule In 1681 King Charles II granted the region to William Penn, who belonged to the Society of Friends (Quakers), a Protestant sect persecuted for its ideas of equality and pacifism. Penn intended to make the region—named Pennsylvania in honor of his father—a refuge for all persecuted peoples. From the beginning, Penn gave up nearly all his lawmaking power over the new colony, allowing landowners to vote and establishing a governing council to exercise legislative, executive, and judicial power.

As Pennsylvania’s government evolved, its population grew steadily, with most of the first immigrants coming from the British Isles and Germany. A key issue during the pre-Revolutionary period was the size and extent of the colony, of which all boundaries except the Delaware River were disputed. In 1763, after a lengthy struggle, Pennsylvania and Maryland agreed to have Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon establish the famous Mason-Dixon line.

Pennsylvania moved rapidly toward independence after the British victory in the French and Indian War. The Continental Congress began meeting in Philadelphia in September 1774, and the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from Independence Hall in that city on 4 July 1776. General George Washington set up winter headquarters at Valley Forge, remaining there from December 1777 to June 1778. The British, who had occupied Philadelphia since September 1777 evacuated the city by the spring of 1778, and Congress reconvened there on 2 July. Philadelphia would serve as the US capital until 1783, and again from 1790 to 1800.

Statehood In 1780, Pennsylvania passed the first state law abolishing slavery. Seven years later, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the US Constitution and join the Union.

In 1790, Pennsylvania adopted a new constitution, modeled on the federal one, allowing all taxpaying males to vote. Four years later, western Pennsylvania settlers, opposed to a federal excise tax on distilled spirits, waged the Whiskey Rebellion, which was soon suppressed by state troops under federal command.

By 1800, the first stages of industrialization were at hand. Pittsburgh’s first iron furnace was built in 1792. The completion of the Main Line of Public Works, a canal and rail system connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburgh, was a major development of the early 19th century. The 1840s saw not only an influx of Irish immigrants but also the rise of the Native American (Know-Nothing) Party, an anti-Catholic movement. The antislavery crusade, which gave birth to the Republican Party, influenced state politics during the following decade.

The majority of Pennsylvanians voted for Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Pennsylvania rallied to the Union cause, supplying some 338,000 men, a figure exceeded only by New York. The state was the scene of the Battle of Gettysburg (1–3 July 1863), a turning point in the Civil War. Under General George Gordon Meade, the Union troops defeated Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee, who was then forced to lead a retreat to Virginia.

After the Civil War In the post–Civil War years, the state was dominated by industry. Between 1890 and 1900, Pennsylvania was the nation’s chief producer of coal, iron, and steel, and for much of that period the main source of petroleum and lumber. Farmers’ sons and daughters joined immigrants from abroad in flocking to urban centers to work in mines, mills, and factories. As the state’s industrial wealth increased, education, journalism, literature, art, and architecture flourished in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Industrial leaders—supported both by the Republican state government and by popular opinion—smashed labor’s efforts to unite, particularly in the great steel strike of 1919. Despite the nationwide economic boom of the 1920s, Pennsylvania’s industrial growth rate was low. Coal, textiles, and agriculture, all basic to the state’s economy, were depressed during that period.

The disastrous depression of the 1930s brought major changes to Pennsylvania. George H. Earle, the state’s first Democratic governor since 1890, successfully introduced a “Little” New Deal, supporting labor, regulating utilities, aiding farmers, and building public works. Full employment and prosperity returned to Pennsylvania with new demands for steel, ships, munitions, and uniforms during World War II.

After World War II Pennsylvania ranked fifth in the nation in manufacturing by 1958. Markets, transportation, banks, factories, machinery, and skilled labor remained abundant, and two Democratic governors were able to attract new industries to the state during the 1950s and early 1960s. Republican Governor Raymond P. Shafer (1967–71) was as forward-looking as his predecessors in his efforts to rehabilitate the economy. The 1873 constitution was extensively revised at a constitutional convention held in 1967–68, during Shafer’s administration.

During his first term (1971–75), Democratic governor Milton J. Shapp secured passage of a state income tax to pay for new social programs. He also championed the consumer with no-fault auto insurance, adopted in 1974. Shapp’s successor, Republican Richard L. Thornburgh, had scarcely been elected before a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island malfunctioned in March 1979, releasing radioactive gases into the air. The disaster confronted Pennsylvania and the nation with vexing questions concerning the safety and wisdom of atomic power.

In the mid-1980s, Pennsylvania found itself confronted with the problem of completing the transition from a manufacturing to a service economy. By the mid-1990s, steel was no longer the mainstay industry in Pennsylvania, although the state still led the nation in production of specialty

Pennsylvania Governors: 1776–2007

1776	David Rittenhouse
1776	Samuel Morris, Sr.
1776–1778	Thomas Wharton, Jr.
1778	George Bryan
1778–1781	Joseph Reed
1781–1782	William Moore
1782–1785	John Dickinson
1785–1788	Benjamin Franklin
1788–1789	Thomas Mifflin
1790–1799	Thomas Mifflin	Dem-Rep
1799–1808	Thomas McKean	Dem-Rep
1808–1817	Simon Snyder	Dem-Rep
1817–1820	William Findlay	Dem-Rep
1820–1823	Joseph Hiester	Dem-Rep
1823–1829	John Andrews Shulze	Dem-Rep
1829–1835	George Wolf	Jacksonian
1835–1839	Joseph Ritner	Anti–Mason
1839–1845	David Rittenhouse Porter	Democrat
1845–1848	Francis Rawn Shunk	Democrat
1848–1852	William Freame Johnston	Whig
1852–1855	William Bigler	Democrat
1855–1858	James Pollock	Whig
1858–1861	William Fisher Packer	Democrat
1861–1867	Andrew Gregg Curtin	Republican
1867–1873	John White Geary	Republican
1873–1879	John Frederick Hartranft	Republican
1879–1883	Henry Martyn Hoyt	Republican
1883–1887	Robert Emory Pattison	Democrat
1887–1891	James Addams Beaver	Republican
1891–1895	Robert Emory Patttison	Democrat
1895–1899	Daniel Hartman Hastings	Republican
1899–1903	William Alexis Stone	Republican
1903–1907	Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker	Republican
1907–1911	Edwin Sydney Stuart	Republican
1911–1915	John Kinley Tener	Republican
1915–1919	Martin Grove Brumbaugh	Republican
1919–1923	William Cameron Sproul	Republican
1923–1927	Gifford Pinchot	Republican
1927–1931	John Stuchell Fisher	Republican
1931–1935	Gifford Pinchot	Republican
1935–1939	George Howard Earle III	Democrat
1939–1943	Arthur Horace James	Republican
1943–1947	Edward Martin	Republican
1947	John Cromwell Bell, Jr.	Republican
1947–1951	James Henderson Duff	Republican
1951–1955	John Sydney Fine	Republican
1955–1959	George Michael Leader	Democrat
1959–1963	David Leo Lawrence	Democrat
1963–1967	William Warren Scranton	Republican
1967–1971	Raymond Philip Shafer	Republican
1971–1979	Milton Jerrold Shapp	Democrat
1979–1987	Richard Lewis Thornburgh	Republican
1987–1995	Robert Patrick Casey	Democrat
1995–2003	Tom Ridge	Republican
2003–	Edward Rendell	Democrat
Democratic Republican – Dem-Rep

steel. Philadelphia had become a center for high-technology industries and Pittsburgh became an attractive location for corporate headquarters.

In 1994, Republican Tom Ridge was elected governor. During his first term, he approved deregulation of the state’s utilities, a move which helped the consumer economy by lowering utility bills, but cut tax revenues. Following the terrorist attacks on the United States of 11 September 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Ridge as the head a new federal department of homeland security.

Democrat Ed Rendell succeeded Ridge as governor in 2003; he was reelected in a landslide in 2006. His 2005 “Plan for a New Pennsylvania” offered proposals to increase educational funding, reduce property taxes, and expand prescription drug programs for seniors.

12 State Government

The Pennsylvania General Assembly consists of a 50-member senate, elected to staggered four-year terms, and a 203-member house of representatives, elected every two years.

As head of the executive branch and chief executive offices of the state, the governor of Pennsylvania has the power to appoint heads of administrative departments, boards, and commissions,

Pennsylvania Presidential Vote by Political Parties, 1948–2004

YEAR	PENNSYLVANIA WINNER	DEMOCRAT	REPUBLICAN	PROGRESSIVE	SOCIALIST	PROHIBITION	SOC. LABOR
*Won US presidential election.
1948	Dewey (R)	1,752,426	1,902,197	55,161	11,325	10,538	1,461
					SOC. WORKERS
1952	*Eisenhower (R)	2,146,269	2,415,789	4,222	1,508	8,951	1,377
1956	*Eisenhower (R)	1,981,769	2,585,252	—	2,035	—	7,447
1960	*Kennedy (D)	2,556,282	2,439,956	—	2,678	—	7,158
1964	*Johnson (D)	3,130,954	1,673,657	—	10,456	—	5,092
				PEACE & FREEDOM	AMERICAN IND.
1968	Humphrey (D)	2,259,403	2,090,017	7,821	4,862	378,582	4,977
							AMERICAN
1972	*Nixon (R)	1,796,951	2,714,521	—	4,639	—	70,593
				COMMUNIST			US LABOR
1976	*Carter (D)	2,328,677	2,205,604	1,891	3,009	25,344	2,744
					LIBERTARIAN	SOC. WORKERS
1980	*Reagan (R)	1,937,540	2,261,872	5,184	33,263	20,291	—
1984	*Reagan (R)	2,228,131	2,584,323	21,628	6,982	—	—
				CONSUMER		NEW ALLIANCE	POPULIST
1988	*Bush (R)	2,194,944	2,300,087	19,158	12,051	4,379	3,444
							IND. (PEROT)
1992	*Clinton (D)	2,239,164	1,791,164	—	21,477	4,661	902,667
1996	*Clinton (D)	2,215,819	1,801,169	—	28,000	—	430,984
					REFORM CONSTITUTIONAL	LIBERTARIAN
2000	Gore (D)	2,485,967	2,281,127	103,392	16,023	14,428	11,248
2004	Kerry (D)	2,938,095	2,793,847	—	—	—	21,185

to approve or veto legislation, to grant pardons, and to command the state’s military forces. Other Pennsylvania officials also elected for four years are the lieutenant governor, auditor general, state treasurer, and attorney general.

A bill may be introduced in either house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. After the measure is passed by majority vote in each house, the governor has ten days in which to sign it, refuse to sign it (in which case it becomes law), or veto it. Vetoes may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of each house. A bill becomes effective 60 days after enactment.

The legislative salary in 2004 was $66,203.55 and the governor’s salary was $155,753.

13 Political Parties

The Republican Party totally dominated Pennsylvania politics from 1860, when the first Republican governor was elected, to the early 1930s, and again from 1939 through 1955. Since the mid-1950s, however, Pennsylvania has emerged as a two-party state, and Democrats elected governors in 1954, 1958, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, and 2006. Republicans won the governorship in 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1994, and 1998. Democrat Ed Rendell was reelected governor in 2006.

Both US Senate seats were held by Republicans from 1968 to 1991. In November of 1991, a little-known Democrat and former college president named Harris Wofford defeated former governor Richard Thornburgh for the seat of Senator John Heinz, who died in 1991. In 1994, Republican Rick Santorum, a Congressman from the Pittsburgh area, defeated Wofford. Santorum was reelected in 2000 but was defeated by Democrat Bob Casey Jr. in 2006. The other senator is Republican Arlan Specter, who was elected to a fifth term in 2004. Following the 2006 midterm elections, Pennsylvania’s 19 seats in the US House of Representatives were held by 11 Democrats and 8 Republicans. Following those elections, there were 29 Republicans and 21 Democrats in the state senate and 102 Republicans and 101 Democrats in the state house. Thirty-four women were elected to the state legislature in 2006, or 13.4%.

In 2004 there were 8,367,000 registered voters. In 1998, 48% of registered voters were Democratic, 42% Republican, and 9% unaffiliated or members of other parties. In 2000, Democratic Al Gore garnered 51% of the presidential election vote and Republican George W. Bush received 47%. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry won 50.8% of the vote while President Bush received 48.6%.

14 Local Government

As of 2005, Pennsylvania had 67 counties, 1,018 municipal governments, 501 school districts, and 1,885 special districts. In 2002, there were 1,546 townships.

Under home-rule laws, municipalities may choose to draft and amend their own charter. The chief governing body in each county is a three-member board of commissioners. Other elected officials generally include the sheriff, district attorney, and treasurer. There are nine classes of counties and four classes of cities, based on population. The only first-class city, Philadelphia, is governed by a mayor and city council. Both Pittsburgh and Scranton are classified as second-class cities and are governed under mayor-council systems.

Boroughs are governed under mayor-council systems giving the council strong powers. Other elected officials are the tax assessor, tax collector, and auditor or controller. The state’s first-class townships are governed by elected commissioners; second-class townships have three supervisors who are elected at large.

15 Judicial System

Since 1968, all Pennsylvania courts have been organized under the Unified Judicial System. The highest court in the state is the supreme court, established in 1722, making it the oldest appeals court in the United States. In general, the supreme court hears appeals from the commonwealth court. A separate appeals court, called the superior court, hears appeals from the courts of common pleas.

In counties other than Philadelphia, misdemeanors and other minor offenses are tried by district justices, formerly known as justices of the peace. The state’s violent crime rate in 2004 was 411.1 reported incidents per 100,000 persons. Crimes against property were reported at a rate of about 2,415 per 100,000 people. In December 2004, there were 40,963 inmates held in state and federal corrections facilities. Pennsylvania imposes the death penalty and executed three persons between 1976 and 2006. In January 2006, there were 231 persons under sentence of death.

16 Migration

When William Penn’s followers arrived in Pennsylvania, they joined small groups of Dutch, Swedish, and Finnish immigrants who were already settled along the Delaware River. In 1683, the Frankfort Land Company founded the Mennonite community of Germantown on 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares) east of the Schuylkill River. The Moravians, from Saxony, settled primarily in Bethlehem and Nazareth, and the Amish in Lancaster and Reading.

During the 19th century, more immigrants settled in Pennsylvania than in any other state except New York. Between 1840 and 1890, the anthracite mines in east-central Pennsylvania attracted the Irish, Welsh, and Slavs. Scotch-Irish, Italian, Austrian, Hungarian, and Polish (and, after 1880, Russian) immigrants worked the western coal fields. The cities attracted Italian, French, and Slavic workers. East European and Russian Jews settled in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh between 1882 and 1900. By the turn of the century, the urban population surpassed the rural population.

During the 20th century, these patterns have been reversed. The trend among whites, particularly since World War II, has been to move out from the cities to the suburbs and from Pennsylvania to other states. Blacks, who began entering the state first as slaves and then as freemen, continued to migrate to the larger cities until the early 1970s, when a small out-migration began.

Between 1990 and 1998, the state had a net loss of 219,000 in domestic migration but a net gain of 104,000 in international migration. In the period 1995–2000, some 668,753 people moved into the state and 800,049 moved out, for a net loss of 131,296; of these, 92,385 moved to Florida. For the period 2000–05, net international migration was 102,470 and net internal migration was -28,012 for a net gain of 74,458 people.

17 Economy

Dominated by coal and steel, Pennsylvania is an important contributor to the national economy, but its role has diminished considerably since the early 20th century. Declines in coal and steel production and the loss of other industries have not been entirely counterbalanced by gains in other areas, despite a steady expansion of machinery production, increased tourism, and the growth of service-related industries and trade.

Manufacturing, the second largest employer in Pennsylvania, lost about 350,000 jobs during the 1980s. During the 1980s and 1990s, Pennsylvania’s aging factories faced severe competition from foreign producers. Services, in contrast, added about 375,000 jobs. The fastest growing service industries were concentrated in the medical and health fields.

From 1998 to 2000, Pennsylvania’s economy grew at an average rate of 4.75%. Growth was cut by more than half to 2.2% during the national recession of 2001. Manufacturing output fell, although revenues from trade and services increased in the early 2000s. In 2001, Pennsylvania’s gross state product (GSP) was $408.4 billion, the sixth largest among the states. In 2004, an estimated 33,188 new businesses were established while 34,507 businesses closed.

18 Income

In 2005, Pennsylvania had a gross state product (GSP) of $487 billion, ranking sixth among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2004, Pennsylvania ranked 19th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a per capita (per person) income of $33,312; the national average was $33,050. The average annual median household income for 2002–04 was $44,286 compared to the national average of $44,473. For the same period, 10.4% of the population lived below the federal poverty level, compared to the national average of 12.4%.

19 Industry

At different times throughout its history, Pennsylvania has been the nation’s principal producer of ships, iron, chemicals, lumber, oil, textiles, glass, coal, and steel. Although it is still a major manufacturing center, Pennsylvania’s industrial leadership has diminished steadily during the last century.

In 2004, the shipment value of products manufactured in the state was over $190 billion. Chemical manufacturing accounted for the largest share of that total, followed by food manufacturing and primary metal manufacturing.

Pittsburgh is a popular site for corporate headquarters. Among the leading companies headquartered there are USX (formerly US Steel), Westinghouse Electric, Aluminum Company of America, and H. J. Heinz.

20 Labor

In April 2006, the civilian labor force in Pennsylvania numbered 6,318,700, with approximately 299,400 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 4.7%, which was also the national average for the same period. In 2006, 4.4% of the labor force was employed in construction; 11.6% in manufacturing; 19.7% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 5.8% in financial activities; 11.6% in professional and business services; 18.3% in education and health services; 8.5% in leisure and hospitality services, and 13% in government.

The history of unionism in Pennsylvania dates back to 1724 when Philadelphia workers organized the Carpenters’ Company, the first crafts association in the colonies. Its Carpenters’ Hall gained fame as the site of the First Continental Congress in 1774. The carpenters were also responsible for the first strike in the United States in 1791. The nation’s first labor union was organized by Philadelphia shoemakers in 1794. By 1827, the Mechanics’ Union of Trade Associations, the country’s first central labor body, was striking for a 10-hour workday and was the impetus behind the formation of the Organized Workingman’s Party. After the Civil War ended, the Knights of Labor was established in Philadelphia in 1869.

The coal fields were sites of violent organizing struggles. In 1835, low wages and long hours sparked the first general mine strikes, which proved unsuccessful. During the 1850s and 1870s, a secret society known as the Molly Maguires led uprisings in the anthracite fields, but its influence ended after the conviction of its leaders for terrorist activities. The Steel Workers Organizing Committee, later the United Steelworkers, won a contract and improved benefits from US Steel in 1937, although other steel companies held out until the early 1940s, when the Supreme Court forced recognition of the union.

In 2005, some 753,000 of Pennsylvania’s 5,456,000 employed wage and salary workers were members of unions, representing 13.8% of those so employed. The national average was 12%.

21 Agriculture

Pennsylvania ranked 20th among the 50 states in agricultural income in 2005, with receipts of nearly $4.7 billion. Most farms in the state produce crops and dairy items for Philadelphia and other major eastern markets. As of 2004, there were about 58,200 farms averaging 132 acres (54 hectares) in size. The leading farm areas were all in southeastern Pennsylvania. Lancaster County is by far the most productive, followed by the counties of Chester, Berks, Franklin, and Lebanon.

Field crops in 2004 included hay (4.2 million tons), corn for grain (137 million), soybeans (10.5 million bushels), wheat, oats, and barley. Pennsylvania is a major producer of mushrooms and greenhouse and nursery crops. Other crops are fresh vegetables, potatoes, strawberries, apples, pears, peaches, grapes, and cherries (sweet and tart). The value of fresh market vegetables exceeded $70.4 million in 2004. The value of vegetables for processing was $10.9 million.

22 Domesticated Animals

Most of Pennsylvania’s farm income stems from livestock production, primarily in Lancaster County. In 2005, there were an estimated 1.63 million cattle and calves, valued at $1.8 billion. During 2004, there were about 1.1 million hogs and pigs, worth $106.9 million. In 2003, the state produced 7 million pounds (3.2 million kilograms) of sheep and lambs, which brought in $7.5 million in gross income. Pennsylvania is a leading producer of chickens in the United States, selling 44.2 million pounds (20 million kilograms) in 2003. An estimated 10.4 billion pounds (4.7 billion kg) of milk (fourth among the 50 states) was produced from 575,000 milk cows in the same year.

23 Fishing

There is very little commercial fishing in Pennsylvania. In 2004, the commercial catch was only 14,000 pounds (640 kilograms), worth $38,000. In 2001, there were 5 processing and 34 wholesale plants in the state with about 976 employees.

The state’s many lakes and streams make it a popular area for sport fishing. Walleye, trout, and salmon were the leading species. There are two national fish hatcheries in the state. In 2004, Pennsylvania issued 1,018,756 sport fishing licenses.

24 Forestry

Pennsylvania’s forests cover 58% (16,585,000 acres/6,712,000 hectares) of the total land area. For the northeastern United States, public ownership is high at 26% (4,403,000 acres/1,782,000 hectares), mostly owned by the commonwealth. The 1989 Forest Inventory identified 90 different tree species. Eagles and ospreys are making a comeback to state forests. There is a resident elk herd (the largest east of the Mississippi), coyotes have moved in, and river otters and fishers have been reintroduced.

The forest products industry and forest-based recreation are very important to Pennsylvania’s economy. In 2004, the total lumber production was 1.1 billion board feet, or 2.3% of the US total.

Camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting are traditional Pennsylvania pastimes and the clean streams, vistas, and flora and fauna of the forest provide a focal point for these activities.

25 Mining

In 2003, the value of mineral production in Pennsylvania was estimated at $1.26 billion. The most valuable mineral was crushed stone, which amounted to 96 million metric tons. Other important minerals were portland cement, with production of 6.13 million metric tons (third in the United States), and construction sand and gravel, with 18 million metric tons. Together, crushed stone, cement, and construction sand and gravel accounted for almost 92% of the total mineral production value. Pennsylvania ranked 10th among the states in value of its minerals in 2003. Although no metals were mined in Pennsylvania, the state was the nation’s fifth-leading producer of raw steel, processing about 5.53 million metric tons in 2003.

26 Energy and Power

In 2003, total electricity generation was 206.3 billion kilowatt hours. About 56.2% of all electricity was generated at coal-fired plants and 36% came from nuclear power generation.

Pennsylvania’s nuclear power production dropped abruptly on 28 March 1979, when a malfunction at the Unit 2 plant at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg caused the reactor’s containment building to fill up with radioactive water. Some radioactive steam was vented into the atmosphere and thousands of residents of nearby areas were temporarily evacuated. Metropolitan Edison’s Unit I plant was also shut down after the accident but was reopened in fall 1985. Operating nuclear plants in Pennsylvania as of 2006 were Peach Bottom, Beaver Valley, Susquehanna, Limerick, and Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island plant.

The nation’s first oil well was struck in Titusville in 1859. Oil reserves totaled 12 million barrels in 2004. Production was at 7,000 barrels per day that year. Marketed natural gas production in 2004 was 159.8 billion cubic feet (4.5 billion cubic meters). Estimated reserves of dry or consumer grade natural gas as of 2004 were over 2.3 billion cubic feet (67.7 billion cubic meters). Virtually all the state’s commercial oil and gas reserves lie beneath the Allegheny High Plateau, in western Pennsylvania.

Coal is the state’s most valuable mineral commodity, accounting for more than two-thirds of all mine income. In 2004, Pennsylvania’s mining companies produced 69.9 million short tons of coal. Pennsylvania is the only state to produce both anthracite (hard) coal and bituminous (soft or brown) coal. Bituminous coal is mined in Washington, Clearfield, Greene, Cambria, Armstrong, Somerset, Clarion, Allegheny, and 19 other counties in the western part of the state. Anthracite mining is concentrated in Schuylkill, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Northumberland, Carbon, Columbia, Sullivan, and Dauphin counties in the east. Recoverable coal reserves as of 2004 totaled 614 million short tons.

27 Commerce

Philadelphian John Wanamaker opened the world’s first department store in 1876; by 2002, Pennsylvania had about 48,041 retail establishments. Pennsylvania’s wholesale sales totaled $183.7 billion in 2002; retail sales were $130.7 billion. The leading type of retail establishments were food and beverage stores, followed by clothing and clothing accessories stores. In 2005, total exports of Pennsylvania goods had a value of $22.2 billion (ninth in the United States).

28 Public Finance

Pennsylvania’s budget is prepared annually by the Office of Budget and submitted by the governor to the Pennsylvania General Assembly for amendment and approval. By law, annual operating expenditures may not exceed available revenues and surpluses from prior years. The fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June.

The revenues for the state government in 2004 were $69.2 billion and expenditures were $57.3 billion. The largest general expenditures were for public welfare ($16.7 billion), education ($15.3 billion), and highways ($4 billion). The state debt exceeded $25.9 billion, or $2,097.45 per capita (per person).

29 Taxation

Pennsylvania’s personal income tax is levied at a flat rate of 3.07%. The corporate income tax is a flat rate of 9.99%. Pennsylvania’s sales and use tax is 6%. Local sales taxes are limited to an additional 1%. There are selective sales taxes on such items as gasoline and cigarettes.

The state collected $27.2 billion in taxes in 2005, of which 29.6% came from the general sales tax, 30.4% came from individual income taxes, 18.9% from selective sales taxes, and 6.2% from corporate income taxes. In 2005, Pennsylvania ranked 22nd among the states in terms of per capita tax burden, which amounted to $2,193 per person, compared to the national average of $2,192 per person.

30 Health

In 2005, Pennsylvania’s infant mortality rate was 6.9 per 1,000 live births. The crude death rate in 2003 was 10.5 per 1,000 population. As of 2004, about 22.6% of all state residents were smokers. As of 2002, the death rates for major causes of death (per 100,000 resident population) included heart disease, 315; cancer, 242; cerebrovascular diseases, 69.5; chronic lower respiratory diseases, 48.8; and diabetes, 30.1. The death rate for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was reported at 4 per 100,000. In 2004, the reported acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases rate was at about 13.1 per 100,000.

Pennsylvania’s 201 community hospitals had 40,900 beds in 2003. The average expense for hospital care was $1,326 per inpatient day. In 2004, about 12% of Pennsylvania’s residents were uninsured. There were 332 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2004 and 995 nurses per 100,000 in 2005. In 2004, there were a total of 7,789 dentists in the state.

The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, which originated as the medical school of the College of Philadelphia in 1765, is the nation’s oldest medical school. One of the nation’s newest is the Hershey Medical Center of Pennsylvania State University. Other medical schools in Pennsylvania are the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Temple University’s School of Medicine, the Medical College of Pennsylvania, and Allegheny University, the last three in Philadelphia. The state also has colleges of osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, and optometry—all in Philadelphia. Among the many medical certification boards located in Philadelphia are the boards of allergy and immunology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, and surgery.

31 Housing

In 2004, there were 5,385,729 housing units in Pennsylvania, 4,817,757 of which were occupied; 72.8% were owner-occupied. About 57.6% of all units were single-family, detached homes. About 30.7% of all units were built in 1939 or earlier. Utility gas and fuel oil were the most common sources of energy for heating. It was estimated that 135,756 units lacked telephone services, 23,755 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 28,415 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household had 2.48 members.

In 2004, some 49,700 new privately owned housing units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $116,520. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $1,114, while renters paid a median of $611 per month.

32 Education

From colonial times until the 1830s, almost all instruction in reading and writing took place in private schools. Called “dame schools” in the cities and “neighborhood schools” in rural areas, they offered primary courses, usually taught by women in their own homes. In addition, the Quakers, Moravians, and Scots-Irish Presbyterians all formed their own private schools, emphasizing religious study. Many communities also set up secondary schools, called academies, on land granted by the state. By 1850, there were 524 academies, some of which later developed into colleges. A public school law passed in 1834.

As of 2004, 86.5% of the population 25 years old and older had completed four years of high school and 25.3% had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Total public school enrollment was estimated at 1,817,000 in fall 2002. Expenditures for public education in 2003/04 were estimated at $20.7 billion. Enrollment in nonpublic schools in fall 2003 was 316,337.

As of fall 2002, there were 654,826 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In 2005, Pennsylvania had 262 degree-granting institutions. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, established in 1872, accounted for about 15% of all enrollment. Four universities have nonprofit corporate charters but are classified as state-related: Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Lincoln University. Of these, Penn State is by far the largest. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State now has its main campus at University Park and 23 smaller campus locations statewide.

There are state-aided private institutions receiving designated grants from the legislature. The largest of these schools is the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin as the Philadelphia Academy and Charitable School. Other private colleges and universities, also eligible to receive state aid, include Bryn Mawr College, Bucknell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, and Villanova University.

33 Arts

Philadelphia was the cultural capital of the colonies and rivaled New York as a theatrical center during the 1800s. A number of regional and summer stock theaters are scattered throughout the state, the most noteworthy being in Bucks County, Lancaster, and Pittsburgh. The Bucks County Playhouse is recognized as the State Theater and carries a rich history of featuring well-known stars such as Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, and Walter Matthau.

Pennsylvania’s most significant contribution to the performing arts has come through music. One of America’s first important songwriters, Stephen Foster, grew up in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Symphony, which began performing in 1896, first achieved prominence under Victor Herbert. Temporarily disbanded in 1910, the symphony was revived under Fritz Reiner in 1927. Even more illustrious has been the career of the Philadelphia Orchestra, founded in 1900. Among this orchestra’s best known permanent conductors have been Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy, both of whom recorded extensively.

An important dance company, the Pennsylvania Ballet, is based in Philadelphia, which also has the Curtis Institute of Music, founded in 1924. Pittsburgh also hosts a ballet company. The National Choreographic Center was established in the mid-1980s in Carlisle in conjunction with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet School. Opera companies include the Pennsylvania Opera Theater, Pittsburgh Opera, and Opera

The American Poetry Review, published out of Philadelphia, has become one of the nation’s premier poetry journals. Favorite tourist sites featuring the arts include the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and Fallingwater, a home created by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Bear Run.

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts supports many arts programs with the help of state and federal funds. The Pennsylvania Humanities Council was established in 1973. Pennsylvania has an estimated 3,000 arts associations and 75 local arts groups, with over 400,000 contributing artists. In 2005, Pennsylvania arts organizations received 103 grants totaling over $3.1 million from the National Endowment for the Arts. The same year, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded 59 grants totaling over $6.1 million for state programs.

34 Libraries and Museums

In 2001, Pennsylvania had 459 public library systems with a total of 636 libraries. Public libraries stocked over 28 million volumes and had a total circulation of 56.9 million. The largest public library in the state, and one of the oldest in the United States, is the Free Library of Philadelphia, with 6.7 million volumes in 73 branches. Also noteworthy are the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh and the State Library of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. The Alverthorpe Gallery Library in Jenkintown contains the Rosenwald collection of illustrated books dating from the 15th century.

Philadelphia is the site of the state’s largest academic collection, the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, with 4.7 million volumes. Other major academic libraries are at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State, Lehigh, Temple, Carnegie-Mellon, and Swarthmore.

Pennsylvania has 362 museums and public gardens, with many of the museums located in Philadelphia. The Franklin Institute, established in 1824 as an exhibition hall and training center for inventors and mechanics, is a leading showcase for science and technology. Other important museums are the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

The Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh is home to several major museums, including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Art. Other institutions scattered throughout the state include the US Army Military History Institute, Carlisle; and Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Culture Society, Lenhartsville. A new exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium opened in June of 2000, featuring an aquarium that houses 500 species of sea creatures.

Several old forts commemorate the French and Indian War, and George Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters at Valley Forge is now a national historical park. Brandywine Battlefield (Chadds Ford) is another Revolutionary War site. Gettysburg National Military Park commemorates the Civil War.

35 Communications

The most famous deputy postmaster of Philadelphia was Benjamin Franklin, who took the post in 1737. In 2004, some 95.6% of Pennsylvania’s households had telephones. The same year, there were about 6.4 million mobile phone subscribers. In 2003, about 60% of Pennsylvania households had a personal computer and 54.7% had access to the Internet. A total of 217,724 Internet domain names were registered in the state in 2000.

In 2005, there were 55 major AM and 144 major FM radio stations. In addition, there were 34 major television stations. About 79% of all households have cable.

36 Press

Benjamin Franklin may have been colonial Pennsylvania’s most renowned publisher, but the state’s first publisher was Andrew Bradford. His American Weekly Mercury, established in 1719, was the third newspaper to appear in the colonies. The Pennsylvania Gazette, purchased by Franklin in 1730, served as the springboard for Poor Richard’s Almanack.

In 2005, Pennsylvania had 50 morning newspapers, 31 evening newspapers, and 41 Sunday papers. The leading dailies, with daily circulation in 2005, included the Philadelphia Inquirer (368,833), the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (238,860), and the Philadelphia Daily News (135,956).

Farm Journal and Current History , both monthlies, are published in Philadelphia. There also are monthlies named for both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Of more specialized interest are the gardening, nutrition, and health magazines and books from Rodale Press in Emmaus and the automotive guides from the Thompson Corporation (formerly the Chilton Company) in Radnor.

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

Tourism is the second-largest industry in the state of Pennsylvania, which hosted about 126 million travelers in 2003. Of these, about 1.3 million were international visitors with the majority from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The total economic impact from travel expenditures was $21.9 billion in 2003. The industry supported over 563,440 jobs.

Philadelphia, hosting Independence National Historical Park which has been called the most historic square mile in America, offers the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and many other sites. North of Philadelphia in Bucks County is the town of New Hope, with its numerous craft and antique shops. The Lancaster area is “Pennsylvania Dutch” country, featuring tours and exhibits of Amish farm life. Gettysburg contains not only the famous Civil War battlefield but also the home of Dwight D. Eisenhower, opened to the public in 1980. Among the most popular sites are Chocolate World and Hersheypark in the town of Hershey, and Valley Forge National Historic Park.

No less of an attraction are the state’s outdoor recreation areas. By far the most popular for both skiing and camping are the Delaware Water Gap and the Poconos, also a favorite resort region. The state park system includes 116 parks, 20 state forests, 1 national forest, and 3 environmental education centers.

38 Sports

Pennsylvania has seven major league professional sports teams: the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League.

There are also minor league baseball teams in Harrisburg, Scranton, Altoona, Reading, Williamsport, Allentown, and Erie, and minor league hockey teams in Hershey, Johnstown, Wilkes-Barre, and Philadelphia.

Horse racing is conducted at Keystone Race Track in Bucks County, Penn National Race Course in Dauphin County, and Commodore Downs in Erie County. Harness racing tracks include Liberty Bell Park in northeast Philadelphia, the Meadows in Washington County, and Pocono Downs in Luzerne County. Each June, Pennsylvania hosts a major auto race, the Pocono 500. Each July, the state hosts a second NASCAR Nextel Cup event, the Pennsylvania 500. The Penn Relays, an important amateur track meet, are held in Philadelphia every April.

In collegiate sports, football is most prominent. The University of Pittsburgh’s Panthers were named national champions three times. Penn State was named champion in 1982 and 1986 and joined the Big Ten in 1990. The Nittany Lions have won more than eight bowl games. The University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Ivy League, fields traditionally strong teams in football and basketball. Villanova University, located in Philadelphia, won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball championship in 1985.

Each summer, Williamsport hosts baseball’s Little League World Series.

39 Famous Pennsylvanians

Johan Printz (b.Sweden, 1592–1663), the hard-drinking, hard-swearing, and hard-ruling governor of New Sweden, was Pennsylvania’s first European resident of note. The founder of Pennsylvania was William Penn (b.England, 1644–1718), a Quaker of sober habits and deep religious beliefs. Most extraordinary of all Pennsylvanians, Benjamin Franklin (b.Massachusetts, 1706–1790), a printer, author, inventor, scientist, legislator, diplomat, and statesman, served the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and US governments in a variety of posts.

Only one native Pennsylvanian, James Buchanan (1791–1868), has ever become US president. George M. Dallas (1792–1864), Pennsylvania’s only US vice president, was James K. Polk’s running mate. Many other Pennsylvanians have held prominent federal positions. John Wanamaker (1838–1922), an innovative department store merchandiser, served as postmaster general under Benjamin Harrison. Financier Andrew C. Mellon (1855–1937) was secretary of the treasury under Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.

Other notable historical figures were Joseph Galloway (b.Maryland, c.1729–1803), a loyalist and Betsy Ross (Elizabeth Griscom, 1752–1836), the seamstress who allegedly stitched the first American flag. Pamphleteer Thomas Paine (England, 1737–1809) and pioneer Daniel

Boone (1734–1820) also distinguished themselves during this period.

Pennsylvanians have won Nobel Prizes in every category except literature. General George C. Marshall (1880–1959), chief of staff of the US Army in World War II and secretary of state when the European Recovery Program (Marshall Plan) was adopted, won the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize. In chemistry, Theodore W. Richards (1868–1928) won the 1914 Nobel Prize for determining the atomic weight of many elements.

Many other Pennsylvanians were distinguished scientists. Benjamin Franklin’s grandson Alexander Dallas Bache (1806–1867) was an expert on magnetism. Caspar Wistar (b.Germany, 1761–1818) and Thomas Woodhouse (1770–1809) pioneered the study of chemistry. Noted inventors born in Pennsylvania include steamboat builder Robert Fulton (1765–1815) and the father of the American anthracite iron industry, David Thomas (1794–1882).

Andrew Carnegie (b.Scotland, 1835–1919) and his lieutenants, including Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919) and Charles M. Schwab (1862–1939), created the most efficient steel manufacturing company in the 19th century. John Wanamaker (1838–1922), Frank W. Woolworth (b.New York, 1852–1919), and Sebastian S. Kresge (1867–1966) were pioneer merchandisers.

Other prominent businessmen born in Pennsylvania are automobile pioneer Clement Studebaker (1831–1901), chocolate manufacturer Milton S. Hershey (1857–1945), and retired Chrysler chairman Lee A. Iacocca (b.1924).

Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916), born a Congregationalist, founded the group that later became Jehovah’s Witnesses. Among the state’s outstanding scholars are anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901–1978); behavioral psychologist B(urrhus) F(rederic) Skinner (1904–1990); and language theorist Noam Chomsky (b.1928). Thomas Gallaudet (1787–1851) was a pioneer in education of the deaf.

Pennsylvania has produced a large number of distinguished journalists and writers. Ida M. Tarbell (1857–1944) was perhaps Pennsylvania’s most famous muckraker. Among the many noteworthy Pennsylvania-born writers are Gertrude Stein (1874–1946), Christopher Morley (1890–1957), and John Updike (b.1932). James Michener (1907–1997) was raised in the state. Among Pennsylvania poets are Francis Hopkinson (1737–1791) and Wallace Stevens (1879–1955).

Composers include Stephen Collins Foster (1826–1864) and Samuel Barber (1910–1981). Among Pennsylvania painters prominent in the history of American art are Benjamin West (1738–1820), renowned as the father of American painting; Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827), who was also a naturalist; Andrew Wyeth (b.1917); and Andy Warhol (1927–1987). Pennsylvania produced and patronized a host of actors, including Lionel (1878–1954), Ethel (1879–1959), and John (1882–1942) Barrymore; W. C. Fields (William Claude Dukenfield, 1880–1946); James Stewart (1908–1997); Gene Kelly (1912–1996); Charles Bronson (Charles Buchinsky, 1922–2003); Shirley Jones (b.1934); and comedian Bill Cosby (b.1937).

Popular band leaders include Jimmy Dorsey (1904–1957), his brother Tommy (1905–1956), and Les Brown (1912–2001). Perry Como (1913–2001), Daryl Hall (b.1949), and John Oates (b.New York, 1948) achieved renown as popular singers.

Of the many outstanding athletes associated with Pennsylvania, Jim Thorpe (b.Oklahoma, 1888–1953) was most versatile, having starred in Olympic pentathlon and decathlon events and football. Baseball Hall of Famers include Honus Wagner (1874–1955), Stan Musial (b.1920), and Roy Campanella (1921–1993). Outstanding Pennsylvania football players include Johnny Unitas (1933–2002), Joe Namath (b.1943), and Tony Dorsett (b.1954). Other stars include basketball’s Wilt Chamberlain (1936–1999); golf’s Arnold Palmer (b.1929), tennis ace Bill Tilden (1893–1953); jockey Bill Hartack (b.1932); billiards star Willie Mosconi (1913–1993); swimmer Johnny Weissmuller (1904–1984); and track and field’s Bill Toomey (b.1939).

Pennsylvania has also been the birthplace of a duchess—Bessie Wallis Warfield, the Duchess of Windsor (1896–1986)—and of a princess—Grace Kelly, Princess Grace of Monaco (1929–1982).