The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United States Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

The location of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the fifth most populous of the 50 states of the United States. Pennsylvania lies west of the Delaware River in the Mid-Atlantic United States.

King Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter for a Colony of Pennsylvania in 1681. Philadelphia, the capital of the colony, soon rose to become the most populous city of British America. As Britain attempted to tighten its grip on its American colonies, many prominent Pennsylvanians called for greater independence for British America. The upper and lower counties of Pennsylvania (now known as Delaware) joined eleven other British colonies in declaring their autonomy with signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.

The newly independent state chose the moniker "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" as a token of its prominence and autonomy in the Americas. The American states prevailed in the American War of Independence which concluded with the Treaty of Paris of 1783. The Constitution of the United States was written in convention at Philadelphia in 1787. The State of Delaware and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania became the first two states to ratify the new Constitution, thus Pennsylvania is ranked as the second state to join the Union.

General reference

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An enlargeable map of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Geography of Pennsylvania

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Geography of Pennsylvania

Places in Pennsylvania

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Places in Pennsylvania

Environment of Pennsylvania

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Natural geographic features of Pennsylvania

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Regions of Pennsylvania

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Administrative divisions of Pennsylvania

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An enlargeable map of the 67 counties of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Demography of Pennsylvania

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Government and politics of Pennsylvania

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Politics of Pennsylvania

Branches of the government of Pennsylvania

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Government of Pennsylvania

Executive branch of the government of Pennsylvania

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Legislative branch of the government of Pennsylvania

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Judicial branch of the government of Pennsylvania

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Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania

Law and order in Pennsylvania

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Law of Pennsylvania

Military in Pennsylvania

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Local government in Pennsylvania

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Local government in Pennsylvania

History of Pennsylvania

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History of Pennsylvania

History of Pennsylvania, by period

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History of Pennsylvania, by region

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By county

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By municipality

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History of Pennsylvania, by subject

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Culture of Pennsylvania

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Culture of Pennsylvania

The Arts in Pennsylvania

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Sports in Pennsylvania

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Economy and infrastructure of Pennsylvania

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Economy of Pennsylvania

Education in Pennsylvania

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Education in Pennsylvania

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
  2. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau State & County QuickFacts Pennsylvania". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
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