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This wiki is for Mr. Flaherty's Foundations of Civics classes. We will be adding content to this wiki as we cover material on a variety of subjects throughout the semester. I hope you enjoy our work. [|PA Geography.m4a] [|Native Americans 1.m4a] [|Early European Inhabitants and William Penn .m4a] [|Pre Civil War Industry.m4a] [|Modern Industry.ppt] [|Pennsylvania Geography ~ Duane,Corey,Brice,&Dan.ppt] [|Multi-Cultural Diversity RSLM.ppt] [|Pa History Modern Industry.m4a]

**Pennsylvania Geography** Pennsylvania is the thirty-third largest state in the United States of America. It is three hundred and two in width and one hundred and fifty-eight miles in length. The state is four thousand three hundred and thirty-three square miles and the most southern state in the northeast region on the United States. It borders north with New York, east with New York and New Jersey, south with West Virginia and Maryland, and west with West Virginia and Ohio. It also borders Lake Erie in the northwest. Pennsylvania is also considered a Mid-Atlantic state. The climate in Pennsylvania varies according to the region and its elevation. Pennsylvania, as a whole, is listed as a humid continental climate. It also has 4 distinct seasons, Winter (December twenty-third to March twenty-first), Spring (March twenty-first to June twenty-first), Summer (June twenty-first to September twenty-third), and Fall (September twenty-third to December twenty-third). The Atlantic Ocean does not affect Pennsylvania’s weather in anyway. Pennsylvania has an average of seven tornadoes per year, and the average rain fall is thirty-four to fifty-two inches a year. There are five distinct regions in Pennsylvania. They are the Atlantic Coastal Plains, the Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, Allegheny Mountains and Plateau, and the Lake Erie Plan. The first of the regions is the Atlantic Coastal Plains. This section of land runs across the East Coast from New York to Florida. It runs ten miles into the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania. The elevation of this region ranges fro sea level to twenty-six feet above sea level. The next region is the Piedmont. This region lays on most of the southeastern part of the state, but ends at Harrisburg. In this region there are low, rolling hills with a maximum elevation of six hundred feet above sea level. This region holds some of the most fertile soil in the United States. On this land there are a combination of farms, fields, and forests. The third region of Pennsylvania is the Ridge and Valley region. This includes the mountain ridges and valleys curving down from the northeast. This region covers about ninety miles in width. The Appalachian Mountain chain is included in this part. The Blue Ridge Mountain range is also in this region with a maximum height of two thousand two hundred feet in elevation. Another mountain range in this region is the Allegheny Mountains that branch out in many different directions across the state. In these mountains lies the highest point in Pennsylvania, Mount Davis. Another region is the Allegheny Mountains and Plateau which covers sixty percent of the state alone. The elevation of this region is seven hundred feet to two thousand five hundred feet. The Pocono Mountains are in this region with up to two thousand feet in elevation. The last distinct region is the Lake Erie Plan. This region is located in the northwestern part of Pennsylvania. This region is narrow and flat. The whole region is only 4 miles. The soil in this region is rich in sand and silt which makes for growing unique crops. The water in Pennsylvania is an surplus of fresh water supply. Pennsylvania has around forty-five thousand miles of rivers and tributaries. There are two hundred fifty-six natural lakes along with two thousand man-made lakes in the state. There are three major water systems in Pennsylvania, they are the Allegheny River, the Monongahela River, and the Ohio River. The Allegheny River is located in north central Pennsylvania. It runs through the city of Pittsburg. Some of it’s tributaries are Cassadaga Creek, Conewango Creek, Olean Creek, and Oil Creek. The Monongahela River is located in southwestern Pennsylvania. It also flows through Pittsburg. Some of the tributaries to this river are the Cheat River and the Youghiogheny River.The Ohio River is located in western Pennsylvania. This river also runs through Pittsburg. Some tributaries to this river are the Allegheny River, the Monongahela River, and the Beaver River. Pennsylvania is full of natural resources. There are twenty state forests in Pennsylvania. There are also one hundred forty-four state parks in the state. The soil in the Pennsylvania varies from different locations. Around the mountains, there is poor soil that causes difficulty in growing crops, yet one third of the land is farmed. The richest soils in Pennsylvania are found in the Piedmont region. The soil in the Ridge and Valley region is full of limestone and slate. In Pennsylvania most soil contains brown loam. Brown loam is a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter. Some soil in Pennsylvania has a fair quality of clay which is important to Pennsylvania’s brick and clay industry. Pennsylvania also contains fossil fuels. These fossil fuels are coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Pennsylvania is the fourth largest producer of coal in the United States. Most coal from Pennsylvania is from the northeastern part of the state. Natural gas is produced in more then twenty counties in Pennsylvania. There are over twenty-four thousand wells in Pennsylvania, leading it to be one of the largest producers of natural gas in the United States. Petroleum, for the first time ever, drilled in northwestern Pennsylvania. The state produces 1% of the countries petroleum. Pennsylvania ranks in the top ten states in mineral production. Nearly three hundred minerals are found in Pennsylvania. The state also ranks first in stone production. The two most important stones found in Pennsylvania are limestone and slate. Two other stones found in half of the state are sand and gravel. Native American tribes lived in Pennsylvania and New York at the time of the arrival of white European settlers. The powerful Iroquois nation of tribes was located in New York rather than Pennsylvania, but they were spreading into northern Pennsylvania. In the Susquehanna, Easton, and Appalachian areas. The Algonquian Tribes (Delaware, Shawnee, Nanticoke) and Iroquois Tribes (Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca) lived in clans, or small villages. Each clan was represented by an animal. They believed the animals were ancestors and protectors of the clan. The council of men was appointed for each clan. The women were the ones who chose the members of the council. If they made a wrong choice, they could remove the ones they chose from power. Several clans made up a tribe of Native Americans. For the Algonquians, the tribe had a chief and several council members. The chief was the battle leader, hunting leader, and settled disagreements. The Iroquois had different political policies. Five feuding tribes formed a group of tribes to keep from fighting each other. The women would choose the chiefs of each tribe and they sat on a tribal council. The council was meant to keep the tribes together and keep the peace between them all. Typically, one person was chosen as the head chief of the council. The head chief had to have the agreement of the other chiefs before making any big decisions. The Native Americans ruled themselves simply. They had no judges or written rules. They also didn’t have a written language. They lived by the simple rule of right and wrong. The punishment was usually “and eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” For example, if you stole from someone you would pay by giving away some of your possessions. And if you murdered someone a member of that person’s family killed you. The Algonquian tribes built their homes differently than the Iroquois tribes did. The Algonquian tribes built small houses called wigwams for each family. They built these out of young trees. There are three styles of frames a rounded dome, a conical shape (called a tipi) and a rectangular shape. Algonquian’s build separate sweathouses, too. It was like their own health spa in their homes. The Iroquois build houses called longhouses. A dozen families might share a single 20x100 foot longhouse. A typical longhouse usually held the parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and their kids of one family. When a man and woman got married, the man moved into the woman’s home. He could not depend on being helped by his children; he had to go back to his mother’s clan. The Native Americans had no organized currency or money system. Trading and bartering were the main ways to get the things that you needed. The wampum belt is made from shells and other ornaments. It was originally used by the Iroquois as a way of recording historical events. Later it became a way for trading for ornaments and decorations. Also it was symbolizing a peace treaty. A black wampum belt it meant war or big trouble. Men were the hunters and warriors within the tribe. The women and children skinned the animals, prepared and cooked the meals, tended to the crops, and did all the other work. Children were taught to respect their elders and to appreciate their lives. Deerskin was the main choice of clothing fabric. Once skinned, the deer pelt was brushed until the hair rotted off. The pelt was tanned into buckskin. This was used to make shirts, leggings, loincloths, skirts, and moccasins. Robes and blankets were made out of bear, beaver, and raccoon fur. Since Native American women worked a lot, they saved their best clothes for special occasions. Also, they only had one set of work clothes. Women prized long hair and took very good care of their hair. It rarely became gray and they never dyed it. Men cared more about their hair than women did. Everyday, they would cover their hair in bear fat to make it glossy and sometimes they added soot to make it blacker. As a rule, the Native Americans worshiped nature and believed in the “Great Spirit.” Although the Algonquians had to kill animals, their religion revolved around nature and animals. They thought the spirits of animals were very powerful. They also believed that if they treated dead animal bones with respect, the animal would not be angry. For example, fish bones were thrown back into the water and the skulls of animals were hung in lodges and were used for prayer. Religion was very important to Algonquians. The Iroquois, however, recognized a lot of powerful spirits whom they could contact through dreams. They also acknowledge the forces of good and evil. They spoke of the Master of Life. They believe that the Master of Life created the world. They also believed that the Master of Life’s brother tried to destroy the plans of his brother. When they traveled, the canoe was the most efficient way to travel. The Algonquians built a superior lightweight birch bark canoe. The Iroquois constructed canoes out of heavy elm bark. In Pennsylvania, Native Americans traveled more by land than by water. They were excellent trail makers. When possible, they chose paths that were made on high grounds or ridges. When they had to cross a body of water they always looked for the best place to ford. To ford is to find the shallowest place to cross. They had different paths for everything they did. Since most of their trails were so well planned, they didn’t have to change them much when they got automobiles. They also didn’t have signs or trail markers on their roads. They didn’t become lost often, but when they did their rule was “if lost, check the moss.” Moss is located on the north side of the tree. These were the two major tribes in Southern New York and Northern Pennsylvania at the time. The tribes started in New York but slowly moved to Northern Pennsylvania. These tribes were similar in some ways, but also very different in ways such as their beliefs, houses, government, and transportation. But both tribes had a chief leader and a council who made decisions for the tribe. And in both tribes the women chose the members for the council. So women had a voice in the government of their tribe. Native Americans originally lived in the areas where we live today. __**Early European Inhabitants and William Penn**__ Long before what is today Pennsylvania became a state; it was a region of vast open land. The land’s earliest inhabitants, other than Native Americans, were early European settlers with their fair share of conflict and culture. Explorers came from all around Europe, including Sweden, France, Holland and England. The Swedes set up a government with a governor. They called the land “New Sweden.” As settlers from Holland, the Dutch settled by building forts and introducing aspects of culture and daily life to the new land. All the explorers were sent by their home country in order to claim the land. Due to countries wanting territory for themselves, conflicts rose about exactly whose land it really was. The Native Americans did not understand the concept of purchasing land. From their understanding, the land belonged to everyone and they would be willing to share. By force, the European settlers took the land and the Native Americans moved westward. The colonists eventually fought each other for property. The English king sent fleets of ships to take Dutch colonies. Without firing a shot, the Dutch surrendered. Swedes went to capture Dutch forts. The settlers from Holland got angry and retaliated against the Swedish settlers. Even with all the conflict, the colonists made important attributes to the land. Building log cabins and teaching others about the structure which was commonly used in the early days of the colony was just one contribution the Swedes made to the new land. In modern-day Pennsylvania, agriculture is an important part of the state. The Swedish settlers also brought cows which became a significant part of crop growing. The Dutch also had an effect on architecture for homes and buildings which can still be seen in the state today. As a form of both recreation and transportation, the Dutch introduced sleighs. They also presented ice skates to the new land during icy winters. Following the Christian holiday, Christmas, these settlers presented St. Nicholas commonly known as Santa Clause. Through conflict and traditions, Europeans were the early residents of the land that was to be known as Pennsylvania. Though there were European inhabitants of the land, William Penn is generally related with the founding of Pennsylvania. In his early life, he overcame disgrace and challenges and eventually established a government very similar to the one the state has today. Born in England in 1644, William Penn had a life of rebellion and greatness ahead of him. The intelligent and handsome young man received a strong education and attended the prestigious Oxford University. After speaking out about being forced to attend religious services, William was expelled. At 23 years of age, he joined a religious group known as the Quakers or the Society of Friends, which he thought had the right ideas for faith. Although arrested many times, William was able to escape detainment through his rich allies. The King of England, the Duke of York, and many other distinguished members of society were friends with Penn’s family. When his father passed away, William discovered the king owed him a great deal of money. The royal family was unable to repay him, so Penn offered to take land in the New World instead for a sanctuary of religious freedom. To this, the King agreed and in honor of Penn’s late father suggested the name “Pennsylvania” for the new land. The name meant “Penn’s Forest” and that is exactly what the land was. The area William Penn discovered was open and inviting. He saw great potential for development. Native Americans also occupied the region, but Penn sought ways to be peaceful with them. William called Pennsylvania his “Holy Experiment.” The ideas he put into the land are the foundation that the modern state is built upon. He encouraged freedom of the press and speech, unlimited free enterprise, secure private property, and trials by jury. Penn also promoted women’s rights, supporting them to speak out and have the same liberties as men. Through toleration with all religions, Pennsylvania became America’s first great “melting pot.” The Irish, Germans, English and more fled to the land to escape prejudices. Many religions including Catholics, Jews and Protestants celebrated Pennsylvania’s offer of religious tolerance. As perpetrator of the land, Penn created a frame of government. His first frame of government called for a general assembly which the courts provided for. The legislators worked with Penn on creating the Constitution of Pennsylvania. The leader of the general assembly, or the governor, had limited powers with the ability to veto. Penn, the initial governor, made sure that his controlled and limited powers were clear and the legislation, too, had powers with limitations. Penn’s Great Law was a series of statutes which emphasized religious freedom. Civil liberties and religion must be preserved as they intertwine. Plainly, this testifies that a government cannot establish or force a religion onto the people of the state. Ratified October 28, 1701, the Charter of Privileges formally established Penn’s frame of government. Again, the idea that all religions are to be tolerated and none are to be forced is evident. This charter seemed remarkably liberal to most people. By working through times of discrimination, conflict, and toleration, William Penn was able to establish the foundation of government which is firmly established today in Pennsylvania. William Penn’s distinct reason for rebelling was because he believed in religious freedom. Penn followed the Quaker religion, also known as the Society of Friends. The Quakers practiced equality. They also thought that war and fighting was wrong and preferred peace over conflict. Instead of clergy or churches, the Quakers held meetings. At these meetings members would silently meditate and speak when the Spirit moved them. Apart from other religions which use scripture, Quakers believed that a person’s conscience was the ultimate authority. They chose to live simple lives with plain dress. The Quakers were persecuted in England because of their beliefs so they lived out casted from society. English authorities often broke into Quaker meetings and arrested members of the religion. Penn escaped apprehension several times due to his family allies and aristocratic clothing. The Quaker’s ideas of equality and toleration for all gave Penn the background to build Pennsylvania’s government and ideals. Most settlers forcefully pushed Native Americans off their land, but William Penn took a peaceful approach. He formed the Great Treaty with Native Americans which gave his settlers land. The Natives agreed to this and were content as long as they were not hurried off the land. This treaty lasted 70 years. In all of American history, the Great Treaty is the only treaty between Native Americans and settlers that was never ratified as an oath, but still never infringed. After William Penn’s death, his sons took over and went on to gain more land from the Native Americans. Unlike their father, they did not try an honest approach, instead they used trickery. The purchase of the land was agreed to be as far as the Penn’s men could walk in two and a half days. In order to get more land, the Penn’s hired fast runners to run a cleared course instead of walking an unclear path. When the Native Americans discovered this abomination, they complained about the terms and agreements. Nothing came of their complaints and the Native Americans continued their push west. William Penn was originally able to win over the Natives because of his peaceful relations. He proved himself in strength to the Natives. Penn could out-run some of the strongest Indian-Braves. Penn did not bring weapons or guards when going to discuss issues because he did not mean for any violence to occur. He could also conduct negotiations without interpreters. By taking time to learn Indian dialects, Penn received respect from the Native Americans. William Penn was able to have peaceful relations with the Natives of the land, but his son’s did not possess the same values as their father. Pennsylvania came to be known as "the great melting pot" because of Penn's philosophy emphasizing the toleration of different religious and ethnic groups. __**Pre-Civil War Industry**__ The pre-civil war industry consisted of many events thathappened in Pennsylvania. One was the building of the Conestoga wagons. Also, geographical features of Pennsylvania are alsofeatured. Another was the creation of the Pennsylvania turnpike.Also, the canal system and the trip from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh using the Penn Main Line Charter. Another is the steamboat andthe steam locomotive. Finally oil is the last industry. All of these events happened between the years 1750 and 1857. Some geographical features of Pennsylvania at this time were dirt roads. The dirt roads made it hard to pull wagons along. The roads were very rough. Also the Allegheny Mountains are features of Pennsylvania. Because the Allegheny Mountains have rough land, it is very hard for traveling over top of them. The Allegheny River, the Susquehanna River, the Delaware River, and the Ohio River are many rivers found around this area.Often used in 1750-1850, the Conestoga wagon is a large, covered wagon with broad wheels and an arched canvas top. They were first founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvanian Dutch built the first Conestoga wagon, in order to transport thousands of settlers to the west along with supplies. The wagons were strong enough to carry supplies and trade good from place to place. Because these wagons carried so much, they were heavy, often pulled by six to eight horses per wagon. An average wagon could haul between three and five tons. In fact, the largest wagon pulled was 7 tons. Conestoga wagons often got confused with prairie schooners, which look alike. Ferryboats were used to transport Conestoga wagons over rivers and bodies of water. An average cost for a Conestoga Wagon was about $250. Back in those times, that was quite a lot of money. The length of time to build one was about two months. Every day, the average distance to travel was about 12-15 miles. Back in those times, Conestoga wagons were very helpful. The Pennsylvania turnpike was established in the 1800’s.Originally, it was a stone road stretched from Philadelphia to Lancaster. A toll was required by the travelers to cover the cost of the road. These stops where people paid their tolls were called a tollgate. This included animals, if farmers had animals traveling with them; they were required to pay for them as well. By 1832, the turnpike had over 3000 miles of road that was considered to be the turnpike. The canal system was thought to be a faster traveling route. It was a good trade route. Canals could transport cattle and/or people. In 1828 through 1858, many people in Pennsylvania had “canal fever”. Pennsylvania spent over $100,000,000 for the canal. There are more miles in the canal than in any other state. Because of it being so big and expensive, they nearly went bankrupt. They recovered from the near bankruptcy by trade, goods, and people. Between the years 1835 and 1857, people traveled on Penn Main Line Charter. It wasn’t totally a waterway. In two sections totaling 118 miles, it was impossible to build a canal. Instead, railroads were built. Teams of horses pulled the flatcars. Locomotives were later used to perform the work instead of the horses. The steam locomotive was the king of trade. It was a fast way of moving freight and passengers. It was also a cheap way to move freight and passengers. Wooden rails were used for the wagons to run on. Horses pulled wagons over the rails because the engines were too heavy for the wooden rails. Later, iron replaced the wooden rails. In the 1830’s steam engine locomotives were introduced. Matthias Baldwin built the first steam train in Pennsylvania. The hearth stove was a safer meaning for creating the steam. The first experimenter with steamboats was John Finch. Steamboat’s engine got improved by James Watt in 1769. The first experimental steamboats took place between 1780 and 1790. The very first successful steamboat was created by Robert Fulton in 1807. This steamboat had a paddlewheel. Unfortunately, the steamboat couldn’t go in the Susquehanna River due to the too shallow of the water in the river. The steamboat’s success caused the trade to Mississippi. In the 1840’s Samuel Kier found rock oil. Humans bottledit and sold it as medication to make them feel better. In later days, they discovered it could be refined. Later, it was made into fine fuel for lamps. In 1850, Samuel Kier built the first oil refinery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was the very first refinery in the nation. This refinery produced kerosene. In 1859, the problem to get petroleum out of the ground in Pennsylvania was solved. This problem was solved by Edwin Drake. He created an oil well to do so. On Saturday August 27, 1859 they stopped drilling and on this day, oil was discovered. They produced around 400 barrels a day. In pre-civil war industry, a lot of events took place. Like explaining the geographical features of Pennsylvania at that time, explaining the building of the Conestoga Wagons and everything involved with that, the Pennsylvania turnpike and how tolls were taken there, the traveling route called the canal system, how people traveled on the Penn Main Line Charter, how the steam locomotives were the kings of trade, the first steamboats, and how oil was founded. __**William Penn's Holy Experiment**__ William Penn’s holy experiment consisted of two things. They are known as haven, which is a safe place where you can go if you are diagnosed with an illness. And another is a mosaic and this is known as his holy experiment. The early ethnic group that came to the early day Pa is for example the England-Quakers, which arrived in the 1680’s. The Quakers were a religious society of friends. Another example is homeland-indentured servants they migrated to Pa in the 1680’s also. They would go into dept so that they could get transportation, food, drinks, and the lodging to America. And they had to work in the fields picking tobacco. The African Americans came to Pa around 1700’s. They came here on there own will. They have immigrated for over three centuries. Also there is an ethnic group called the Ireland-Catholics. They arrived in PA in 1700. They came here for domestic servants or as indentured servants. Another fact is that most of the people who came over were mostly men. The next is the Germany-Mennonites. They arrived in 1710’s. The first Mennonites came over and settled in Lancaster P.A. Next the way we found out is because their captains sent them letters from Amsterdam. The next group is the Switzerland-Amish. They arrived in the 1720’s. This group considers themselves Protestants. And there beliefs are based on the writings. Next is the Germany-Seventh Day Baptists. They arrived in 1730’s. They convent to spiritual believers. And also they help missionary societies. The England-Shakers arrived in the 1740’s. Their group name is children of the truth. They are best known for their favor of their favor of their worship services. The Germany-Brethrens arrives in the 1740’s also. They settled in 1719 in Germantown Pa. They are also known as dunkers, drunkards, and or tunkers. Production drove them to P.A. They are the largest Free Church movements. In Pa today there is a population density of 265 people per square feet. Some of the ethnic groups today in Pa are Methodists, Lutherans, and Pa Dutch. Most of the people in PA live in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Pocono’s. The Pa. Dutch are actually German. The two main religions are Bretherans and Lutherans. Some of the Amish beliefs are that adult baptism is done after commitment is done. They believe in the trinity, the virgin birth, sinless life and the death and rising of the Jesus Christ. Also they think that satin exist as living person. And that salvation is a gift from god.
 * Native Americans in Pennsylvania**