Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to William's father, Admiral Sir William Penn.
Province of Pennsylvania | |||||||||
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| 1681–1776 | |||||||||
 Map of the Province of Pennsylvania | |||||||||
| Status |
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| Capital | Philadelphia | ||||||||
| Official languages | English, Pennsylvania German | ||||||||
| Government | Proprietary Colony | ||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||
• 1681–1685 | Charles II | ||||||||
• 1685–1688 | James II | ||||||||
• 1689–1702 | William III & Mary II | ||||||||
• 1702–1714 | Anne | ||||||||
• 1714–1727 | George I | ||||||||
• 1727–1760 | George II | ||||||||
• 1760–1776 | George III | ||||||||
| Lieutenant Governor | |||||||||
• 1681–1682 | William Markham | ||||||||
• 1773-1776 | John Penn | ||||||||
| Legislature | Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly | ||||||||
• Upper house | Pennsylvania Provincial Council | ||||||||
• Lower house | Pennsylvania General Assembly | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| March 4 1681 | |||||||||
| July 4 1776 | |||||||||
| Currency | Pennsylvania pound | ||||||||
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| Today part of | United States | ||||||||
The Province of Pennsylvania was one of the two major Restoration colonies. The proprietary colony's charter remained in the hands of the Penn family until they were ousted by the American Revolution, when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was created and became one of the original thirteen states. "The lower counties on Delaware," a separate colony within the province, broke away during the American Revolution as "the Delaware State" and was also one of the original thirteen states.
The colony attracted Quakers, Germans, and Scots-Irish frontiersmen. The Lenape promoted peace with the Quakers. However, wars eventually broke out after William Penn and Tamanend were no longer living. Lenape beliefs were demonized by the Quakers even though the latter had come seeking religious freedom in the first place.[1] Philadelphia became a major port and commercial city.[2]