Pennsylvania: A Past Revisited - Essay Example

Pennsylvania: A Past Revisited July 4, 2007 Introduction Pennsylvania, like the other s in the New World had multicultural diversity.1 The Dutch, Swiss, French, English and Hispanics all shared a history in the establishment of the new settlements. Pennsylvania was one of the original thirteen colonies that declared autonomy from British rule. Pennsylvania also played a significant role in the formation of the new nation. The state was the host of the first Continental Convention where the colonies expressed their desire for independence. Ultimately, Pennsylvania unveiled the Declaration of the Independence of the twelve out of thirteen colonies. Prior to the entry of the Europeans into the new territories, the state was home to indigenous Indian tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian linguistic origins like the Delawares, Shawnees, Susquehannocks, Eries and other unidentified tribes.2 During 1638-1655, it was the The Swedes who made settlements in Wilmington, Delaware area. The Dutch followed when they seized from the Swedes important trading posts in 1655. In 1664, the English assumed authority over the area gaining much control of the Delaware region in the name of the Duke of York.3 In the ensuing sections of the paper, the relevant periods in Pennsylvanian history would be discussed. The discourse will also focus on the founding of the State and how it shaped the future Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, as mentioned earlier was the site of a major event in US history, the Declaration of Independence. In the months before the declaration, the state struggled with opponents to autonomy because gaining autonomy would mean the disruption of political and economic life as the Pennsylvanians knew and a death knell to the new State Constitution. Pre-Colonial Period Archeologists thought that the first inhabitants of the land that would later be known as Pennsylvania were inhabited by paleo-Indians who were nomadic and hunter-gatherers, and preferred to live in groups of twenty to thirty.4 Archeological evidences indicated that the early inhabitant used stone impediments. The Meadowcroft Rockshelter archeological site in Pennsylvania revealed that there were inhabitants in the area as early as 16,000 years ago.5 Before the first Europeans set foot on Pennsylvania, the Lenni Lenape or Delawares lived in the northern and southern parts of the Delaware Valley.6 On the west, the northern Susquehanna Valley was home to Iroquoian-speaking tribes.7 The Susquehannocks, on the other hand occupied the Lancaster Valley and conducted trade along the Great Minguas Path.8 By the time the Europeans arrived, the Indian tribes already had an organized and well-established community. The first Indian contacts with the Europeans were primarily for trade. In the later periods, the association became fraught with disagreements. It also became a major reason for the demise of a culture and disenfranchisement of the natives. Many Europeans construed the natives’ concessions of allowing the Europeans to use their land as acts of surrendering their rights over the lands for good.9 Early Settlements The Swedes were the first Europeans who established permanent settlements in Wilmington, Delaware. Governor Johan Printz chose Tinicum Island as capital.10 This would later be disrupted with the conflict between the Swiss and the Dutch. The Dutch would lay claim on the Swedish colony. Governor Peter Stuyvesant annexed the Swedish territories in 1655 and would remain under the auspices of the Dutch until 1681.11 The English wielding the power granted by the Duke of York took possession of most of the Dutch colony and introduced English laws and government in Pennsylvania.12 The traders were forerunners in the early settlements particularly in the western portions of the State. Their trade brought to the native population guns and ammunition; shirts, hats, shoes, and blankets; hatchets, knives, scissors, awl-blades, and needles; pots and kettles; combs, looking-glasses, ribbon, rings, beads, and vermilion; pipes and tobacco; dolls and other toys for the children; and rum in large quantities.13 The Indians in turn traded their products gained from hunting like fur and animal hides.14 The Founding of Pennsylvania William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania was granted a charter by King Charles II the right as trustee and proprietary authority over a parcel of land “north of Maryland (whose charter was already a half-century old), south of New York (a recent English acquisition from the Dutch), and extending five longitudinal degrees westward from the Delaware River (on the east bank of which were the Jersies, a haven for persecuted Quakers).”15 The trusteeship was granted because the King owed William Penn’s father, Admiral Penn, £16,000.16 The Duke of York supported Penn’s Petition. William Penn was born on October 24, 1644 in London. His conversion to the persecuted Quaker religion unnerved many of his friends. He used his wealth and position to defend his faith and religious community. Despite being a renegade, the English Duke of York trusted in Penn.17 Penn, as the founding father of Pennsylvania believed in religious tolerance and this conviction had put him in conflict with the British authorities. By granting him the stewardship of a distant colony, the English court thought they were rid of a troublemaker. In the Quaker movement, colonization was important to the religious movement. Their settlement in Pennsylvania culminated the Quaker’s effort.18 Penn believed in the basic rights of the citizens. Penn believed in a different form of social contract between the government and its subjects. The government grants the citizens “personal freedom and the protection of his property, as well as participation in government and trial by jury.”19 This became the foundation of the political framework of Pennsylvania. However, despite lofty ideals, Penn adhered to feudalism in agriculture and continued to practice slavery. The Quakers benefited most as traders and businessmen were given free rein over Pennsylvania’s economy. Penn appointed a cousin, William Markham to be the governor. Some of the major achievements of the Penn stewardship was the establishment of an assembly that would eventually passed significant laws like the humanitarian code which stood as the cornerstone of Pennsylvania law.20 Penn also provided the Quakers with a new start. Being persecuted in their homeland, the Quakers were granted new opportunities and it did not run counter to their religious ethos. Independence to Civil War The American Revolution is considered a significant event in American history. The American Revolution, viewed from its results, was one of the greatest movements in human history. An argument initiated the American Revolution movement. The issue was whether Americans should be included in war reparations of Britain. The war refers to the Seven years of conflict between the French and the British. Although, the colonists were British subjects at that time, they felt that they had nothing to do with it. To cope with war expenditures, the British government imposed new taxes on the colony. The Americans at that time was already operating autonomously from Britain. The colonists abhorred the idea that the crown still extended its authority over them. The Americans believed that the only entity that may have authority over them were the colonists themselves. They reserved the right to enact laws appropriate to their needs. The British thought otherwise. As long as the colonists were British subjects, British laws applied to them and the colonists were not exempt. To express their disgust over such an edict, the colonists carried out declarations, petitions and protest actions. The argument began in 1765 with the Stamp Act and continued for a decade.21 But at this point, independence from British rule was not the main concern of the colonists. Pennsylvania, at that time was hesitant to consider revolution as a response to the disagreement to the British Crown. Many believed that it would disrupt the political and economic systems already in place at the colony including John Penn, the governor-trustee of the state. He was also concerned with the interests of the Penn family.22 The leading Whigs in the Pennsylvania parliament did not subscribe to the idea of an independent state but the radicals eventually triumphed.23 The declaration of independence that would doom the Pennsylvania charter was inevitable.24 Philadelphia hosted the first Continental Congress on September 5, 1774. The Congress however did not advocate independence to avoid the already volatile situation. The Congress hoped that with the unified effort of the colonies, Britain would heed their grievances.25 In 1775, the word war escalated into a full-blown military conflict. The British made a move to crack down the activities of the revolutionaries. Britain sent General Gage to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. By then, a de facto parliament was already formed in defiance to the British rule. Britain sent an army of eight hundred men to intimidate the colonists. The colonists were not deterred. They proceeded to engage the British contingent and won the first of the many skirmishes with the crown’s regiment. On July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence and was revised and adopted by the twelve of thirteen colonies.26 The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was considered as the most liberal among the constitutions adopted during the revolutionary period. It was the culmination of the struggle for autonomy of the state.27 It was the radical who brought forward the ideals of freedom and equality for all men. The authors of the Constitution were James Cannon, George Bryan, David Rittenhouse, Timothy Matlack, John Jacobs, and their mentor, Thomas Paine.28 Conclusion Pennsylvania had a significant role in the formation of a new nation. William Penn, as founder of the state also bequeathed a legacy to the colonies in framing their political and economic life. Penn’s religious tolerance and ideals on the basic inherent rights that should be accorded to each citizen of the state formed part of the context of contemporary laws. Pennsylvania as the site of the first Declaration of Independence by twelve of the thirteen colonies was also a main contribution to the struggle for autonomy. Bibliography Baumann, Roland M., “The Pennsylvania Revolution,” (1989) (Accessed July 03, 2007) Buck, Elizabeth H. and Buck, Solon, J. The Planting of Civilization in Western Pennsylvania. (Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1939) “Chapter One: Before Penn’s Woods: Pennsylvania’s First Inhabitants.” (2003) (Accessed July 03, 2007) “Declaration of Independence: A History,” (Accessed July 03, 2007) Dunaway, Wayland F., The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania. (Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Press,1944) “First Continental Congress,” (2005) (Accessed July 03, 2007) Illick,Joseph E. Colonial Pennsylvania: A History, (New York, Charles Scribners Sons, 1976) “Pennsylvania History,” (Accessed July 03, 2007) “Pennsylvania On the Eve of Colonization,” (Accessed July 03, 2007) Thayer, Theodore, Pennsylvania Politics and the Growth of Democracy: 1740- 1776. (Harrisburg, PA., Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1953). Read More