Pennsylvania in the Revolution
Pennsylvanians may well take pride in the dominant role played by their state in the early development of the national government. At the same time that Pennsylvania was molding its own statehood, it was providing leadership and a meeting place for the men concerned with building a nation.
The War for Independence
Pennsylvania troops took part in almost all the campaigns of the Revolution. A rifle battalion joined in the siege of Boston in August 1775. Others fought bravely in the ill-fated Canadian campaign of 1776 and in the New York and New Jersey campaigns. The British naturally considered Philadelphia of key importance and, in the summer of 1777, invaded the state and captured the capital. The battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Whitemarsh were important engagements of this period. Following these battles, Washington went into winter quarters at Valley Forge from December 1777 to June 1778.
George Washington crossing the Delaware,
Christmas Day, 1776 [Artist: E. Leutze]
On December 25, 1776, the icy waters of the Delaware River provided the setting for one of the pivotal events of the American Revolution. The Continental Army had little to celebrate that Christmas and seemed beat by hunger and cold. After crossing the rough winter river at night, General George Washington and the Continental Army landed at Johnson’s Ferry, at the site now known as Washington Crossing State Park. At 4 am, they began their march to Trenton where they defeated the Hessian troops in an unexpected attack. This battle was quickly followed by the Second Battle of Trenton on January 2, 1777, and the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777.
Pennsylvania soldiers formed a major portion of Washington's army, and such military leaders as Arthur St. Clair, Anthony Wayne, Thomas Mifflin, and Peter Muhlenberg gave valuable service. Pennsylvania also aided in the creation of the Continental navy, many ships being built or purchased in Philadelphia and manned by Pennsylvania sailors.
The Civil War in Pennsylvania
On June 24, 1863, General Robert E. Lee led his Confederate Army across the Potomac River and headed towards Pennsylvania. In response to this threat President Lincoln replaced his army commander, General Joseph Hooker, with General George Mead. As Lee's troops poured into Pennsylvania, Mead led the Union Army north from Washington. Meade's effort was inadvertently helped by Lee's cavalry commander, Jeb Stuart, who, instead of reporting Union movements to Lee, had gone off on a raid deep in the Union rear. This action left Lee blind to the Union's position. When a scout reported the Union approach, Lee ordered his scattered troops to converge west of the small village of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The battle raged between July 1st and July 3rd, 1863. The North suffered an estimated 23,000 casualties during the battle (killed, wounded and captured) while the South suffered an estimated 31,000, and after 3 days of devastating carnage, the battle ended with the Confederates being defeated and retreating back to Virginia the next day. The Battle of Gettysburg marked a turning point, but sadly, the horrors of the Civil War would continue for another two long, bloody years.
Here you will find a virtual look at the history
of the famous battle told in words and pictures.....
The Extraordinary Story of the
Battle of Gettysburg
The annual Battle of Gettysburg re-enactment,
July 2, 3, and 4, 2004
Delivered by Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of the national cemetery on the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa. It is one of the most famous and most quoted of modern speeches.
(Most of us probably know this speech "by heart", but since no profile of Pennsylvania would be complete without the "Gettysburg Address", here it is once again.)
********************* Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
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Volumes have been written about Pennsylvania's history, I have only been able to touch on a few of the momentous events that shaped Pennsylvania and America's future. For those who are interested in learning more, the following website has a comprehensive time-line of Pennsylvania's past...
Pennsylvania History
Facts and Trivia about our 2nd state...
Nickname: Keystone State - During colonial times Pennsylvania was the middle colony of the original 13 colonies. It held the colonies together like the "keystone" in a window or door arch.
Background: Pennsylvania was settled in 1643. Philadelphia was our state capital during the Revolutionary War and York was the first capital of the United States. Today, Harrisburg is Pennsylvania's state capitol.
State name’s meaning: Penn’s Woods (after Admiral William Penn's father)
Motto: Virtue, Liberty and Independence
The Liberty Bell: The bell was originally cast in 1752 in London, England. It was commissioned as a bell for the Pennsylvania State House (now called Independence Hall). Read more about it HERE
Important Documents: Several important documents were written in Pennsylvania...
The Constitution of the United States
The American Declaration of Independence
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Flower: Mountain Laurel
Tree: Hemlock
Bird: Ruffed Grouse
Animal: Whitetail Deer
Insect: Firefly
Pennsylvania now.....
The oldest group of Old Order Amish, about 16-18,000 people live in Lancaster County, in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The Amish stress humility, family and community, and separation from the world. Although Lancaster Amish are Pennsylvania Dutch, all Pennsylvania Dutch are not Amish. The Pennsylvania Dutch are natives of Central Pennsylvania, particularly Lancaster and its surrounding counties. Unlike the Amish, they are not all one religion. Instead, their common bond is a mainly German background (Pennsylvania Dutch is actually Pennsylvania Deutsch, or German). They also have Welsh, English, Scottish, Swiss, and French ancestry.
The Amish have their roots in the Mennonite community. In 1536, a young Catholic priest from Holland named Menno Simons joined the Anabaptist movement. His writings and leadership united many of the Anabaptist groups, who were nicknamed "Mennonites." In 1693, a Swiss bishop named Jacob Amman broke from the Mennonite church. His followers were called the "Amish." Although the two groups have split several times, the Amish and Mennonite churches still share the same beliefs concerning baptism, non-resistance, and basic Bible doctrines. They differ in matters of dress, technology, language, form of worship, and interpretation of the Bible. The Amish and Mennonites both settled in Pennsylvania as part of William Penn's "holy experiment" of religious tolerance. The first sizable group of Amish arrived in Lancaster County in the 1720's or 1730's.
And, what about those "Hex" signs seen painted
on barns throughout Pennsylvania Dutch country?
These colorful decorations seen on barns and houses in the area, are not really superstitious symbols at all. The bright patterns and geometric forms, known as Hex Signs, were used by the ancestors of our Pennsylvania German settlers on birth certificates, furniture, pottery, textile, etc. Indeed many are thought to have come originally from religious motif designs, the two main patterns being the Sun and Tree of Life. While many people today use Hex Signs purely for decoration, the Amish have not painted and do not paint hex signs on their barns. Click HERE to see more Hex signs and their meanings.
We can't leave Pennsylvania Dutch Country without the recipe for their most famous of all Pennsylvania Dutch pies, the "Shoo-fly Pie". So-named because in years past, when pies were placed on window-sills to cool, housewives constantly had to 'shoo' away flies from their sweet and sticky pies. There are two kinds of Shoo-fly pies - plain and, by far the most popular, the "wet-bottom".
(wet-bottom)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 T. shortening (such as Crisco)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar - firmly packed
- 1 cup molasses or dark Karo syrup
- 1 egg - slightly beaten
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1 tsp.baking soda, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water (in addition to the 3/4 cup)
Preparation -
Mix flour, sugar and shortening until crumbly. Measure 1/2 cup of this mixture and set aside. This will be used for the crumb topping. To the remaining mixture, add molasses, egg and baking soda/hot water mixture. Pour into an unbaked deep dish 9" inch pie shell. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of crumbs over top. Bake at 400º for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º and bake 30 minutes. As the shoo-fly pie bakes the gooey wet bottom will form below the molasses crumb cake.
There is so much more to say about this interesting state and I hope our Pennsylvania FReepers will stop by today and tell us why they are proud to be a Pennsylvanian and what they would like us to know about their state.
Thank you to the following websites
for information and graphics...
The Amish, Mennonites, and Plain People
An Overview of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania History
And thank you for joining
us today and helping us celebrate
historic Pennsylvania!
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