A Historical Overview of Pennsylvania
© 2004 Rickie Lazzerini

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Philadelphia was a center of agitation before the Revolution. It was a center for resistance to the Stamp Act in 1765, and also joined Boston in opposition to the Intolerable Acts. Conversely, there were also some Pennsylvanians who were limited in their support, such as the Half and Half Whigs, who did not show support for the Stamp Act, and some pacifist Quakers were against violence soley on principle. But it was at Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, where the meetings of the Continental Congress took place. This became the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence. Pennsylvania was strongly entrenched in the fighting of the Revolution, and Pennsylvanians took part in nearly every campaign, including the Siege of Boston in August of 1775, and the Canadian Campaign in 1776. In the summer of 1777, the British invaded Philadelphia, overtaking control. A new strategy and an alliance with the French, negotiated by Benjamin Franklin, helped to recapture Philadelphia. In addition to the soldiers, Pennsylvania's industry produced much of the arsenal for the war, including canons, swords, pikes, gunpowder and muskets. Page 6 By Rickie Lazzerini Historian BA History University of California, Santa Barbara © Rickie Lazzerini, All Rights Reserved This page may be freely linked to but may not be reproduced in any form without prior written consent by the author.
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