History:

Did you know …  Europeans began to explore the region around Pennsylvania in the early 1600s. The first settlers in the region were the Dutch and the Swedish. However, the British defeated the Dutch in 1664 and took control over the area. In 1681, William Penn was given a large area of land by King Charles II of England. He named the land Pennsylvania after his family name "Penn" and after the forests in the land ("sylvania is "forest land" in Latin). Pennsylvania was the site of several battles and military activities during the American Revolution, including George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, the Battle of Brandywine, and the Battle of Germantown. 

On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania ratified the Constitution and became the 2nd state to join the Union. 

LEARN MORE: HERE & HERE.

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Agriculture and Industry:

Did you know …  The Pennsylvania economy ranks among the top five states in the nation. The major manufactured products are chemicals, and metal goods. Two companies in the state make well-known food products: The Hershey company is famous for its chocolate and H.J. Heinz is famous for its ketchup. Pennsylvania’s Agriculture include: apples, mushrooms, Christmas trees, chickens, and grapes.  Major Industries: Industrial machinery, fabricated metal products, food products, chemical products, printing and publishing

Regarding Natural Resources, Pennsylvania is one of the top states for coal mining. It also has the largest reserve anthracite coal (a very hard, pure variety) in the nation. 

LEARN MORE: HERE, HERE, & HERE.

State Bird and State Flower

Did you know …  The official State Bird of Pennsylvania is the Ruffed Grouse. The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) was designated the official state bird of Pennsylvania in 1931. Sometimes called the partridge, the ruffed grouse is one of 10 species of grouse native to North America, ranging mostly in regions where snow is an important part of the winter scene. 

LEARN MORE: HERE.

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The official State Flower of Pennsylvania is the Mountain Laurel. Mountain laurel was designated as Pennsylvania's official state flower in 1933. The mountain laurel is one of the most beautiful of native American shrubs and the fragrant star-shaped white and pink flowers have attracted travelers since early colonial days.

LEARN MORE: HERE & HERE.

Philadelphia, PA

Did you know …  Pennsylvania’s State Capitol is Harrisburg, but its largest city is historical Philadelphia. However, Philadelphia served as Pennsylvania’s capital throughout much of the revolution and was the meeting place for the First and Second Continental Congress. Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital from 1790 until a permanent capital was established in Washington, D.C., in 1800. It was at Independence Hall in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. In 1781, the Articles of Confederation were written and adopted in Philadelphia. The U.S. Constitution was also signed in Philadelphia.

Fun fact: Although born in Boston, Philadelphia claims Ben Franklin as one of its sons as the renowned statesman, scientist, writer and inventor moved to the city at the age of 17. Responsible for many civic improvements, Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731 and organized the Union Fire Company in 1736.

LEARN MORE: HERE, HERE, HERE, & HERE.

Fun Facts

Did you know …  Pennsylvania is also known as the Keystone State.  Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State because of its central location of the original 13 colonies. The Crayola Factory can be found in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, where nearly 3 billion crayons are produced each year. That’s about 9 million crayons daily—enough to wrap around the Earth six times! Another awesome factory in Pennsylvania is the Hershey Chocolate Factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hershey is considered the chocolate capital of the United States.

Some famous people from Pennsylvania include: Guion S. Bluford - First African-American in space, Daniel Boone - American explorer and folk hero, Kobe Bryant - Basketball player, James Buchanan - the 15th President of the United States, Milton Hershey - Founder of the Hershey Chocolate Corporation, Joe Montana - Football player, Joe Namath - Football Player, Arnold Palmer – Golfer, Fred Rogers - Host of Mr. Rogers TV show, Betsy Ross - Designer of the U.S. Flag, Taylor Swift - Singer and songwriter, and Andy Warhol – Artist

Pennsylvania’s Professional Sports Teams:

• Philadelphia Eagles - NFL (football)

• Philadelphia Flyers - NHL (hockey)

• Philadelphia Phillies - MLB (baseball)

• Philadelphia Union - MLS (soccer)

• Philadelphia 76ers - NBA (basketball)

• Pittsburgh Penguins - NHL (hockey)

• Pittsburgh Pirates - MLB (baseball)

• Pittsburgh Steelers - NFL (football)

LEARN MORE: HERE & HERE.

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In honor of the historical richness of Pennsylvania, specifically Philadelphia, here are some Patriotic jokes to make you giggle:

Did you hear the one about the Liberty Bell?

Yeah, it cracked me up!

Which son of old Virginia wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jeffer’s son.

Did you hear about the cartoonist in the Continental Army?

He was a Yankee doodler!

What dance was very popular in 1776?

Indepen-dance!

Teacher: “The Declaration of Independence was written in Philadelphia. True or false?”

Student: “False! It was written in ink!”

What has feathers, webbed feet, and certain inalienable rights?

The Ducklaration of Independence!

George Washington reads The Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

(read aloud)

by DNS News

Fourth of July Compilation Special

by Liberty’s Kids

Pennsylvania’s cuisine pays homage to its historical Dutch roots and is known as Pennsylvania is known for handmade pretzels, which were originally brought by German settlers, whoopie pies, and Philly cheesesteaks. But did you know that Hershey is the home of the world's largest chocolate factory and is called the Chocolate Capital of the World. The whole city smells like chocolate. It’s not a surprise then that Pennsylvania’s state food is the Chocolate Chip Cookie!!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Fine salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Position 2 racks in the center of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
3. Beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer) until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at time, beating after each addition to incorporate. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto each prepared baking sheet. Roll the dough into balls with slightly wet hands. Bake, rotating the cookie sheets from upper to lower racks halfway through, until golden but still soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes (the longer the cook time, the crunchier the cookies). Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
5. Let the baking sheets cool completely, scoop the remaining dough onto 1 sheet and bake. Store the cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.