A New History of the United States: The greater republic, embracing the growth and achievements of our country from the earliest days of discovery and settlement to the present eventful yearMorris, Charles
History
A New History of the United States: The greater republic, embracing the growth and achievements of our country from the earliest days of discovery and settlement to the present eventful year
Morris, Charles
United States -- History
Penn himself laid out the city of Philadelphia in 1683. A year later, it
had a population of 7,000, and in three years more its population
increased faster than that of New York in half a century. Delaware, then
called the "Three Lower Counties," was given a separate government at
the request of the people in 1703. They were allowed their own deputy
governor, but Pennsylvania and Delaware continued substantially under
one government until the Revolution.
The good ruler met with many misfortunes. In 1692, the province was
taken from him, because of his friendship to James II., but restored
soon afterward. In 1699, when he made his second visit, he found the
people had in a great measure grown away from him, and were unwilling
that he should exercise his former supervision. While absent, a
dishonest steward robbed him of nearly all his property in England; and,
failing in health and mind, he died in 1718. His sons became
proprietors, but the people grew more and more discontented with the
payment of rents. To end the disputes and quarrels, the State abolished
the rents during the Revolution, paying the proprietors the sum of
$650,000 for the extinguishment of their rights.
PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia was prosperous from the first. New York City did not catch
up to it until after the year 1810. It was early noted, as it has been
since, for its cleanliness, fine buildings, and the attention it gave to
education. It had a printing press in 1686, and three years later a
public high school. In the year 1749, the present University of
Pennsylvania was founded as a school, becoming a college in 1755, and a
university in 1779. Many of the names of streets, such as Walnut,
Chestnut, Pine, Mulberry, and others, were given to it when the city was
laid out.
[Illustration: MORAVIAN EASTER SERVICE, BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.]
The settlement of the province was confined for a long time to the
eastern section. No population was more varied. The Scotch and Irish
were mainly in the central portion, the Dutch and Germans in the east
and northeast, and the English in the southeastern part of the colony.
There are hundreds of people to-day in Pennsylvania, whose ancestors for
several generations have been born there, who are unable to speak or
understand a word of English.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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