Pittsburgh History

The second largest city in Pennsylvania and the seat of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh has undergone not one, but two revitalization efforts that have transformed it from a smoggy, rust-belt city to a gleaming, modern urban center. The new Pittsburgh now boasts modern architecture, an extensive park system, clean air, a thriving arts and culture scene, and the most user-friendly airport in the nation.

In 1754, tensions were mounting between France and England over the American colonies. Just prior to the French and Indian War, the French constructed Fort Duquesne where the Ohio River forks into the Allegheny and the Monongahela. The British made several attempts to capture the fort, but were repelled and defeated by the French and their native allies. In 1758, General John Forbes negotiated with the Delaware and Shawnee tribes, convincing them to abandon their alliance with the French. In return, Britain would return their land to them once the French were driven out. Forsaken by their allies, the French abandoned and destroyed Fort Duquesne. However, rather than withdraw as promised, Forbes ordered the construction of a new fort on the site. The garrison was named Fort Pitt, in honor of British Secretary of State William Pitt the Elder. The small settlement that eventually grew up around the fort was named Pittsborough.

The native tribes made several attempts to drive the British from their land, most notably with Pontiac's Rebellion in 1763. In 1768, the Iroquois signed the Fort Stanwix Treaty, officially ceding the lands south of the Ohio to the British. The Pittsburgh area (as it had come to be called) fell in an area of dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania. Both states laid claim to the area until 1780, when the matter was settled by extending the Mason-Dixon line westward, which placed Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

Aside from its strategic location at the Ohio forks, the region around Pittsburgh was rich in petroleum, natural gas, and lumber. Pittsburgh also just happened to be situated in the middle of a very productive coalfield. When the War of 1812 cut off the supply of British goods, Pittsburgh became a primary supplier of the nation's iron, brass, tin, and glass products. In addition, the British blockade of the American coast drove up inland trade, much of which passed through Pittsburgh on its way elsewhere. By 1816, when Pittsburgh was incorporated as a city, it was already a center of manufacture and commerce.

During the Civil War, Pittsburgh became known as the "armory of the Union," responsible for the lion's share of iron and armaments for the North. Henry Bessemer's advances in low-cost, mass-produced steel gave rise to yet another industry in Pittsburgh, one that led to the formation of U.S. Steel which would drive the city's economy until the 1970s. Industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and George Westinghouse built their fortunes in Pittsburgh. This boom was great for Pittsburgh's economy, but decades of billowing smoke and soot had given the city its signature pollution, a black sky that writer James Parton described in 1868 as "Hell with the lid off."

Following the stepped-up production of steel during World War II, the pollution in Pittsburgh was so bad that the city had to frequently burn its streetlights during the day. In 1946, civic leaders introduced a series of smoke control and urban revitalization projects that were collectively known as "Renaissance." This effort proved such a success that Pittsburgh kicked off "Renaissance II" in 1977, following the collapse of the steel industry. This second series of projects concentrated on enhancing the city's culture and developing its neighborhoods. Today, thanks in great part to these two revitalization efforts, Pittsburgh has grown into a high tech financial and cultural center dubbed "all-American city" by the National Civic League.

Pittsburgh's arts and culture scene has been supported largely by donations from wealthy businessmen and nonprofit organizations. Buildings like Heinz Hall (home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) and the Frick Art and Historical Center bear the names of the city's benefactors. The Benedum Center (formerly the Stanley Theater) features one of the largest stages in the nation, and is home to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Pittsburgh Opera. Andrew Carnegie, who became a philanthropist in his later years (with the famous declaration that "the man who dies rich dies disgraced"), left behind a legacy of museums bearing his name, including the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Carnegie Science Center. The Carnegie Institute also operates the Andy Warhol Museum, the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single artist. The Three Rivers Arts Festival, which is sponsored by the Carnegie Institute, is held every June in Point State Park and throughout downtown.

The Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines (or high-climbing trolleys) allow visitors to travel to the top of Mount Washington and take in the view of the Golden Triangle, where the three rivers join. The Cathedral of Learning, located on the University of Pittsburgh campus, is the tallest academic building in the U.S. and home to the Nationality Rooms, which pay homage to the city's various founding cultures. Pittsburgh is also an avid sports town, and is home to the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), the Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB), and the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL).