Pennsylvania State Guide

Pennsylvania, which means "Penn's Woods," was named for Admiral William Penn of the Royal Navy. In gratitude for Penn's service to Great Britain, King Charles II granted Penn's son (also named William) a charter to make him proprietor of Pennsylvania. The younger William Penn established his Pennsylvanian Quaker Province in 1682. The colony's constitution, known as the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania, limited the use of the death penalty and provided for trial by jury, freedom of the press, and religious tolerance. Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. In the city of Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was drafted. Pennsylvania was admitted to the union as its 2nd state in 1787.