Upon receiving the grant Penn sent over his kinsman, William Markham (q.v.), as Deputy Governor, and followed himself in 1682. arriving at Uplands (now Chester) October 27th. A few days later he concluded a treaty with the In dians, though the purchase of the lands could not have taken plaoe until later. The 'Frame of Government' previously published in England was submitted to the first General Assembly in De cember, 1682. and was adopted together with the 'great law.' made up largely of the sugges tions of the Proprietor. Universal suffrage and entire religious toleration made the scheme not able. Settlers came over in great numbers, chiefly Quakers and Germans from the Palati nate. Philadelphia, which had been planned he fore Penn left England, grew rapidly, and be fore 1683 contained more than five hundred in habitants, while more than 3000 settlers had come to the province. Land was offered at forty shillings the hundred acres, subject to a quit rent of a shilling a year. Penn returned to England in 1684, leaving the Council in charge• but its authority was soon disputed by the Lower Douse, which had a veto power on legislation. though it could riot originate measures. Slanders were circulated in England, and in 1693 the province was resumed by William HI., and attached to New York. Governor Fletcher met with little success in his attempts to secure aid for his In dian wars, and had several contests with the Leg islature. The province was restored to Penn in August, 1094. and in 1696 a new and more democratic constitution was adopted with the Proprietor's consent. Penn's second and last visit to the province lasted from December, 1699, to oetober, 1701. Dtn•ing this time be granted the 'Charter of Privileges,' adopted October 26. 1701, which served as a constitution until the Revolu tion. The governors whom Penn appointed were involved in frequent disputes with the Assembly, and in consequence the Proprietor grew dis couraged. In 1712 he was on the point of selling the province to the Crown for 112,000, but a paralytic stroke prevented the completion of the sale. Though the province was a constant source of expense to him, it made his descendants rich. After Penn's death in 1718, the disputes between the Assembly and the Proprietors continued with renewed vigor.
Immigration was large. There were Scotch Irish in the province as earl• as 1698, and after 1730 they came in great numbers. These gener ally pushed on to the frontier, as did also the later influx of Germans. The first years were free from Indian warfare, but after 1740 the Indians were restless and soon became openly hostile. The efforts of the French were success ful. and forts were established on the Ohio. The province sent few men to the aid of General Braddock in his expedition against Fort Duquesne in 1755; but his defeat aroused the Assembly. and a chain of forts was erected at a cost of £85.000. Until after 1764 danger from the Indians was constant. Meanwhile, in 1753, Connecticut laid claim to a tract of land on the Susquehanna, seventy miles west of the Delaware, under the charter of 1662. which granted to Con necticut the land to the 41st degree. A company was formed, the land was purchased from the Indians in 1754 (though previously. purchased by Pennsylvania), and Susquehanna County was formed. Settlers went in and the formation of a distinct colony was considered. The Indians claimed that the purchase was made by fraud and protested vigorously. Armed forces were sent from eastern Pennsylvania and brought on the so-called Pennamite War; the dispute had its influence in causing the Wyoming Massacre in 1778. See WYOMING VALLEY.
The colony's agent. Benjamin Franklin. vigor ously resisted the Stamp Act, and in July. 1774, a Provincial Congress met at Philadelphia, adopted resolutions, and elected delegates to the first Continental Congress. to be held at Philadel phia. The Provincial Convention in 1775 author ized the Committee of Safety to prepare a sys tem of defense for the colony. Troops were raised and boats were built. After the Declaration of Independence the Proprietary government ceased in Pennsylvania. and a State constitution was drawn up, September 23, 1776. It provided for a Supreme Executive Council, one Legislative Douse, and a Board of Censors. The Royal Char
ter was annulled by the King in 1778, and the State secured the commutation of the quit-rents in 1779. During the Revolution the eastern part of the State was the scene of important op erations. Philadelphia was at different times the seat of the Continental Congress and the British headquarters. The question of the western bkmndary was settled in 1784, with the consent of Virginia, by measuring five degrees west from the Delaware River and then due north. The pos session of the Wyoming lands was given to the State by decision of Congress in 1782. but when it was found that the line of 42° excluded Lake Erie, Congress. in 1788, authorized the addition of the triangle bordering upon the lake. In 1787 the State ratified the Federal Constitution. In 1790 a new constitution was adopted. The growth and prosperity of the State was marked. though the population was turbulent. The Whisky Rebellion (1794) grew out of the un willingness of the Scotch-Irish to submit to the excise tax. The imposition by the National Gov ernment of the window tax led to the 'Hot-water Rebellion' among a part of the German popula tion in 1798. Internal improvements were pro jected early, and the Schuylkill Canal was begun in 1815 and completed in 1825. From 1829 to 1836 the projected improvements called for the construction of 292 miles of canal and 126 miles of railroad, at a total cost of $35,000,000. The first bill for a public school system was passed in the face of violent opposition in 1834. Though both iron and coal had been known to exist before the Revolution. it was not until 1839 that anthra cite was successfully applied to the manufacture of iron. The first oil well was sunk near Titus ville in 1859.
At the outbreak of the Civil War five com panies of Pennsylvania troops were the first to arrive in Washington under President Lincoln's call for troops on April 15. 1861. and twenty-five regiments were formed during the month. The draft was necessary before the end of the war, but troops were furnished. The State was three times invaded, twice at Chambersburg and once by General Lee's army, which fought the battle of Gettysburg (q.v.). Since the war the chief events of importance have been the rapid growth of the steel, oil, and coal industries and frequent labor troubles. In 1877 a great strike of railroad employees led to violence and the defeat of the militia at Pittsburg. The despatch of regular troops was necessary to quell the disorder. On Nay 31. 1889. a dam at the outlet of Conemaugh Lake broke and a great wall of water over whelmed Johnstown (q.v.) and several smaller towns. drowning more than 2000 people and de stroying property to the value of $10,000.000. The strike at the Carnegie Company's mills at Ilomestead, near Pittsburg, July 6. 1892. was one of the most serious ever known in America. Mar tial law was declared, and the entire militia force was called out. An extensive strike of coal miners in Hazleton region in 1900 was followed by a general strike in the anthracite region in 1902.
In national elections the State was at the outset Federalist, but in 1790 fourteen of its fif teen votes were cast for Jefferson. Eight votes were cast for him again in 1800, while Seven went to the Federalist candidate. From this time until 1540 the State was Democratic. In 1835 the Anti Masonic party succeeded in electing the Governor and the agitation gave the State to the Whig electors in 1S40. In 1838 a dispute between the Democrats and Whigs concerning the results of an election in one of the State Congressional districts caused much excitement, each party contending that it had elected not only the Congressman, but the members of the State Legislature in that dis trict. The disturbance, which was later known as the 'Buck-Shot War,' was, however. short lived, and the dispute was settled in favor of the Democrats. The State gave its vote to Polk in 1844, to Taylor in 1848. and in 1852 and 1856 to the Democratic candidate,. Since 1860 the State has been overwhelmingly Republican in national affairs. though, on account of factional fights in the Republican ranks, a Democratic Governor has been twice elected.