PENNSYLVANIA. One of the thirteen original states of the United States of Amer ica.
It received Its name from a royal charter granted March 4, 1681, by Charles II. to William Penn. By that charter, Penn was constituted tire proprietary and governor of the province, and vested with pow er to enact laws, with the consent of the freemen, to execute the laws, to appoint judges and other officers, incorporate towns, establish ports, levy customs, import and export goods, sell lands cre ating a tenure, levy troops, make war, and exercise other attributes of sovereign power. Appeals in judicial matters lay to the crown, and all laws could be annulled by the crown within five years after their passage.
The first frame of government was adopted and promulgated on April 25, 1682. The government was to be by the governor and freemen in a provin cial council and general assembly. Both of the latter were chosen annually by the people. All laws were to originate with the council. A gov ernor, judges, and other officers were to be appoint ed, during good behavior, by the governor from a double list presented by the council or assembly. On April 2, 1683, a new frame was adopted, reduc ing the numbers both of the council and assembly.
In 1693 the proprietary was deprived of his govern ment and the province placed under the government of New York. But in 1694 Penn was duly rein stated.
A new frame of government adopted on October 26, 1696, made some material alterations in the ex isting order of things. The power of originating laws was thereby first conferred on the assembly. The charter of privileges granted by the proprie tary and accepted by the assembly on October 28, 1701, confirming the foregoing provisions and mak ing numerous others, continued the supreme law of the province during the residue of the proprietary government.
In 1776, after the declaration of American inde pendence, a constitution was formed adapted to the altered circumstances of the country, which con tinued in force until 1790, when a new one was sub stituted. This was amended in 1837 by the intro duction of some very radical changes. Other amendments were made in 1850, in 1857, and in 1864. In 1874 a new constitution was adopted, which re mains still in force with minor amendments.