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| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]] | |||
| link2=[[United States History|U.S. History]] | |||
| link3=[[Pennsylvania, United States Genealogy|Pennsylvania]] | |||
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| link5=[[Pennsylvania History|History]] | |||
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== Online Resources == | |||
'''1633-1643:''' (-1647?) Dutch build a blockhouse (single log cabin fort) "at the Schuylkill" River (now Philadelphia). It was abandoned about 1643.<ref>Amandus Johnson, "[http:// | *[http://www.learnwebskills.com/family/countyhistories3.htm#pa County and Town Histories], includes biographies | ||
*[http://ldsgenealogy.com/PA/Historical-Records.htm Pennsylvania Historical Records] | |||
*'''1950-1990''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=62512 U.S., Aerial Photos from VintageAerial.com, 1963-2009 (1950-1990)] at Ancestry — index & images ($); incomplete for all states, only rural areas included | |||
== Origin of Pennsylvania == | |||
The earliest European settlers in what became Pennsylvania were part of the [[New Sweden]] and [[New Netherland]] colonies. | |||
Pennsylvania began as a British colony in 1681 when King Charles II appointed [http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/penn/pnintro.html William Penn (1644-1718) proprieter]. Pennsylvania was the second state admitted to the Union in 1787. Colony, and later state boundary lines, were in dispute for many years, and often lead to bloodshed (i.e. [http://books.google.com/books?id=PP47AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA237&lpg=PA237&dq=cresap's+war&source=bl&ots=laZyvS5j_o&sig=Qht-R_57uExXDzBTy94dHxK3Fp4&hl=en&ei=H_LhS-TIGpDMNcWcpcME&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=cresap's%20war&f=false Cresap's War]). The [http://www.udel.edu/johnmack/mason_dixon/ Mason-Dixon Line] was the result of one of these disputes. Philadelphia served as the capitol of the United States from 1790 to 1800. | |||
== Brief History == | |||
The following important events affected [[Pennsylvania Genealogy|Pennsylvania]]'s political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements: | |||
'''1633-1643:''' (-1647?) Dutch build a blockhouse (single log cabin fort) "at the Schuylkill" River (now Philadelphia). It was abandoned about 1643.<ref>Amandus Johnson, "[http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nycoloni/nswamap.html Detailed Map of New Sweden 1638-1655]" in Amandus Johnson's book ''The Swedes on the Delaware 1638-1664'' (Philadelphia: Swedish Colonial Society, 1915), 392. This blockhouse is mentioned in Johnson's legend, but not displayed on his map, probably because it was replaced by a Swedish fort.</ref><ref>Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=BnY9MEaOCLEC History of New Netherland, 2nd ed].'' (New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1855; digitized by Google, 2006), 2: 79. "The Swedes had already destroyed the trading-house, which the former [Dutch] had built at Schuylkill, and built a fort in its place."</ref> See the [[New Sweden|New Sweden]] and the [[New Netherland|New Netherland]] Wiki article for details. | |||
'''1641:''' Swedes and Finns spreading north from Fort Christina (present-day Wlimington, Delaware) first settle in Finland (Chamassungh), now Trainer, Pennsylvania<ref>"New Sweden" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Sweden (accessed 7 November 2008).</ref><ref>Albert Cook Myers, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=FDR-AAAAIAAJ Narratives of Early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707]'' (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1912; reprint Barnes and Noble, 1959; digitized by Google, 2008), 69, note 3. "Chamassung or Finland, where the Finns dwelt, was on the west side of the Delaware River, between the present Marcus Hook in Pennsylvania, and the mouth of Naaman's Creek just over the circular state line in Delaware."</ref><ref>''[http://books.google.com/books?id=HSkLAAAAIAAJ Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, v. 3]'', (Philadelphia:M'Carty and Davis, 1834; digitized by Google, 2006), 11. "Chamassungh, or Finland. This place was inhabited by Finns, who had strong houses, but no fort. It lies at the distance of two German miles, east of Christina, by water; and, by land, it is distant two long Swedish miles."</ref> and Upland (Meckopenacka), now Chester, Pennsylvania.<ref>Johnson, Detailed Map.</ref><ref>Johnson, ''Swedish Settlements'', 372. "Johann Companius, who was called by the government to go to New Sweden in 1642, was placed on the new budget, with a salary of 10 R.D. a month and seems to have been looked upon as a sort of military preacher. He was stationed at Christina, but shortly after his arrival here he was transferred to Upland, where he settled with his family and conducted the service at New Gothenborg."</ref><ref>Myers, 150. "If now [the land at] Upland, which belongs to the Company, and is large enough for the sowing of twenty or thirty bushels of grain, might be given to the parsonage for Nertunius, together with the small houses there, it would be very well; then he would need no other salary from the Company." and footnote 4, "Now Chester."</ref> The [[New Sweden|New Sweden]] Colony continues to expand northward with new settlements as far as Philadelphia in the following years. | '''1641:''' Swedes and Finns spreading north from Fort Christina (present-day Wlimington, Delaware) first settle in Finland (Chamassungh), now Trainer, Pennsylvania<ref>"New Sweden" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Sweden (accessed 7 November 2008).</ref><ref>Albert Cook Myers, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=FDR-AAAAIAAJ Narratives of Early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707]'' (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1912; reprint Barnes and Noble, 1959; digitized by Google, 2008), 69, note 3. "Chamassung or Finland, where the Finns dwelt, was on the west side of the Delaware River, between the present Marcus Hook in Pennsylvania, and the mouth of Naaman's Creek just over the circular state line in Delaware."</ref><ref>''[http://books.google.com/books?id=HSkLAAAAIAAJ Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, v. 3]'', (Philadelphia:M'Carty and Davis, 1834; digitized by Google, 2006), 11. "Chamassungh, or Finland. This place was inhabited by Finns, who had strong houses, but no fort. It lies at the distance of two German miles, east of Christina, by water; and, by land, it is distant two long Swedish miles."</ref> and Upland (Meckopenacka), now Chester, Pennsylvania.<ref>Johnson, Detailed Map.</ref><ref>Johnson, ''Swedish Settlements'', 372. "Johann Companius, who was called by the government to go to New Sweden in 1642, was placed on the new budget, with a salary of 10 R.D. a month and seems to have been looked upon as a sort of military preacher. He was stationed at Christina, but shortly after his arrival here he was transferred to Upland, where he settled with his family and conducted the service at New Gothenborg."</ref><ref>Myers, 150. "If now [the land at] Upland, which belongs to the Company, and is large enough for the sowing of twenty or thirty bushels of grain, might be given to the parsonage for Nertunius, together with the small houses there, it would be very well; then he would need no other salary from the Company." and footnote 4, "Now Chester."</ref> The [[New Sweden|New Sweden]] Colony continues to expand northward with new settlements as far as Philadelphia in the following years. | ||
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'''1768-1792:''' The disputed boundaries between Pennsylvania and the neighboring states of Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Maryland were settled. | '''1768-1792:''' The disputed boundaries between Pennsylvania and the neighboring states of Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Maryland were settled. | ||
'''1776:''' The Revolutionary War began. The state constitution was adopted.The three "lower counties on the Delaware" officially broke away to become the State of Delaware.<br> | '''1776:''' The Revolutionary War began. The state constitution was adopted.The three "lower counties on the Delaware" officially broke away to become the State of Delaware.<br> | ||
'''1787:''' Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the Constitution. | '''1787:''' Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the Constitution. | ||
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'''1964–1972:''' Over 8.7 million American men and women served in the [http://www.vietnamwar.com/ Vietnam War]. | '''1964–1972:''' Over 8.7 million American men and women served in the [http://www.vietnamwar.com/ Vietnam War]. | ||
The FamilySearch Library has many local histories and handbooks to help you with your research. Sources for studying the history of Pennsylvania include: | |||
== Local Histories == | |||
Several [http://www.censusfinder.com/pennsylvania-online-history-books.htm online county histories of Pennsylvania] are linked from CensusFinder.com. | Several [http://www.censusfinder.com/pennsylvania-online-history-books.htm online county histories of Pennsylvania] are linked from CensusFinder.com. | ||
''A Bibliography of American County Histories'' <ref>Filby, P. William. ''A Bibliography of American County Histories''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985. ( | ''A Bibliography of American County Histories'' <ref>Filby, P. William. ''A Bibliography of American County Histories''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985. ({{FSC|A Bibliography of American County Histories|title|disp=FS Catalog book 973 H23bi}})</ref> <ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/12356760referer=brief_results Worldcat] </ref> | ||
''United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress'' <ref>Kaminkow, Marion J. ''United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress''. 5 vols. Baltimore: Magna Charta Book, 1975-76. ( | ''United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress'' <ref>Kaminkow, Marion J. ''United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress''. 5 vols. Baltimore: Magna Charta Book, 1975-76. ({{FSC|252458|title-id|disp=FS Catalog book 973 A3ka}}.) </ref><ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=United+States+Local+Histories+in+the+Library+of+Congressqt=results_page Worldcat] </ref>Pennsylvania has the following excellent bibliographic resources for materials on history: | ||
== State Histories == | |||
Egle, William Henry. ''An Illustrated History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Civil, Political, and Military from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Including Historical Descriptions of Each County in the State, Their Towns, and Industrial Resources''. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: E. M. Gardner, 1880. | Egle, William Henry. ''An Illustrated History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Civil, Political, and Military from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Including Historical Descriptions of Each County in the State, Their Towns, and Industrial Resources''. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: E. M. Gardner, 1880. {{FSC|300066|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 H2eg}} (Not available, sent to cataloging) {{FSC|300066|item|disp=FS Library film 1697290 item 11}} | ||
Donehoo, George P. ''Pennsylvania; A History''. 9 vol. contents: [1-4] History. [5-9] Biography. New York, NY: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1926-1931. | Donehoo, George P. ''Pennsylvania; A History''. 9 vol. contents: [1-4] History. [5-9] Biography. New York, NY: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1926-1931. {{FSC|129027|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 H2ph}}; vols. 4, 5, and 8 are on 3 {{FSC|129027|item|disp=FS Library film 1320599 item 5}} | ||
Stevens, Sylvester Kirby. ''Pennsylvania: The Heritage of a Commonwealth''. 4 vol. West Palm Beach, Florida: The American Historical Company, 1968. | Stevens, Sylvester Kirby. ''Pennsylvania: The Heritage of a Commonwealth''. 4 vol. West Palm Beach, Florida: The American Historical Company, 1968. {{FSC|272045|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 H2sp}} | ||
Bining, Arthur C., et al. ''Writing on Pennsylvania History: A Bibliography''. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1946. | Bining, Arthur C., et al. ''Writing on Pennsylvania History: A Bibliography''. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1946. {{FSC|204725|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 A3bw}} This and the following book often provide comments about the value of the source being described. | ||
Wilkinson, Norman B. ''Bibliography of Pennsylvania History''. 2d ed. Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1957. | Wilkinson, Norman B. ''Bibliography of Pennsylvania History''. 2d ed. Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1957. {{FSC|272111|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 H23b}} and {{FSC|272111|item|disp=FS Library film 1036387 item 3}} This book updates and expands the previous book. | ||
Wall, Carol. ''Bibliography of Pennsylvania History: A Supplement''. Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1976. | Wall, Carol. ''Bibliography of Pennsylvania History: A Supplement''. Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1976. {{FSC|272111|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 H23b supp.}} and {{FSC|272111|item|disp=FS Library film 1036387 item 4}} This and the following book continue the effort of the previous works although they do not provide comments on the value of any listing. | ||
Trussell, John B. B. Jr. ''Pennsylvania Historical Bibliography''. Vols. 1-6. Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1979-1989. | Trussell, John B. B. Jr. ''Pennsylvania Historical Bibliography''. Vols. 1-6. Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1979-1989. {{FSC|159223|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 H23p}} This work updates the bibliographies cited above. The library has vol. 1 only. | ||
A very helpful source in addition to the above bibliographies is Dennis B. Downey and Francis J. Bremer, ''A Guide to the History of Pennsylvania'' (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1993 | A very helpful source in addition to the above bibliographies is Dennis B. Downey and Francis J. Bremer, ''A Guide to the History of Pennsylvania'' (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1993. {{FSC|51222|item|disp=FS Catalog book 974.8 H23g}} Of special value is the description of research collections in Pennsylvania archives and manuscript repositories. However, it does not include genealogy societies. | ||
Potentially helpful histories of Pennsylvania counties compiled in 1939-1942 is ''Historical Records Survey (Pennsylvania), Notes on County Histories and Points of Interest for American Guide Series '' | Potentially helpful histories of Pennsylvania counties compiled in 1939-1942 is ''Historical Records Survey (Pennsylvania), Notes on County Histories and Points of Interest for American Guide Series'' {{FSC|283693|item|disp=FS Library films 1016396-401}} The counties are filed mostly in alphabetical order, and while a general format seems to be followed, they vary in the kind of information given. | ||
There are also Pennsylvania histories available online. Use a search engine and terms of "Pennsylvania History" to find applicable sites. | There are also Pennsylvania histories available online. Use a search engine and terms of "Pennsylvania History" to find applicable sites. | ||
'''Draper Manuscript Collection''' | |||
'' | |||
'' | Look for ancestors from Pennsylvania 1740-1830 in the '''[[Draper Manuscript Collection]]'''. These manuscripts cover the history of the "trans-Allegheny West," a region including the west Carolinas and Virginia, all the Ohio River Valley, and part of the upper Mississippi Valley. There are 491 volumes of partially-indexed manuscripts, papers, and books. | ||
== Sources == | |||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
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{{Place|Pennsylvania}} | {{Place|Pennsylvania}} | ||
[[Category:Pennsylvania|History]] | [[Category:Pennsylvania,_United_States|History]][[Category:United States History]] | ||
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