What to Know Before Donating to A Charity in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania (/ˌpɛnsɪlˈveɪnichə/; (Pennsylvania-Dutch: Pennsylvaniansilfaani)), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state comprising the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It is bordered by Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and the Delaware and Eastern New York. South Jersey. With a population of over 13 million (as of 2020), Pennsylvania is the fifth most populous state in the country. It is the 33rd largest state by land area and the ninth largest of all states by population density. Nearly 4.29 million people live in the southeastern Delaware Valley, the metropolitan area surrounding Philadelphia, the state's largest city and the sixth most populous city in the country. An additional 2.37 million people live in the Southwest Pittsburgh metropolitan area, centered on Pittsburgh, the second largest city in the state and the largest in western Pennsylvania. The next five most populous cities in the state are: Allentown, Reading, Erie, Scranton, and Bethlehem. The state capital is Harrisburg. Pennsylvania's geography is diverse: the Appalachian Mountains run through the center of the state; the Allegheny and Pocono Mountains cover much of northeastern Pennsylvania; Nearly 60% of the state is forested. Although Pennsylvania has only 140 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie and the Delaware River, it has more navigable rivers than any other state in the country, including the Delaware, Ohio and Pine Creek rivers. Pennsylvania was founded in 1681 by royal land grant to William Penn, son of the state of the same name. The southeastern part was once part of the colony of New Sweden. Founded as a sanctuary of religious and political tolerance, the province of Pennsylvania was known for its relatively peaceful relations with indigenous tribes, its innovative system of government, and its religious pluralism. Pennsylvania was one of the thirteen British colonies that eventually made up the nation. Pennsylvania played a pivotal and historic role in the American Revolution and ultimately the successful quest for independence from the British Empire. The largest city, Philadelphia, was the gathering place of the nation's founding fathers and home to much of the thinking, activists, and writings that inspired the American Revolution. Philadelphia hosted the First Continental Congress at Carpenters' Hall in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress the following year at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was unanimously adopted in 1776, a document historian Joseph Ellis called "the most powerful and transcendental of". of American History” and officially launched the American Revolutionary War. On December 25 and 26, 1776, Washington secretly led a column of Army troops from Bucks County across the Delaware River to the mainland and launched a successful surprise attack on the Hessian mercenaries at the Battle of Trenton. For nine months in 1777 and 1778, the state capital of Philadelphia fell under British control, and several battles of the Revolutionary War took place in Pennsylvania. For six months, Washington and 12,000 Continental Army soldiers encamped at Valley Forge in a harsh winter with limited supplies; about 1,700-2,000 of them died at Valley Forge from disease and malnutrition. In Philadelphia on June 21, 1778, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Articles of Confederation which served as the basis for the subsequent development and ratification of the United States Constitution. On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state (after Delaware, which was previously one of Pennsylvania's lower three counties) to ratify the Constitution. Eight times before the founding of Washington D.C. as the state capital, a Pennsylvania city served as the state capital (Philadelphia from 1775 to 1776, 1777, twice in 1778, 1781, and 1790; York in 1777 and Lancaster in 1777). During the American Civil War, the 360,000-strong Union Army of Pennsylvania demonstrated its influence in strengthening the Union, successfully protecting the capital, Washington, D.C., which was vulnerable after the fall of Fort Sumter. the United States. South. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with over 50,000 casualties and one of the Union Army's greatest victories, was fought over three days on Pennsylvania soil near Gettysburg in July 1863. The Union Army a Gettysburg marked the turning point of the war. , which led to the preservation of the Union. Lincoln's 271-word speech at the dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery on November 19, 1863 remains one of the most famous addresses in American history. American Industrial Revolution and helped develop much of the country's early infrastructure, including key bridges, skyscrapers, as well as the warships, tanks, and other military equipment that proved crucial to U.S. victories in World War I. Cold War. Since Pennsylvania's founding in 1787, influential Pennsylvanians have made significant contributions to the nation in many areas, including the military, politics, business, scientific innovation, thought leadership, philanthropy, music, the arts and sports

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