Changes

===18th century===

===18th century===

Quakers came to the Philadelphia area, where many became successful merchants, handling the long-distance trade to London and other parts of the British Empire.  Pennsylvania attracted large numbers of Germans, including Lutherans and many smaller sects. They were farmers in the southeast.  Scots-Irish (mostly Presbyterians) settled the frontier regions.

Quakers came to the Philadelphia area, where many became successful merchants, handling the long-distance trade to London and other parts of the British Empire.  Pennsylvania attracted large numbers of Germans, including Lutherans and many smaller sects. They were farmers in the southeast.  Scots-Irish (mostly Presbyterians) settled the frontier regions.

Pennsylvania was the third largest colony by 1775, with 275,000 people (including a few thousand black slaves who worked mostly as house servants.  

[[Philadelphia]] grew quickly into the largest city in colonial America and with 35,000 people in 1776 was the second largest city in the British Empire. The city's economy was based on growing agricultural wealth from prosperous inland  farms which sent their surplus grains, cattle and horses for export. Entrepreneurs set up prosperous shipbuilding works on the Delaware River, and opened an iron industry. The Quaker merchants favored education and civic culture, creating a rich cultural and intellectual life that gave Philadelphia the nickname, "the Athens of America."

Philadelphia grew quickly into the largest city in colonial America and with 35,000 people in 1776 was the second largest city in the British Empire. The city's economy was based on growing agricultural wealth from prosperous inland  farms which sent their surplus grains, cattle and horses for export. Entrepreneurs set up prosperous shipbuilding works on the Delaware River, and opened an iron industry. The Quaker merchants favored education and civic culture, creating a rich cultural and intellectual life that gave Philadelphia the nickname, "the Athens of America."

The [[Continental Congress]] met in Philadelphia from 1774 to 1783, with an interruption when the British occupied the city in 1777 and the government moved to Lancaster and York. The [[Declaration of Independence]] was signed there in 1776, the [[Liberty Bell]] is there, and the [[Continental Army]] spent the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge outside Philadelphia, where they suffered severe hardships for want of supplies.

===Early national period===

===Early national period===

The [[Constitution of the United States|American Constitution]] was written in [[Philadelphia]] in 1787. Pennsylvania was the 2nd State to join [[United States of America|the Union]] on December 12, 1787 and the city was the national capital from 1790 to 1800.  In 1790 the state adopted a more conservative state constitution; state capital was relocated in 1800 to  Lancaster, and then to Harrisburg in 1812.   

The [[Constitution of the United States|American Constitution]] was written in [[Philadelphia]] in 1787. Pennsylvania was the 2nd State to join [[United States of America|the Union]] on December 12, 1787 and the city was the national capital from 1790 to 1800.  In 1790 the state adopted a more conservative state constitution; state capital was relocated in 1800 to  Lancaster, and then to Harrisburg in 1812.