Pennsylvania Travel Guide
If the United States can be said to have a 'birthplace' then Pennsylvania is probably it.
Charles the Second granted the land to William Penn, a Quaker and supporter of religious freedom and tolerance, in 1682. This was to be Penn's 'Holy Experiment', a land of a liberal and tolerant views. He even signed treaties with, and purchased land from, the local Native Americans. This liberal, tolerant atmosphere continued after the Quaker ideal had died away and it was this that encouraged many of the free thinkers who helped form the fledgling union to live and work in the state. Later, this tolerance made the State a magnet for slaves; escaped before the war and freed after.
As the engine room of the American industrial revolution Pennsylvania helped to further define the USA as the global economic power it has become. This was due to the coal and iron ore, which led to the State, becoming a major producer of steel.
The view on religion continues to the present day; there are still communities of Amish and Mennonites in the state, descendants of German, Dutch and Swedish immigrants who came to avoid religious intolerance in their homelands.
Places to visit that aren't Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
An industrial town that rose to become the worlds largest producer of iron and steel in the 19th century. It was from this industrial base that Andrew Carnegie, a Scots immigrant, rose to become the world's wealthiest man. Carnegie endowed Pittsburgh with 4 museums, all of which are worth a look. One of theses is the Andy Warhol Museum. This celebrates the work of the 'Pop' Artist who was born in Pittsburgh. The city was somewhat of an industrial 'dark satanic mill' kind of a place but since the collapse of the US steel industry it has reinvented itself as a clean, green financial centre.
Gettysburg
Site of a decisive civil war battle and the place where Lincoln delivered his famed Gettysburg address. Much of the battlefield is now a National Military Park. Military historians may also care to take in the War of Independence sites at Valley Forge and the Brandywine Valley. There is also the excellent new National Civil War museum at Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Have you seen the film 'Witness'? This is where it was based. There are huge numbers of visitors all hoping to catch a glimpse of the Amish, Mennonite or other sects way of life. Perhaps they are looking for a time more innocent than ours. Maybe they think the Amish are amusing or bizarre (no PC's? How do they manage?). Perhaps it is a search for the original pioneering roots of this vast nation. Perhaps I'm worrying too much about why they visit?
All in all, travellers would mostly rather be in Philadelphia
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