Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was the twelfth colony to be be established and was classified as one of the middle colonies. The province of Pennsylvania was a province of the British colony in North America until 1776 when it joined the other colonies in rebellion against the United Kingdom and became the state it is known today.

The Pennsylvania Colony was founded by William Penn and other colonists in 1682. King Charles the second of England ordered in the charter given to William Penn that the state should be named Pennsylvania with the combination of 'Sylvania' which is the Latin word meaning woodland, due to natural surroundings rich in wooded areas and agriculture. In August 1682 William Penn set sail from England and arrived in Philadelphia in October and made a treaty with the Lenni Lenape Indians (a native American tribe who inhabited southern New York, Delaware, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania) to purchase his land from them. Throughout the years 1683-84 emigration from Europe increased dramatically.   
Pennsylvania was often referred to as a breadbasket colony because it grew so many crops such as wheat which was grounded into flour and shipped back to England.It is also well known for having large Amish communities which date back to 1600s led by Jakob Ammann who began Anabaptist which refers to 'believers baptism'. Anabaptist is believed to have begun in Germany but received severe persecution so they fled to Pennsylvania where William Penn allowed them to exercise their religion. This began the spread of the Amish community which is still around in today's society but has decreased in number.