Penn's Woods

In this unit, we will be exploring the discovery and history of Pennsylvania, or Penn's Woods. We will be focusing on some important figures in Pennsylvania history and what it looked like to live in colonial times.

This unit does not have a test to assess learning at the end. Instead, we will have two projects built into the unit to assess student learning.

Early Explorers

Henry Hudson

An English sailor who was searching for a water route through North America that led to Asia. Instead, he came across the Delaware Bay. The Hudson River was named after him!

Cornelius Hendrickson

A Dutch explorer who came to the Delaware Bay to trade with Native Americans for furs, robes, and other skins.

Peter Minuit

A Dutch explorer who became the first leader of New Sweden in 1636. This colony stretched inro what is now known as Pennsylvania.

Peter Stuyvesant

The Dutch were also building a new colony called New Netherland. He became the leader of this colony.

Johan Printz

I was a former Swedish soldier and leader of New Sweden in 1642. He treated Native Americans with respect and kindness.

Johan Rising

He was sent to replace Johan Printz in May of 1654.

William Penn

William Penn was a Quaker who is known for founding the colony of Pennsylvania.

The King of England gave Penn land in America in 1682. William Penn wanted to name the new colony, "Sylvania" because it means forest land. The King wanted to name it after William Penn's dad since he owed him a favor. They decided to combine the two.

Penn + Sylvania

William Penn's dad + "forest land"

= Penn's Woods or Pennsylvania

The New Colony

William Penn was working hard to establish his new colony of Pennsylvania. He wanted to create a colony based on his core beliefs. He called it his "Holy Experiment." Penn wanted a colony where people could practice their religion without fear of being punished, unlike England. He promised fairness for all (including previous settlers and Native Americans). He signed many peace treaties and established partnerships with the Lenape tribe. Finally, he said that the colonists would have a say in creating their own laws.

William Penn wanted to spread the news of his colony to gain more colonist and immigrant attention. He distributed pamphlets in Europe to advertise his core beliefs.

Religious Freedom

Fairness for All

Peace

Self Government

The Walking Purchase

William Penn's son, Thomas Penn, came around and changed the colonists' relationship with the Native Americans. He claimed that he signed a treaty with the Delaware Tribe to gain more land for the Penn family. The Delaware tribe was suspicious because there were a lot of signatures missing, they didn't fully belive him. In the treaty, Penn would get the amount of land that a man "could walk in a day and a half." However, Thomas Penn had some tricks up his sleeve. He hired 3 trained runners to run the whole way, not walk. He also had people scout the land ahead and clear paths through the forests and brush in order to help the runners get through quicker. In the end, the Quakers got 66 1/2 miles worth of land, pushing the Native Americans out.

Colonial Pennsylvania

Immigrants came from Europe to settle in the colonies. Immigrants are people who comes to live in a new land from another place.
Immigrants who could not afford to come to the colonies would come over and work as indentured servants. Indentured servants were people who would agree to work for people in the colonies in exchange for having their trip paid for.
Common jobs were clearing land, printing, teaching, and watchmaking.
Machines helped grow the colony. Wagon and craft shops, farms, iron, paper mills also helped to grow the colony.
Philadelphia was used as a port city.

Important Colonists

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was an important member of Colonial Pennsylvania. He was known as a writer, a printer, a scientist, and an inventor. He is well known for his experiments with electricity and inventions like bifocals.

In Philadelphia, Ben Franklin also helped to start the first public library and helped found it’s first hospital. He also started the first volunteer fire department and the first college.

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone was a hunter and sharpshooter. He also found in the French and Indian War.

Boone is known for being a good pathfinder and woodsman.He discovered the Cumberland Gap and helped many colonists.

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