Our Pennsylvania Story
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Lesson 16:
Pennsylvania’s First Settlers
Many Irish people came to Philadelphia and our state. They left Ireland because of
unfair laws and for religious freedom. They brought the Catholic religionwith them.
The third largest group of people to settle in Pennsylvaniawas the Scots-Irish. They
were people born in Scotland (a part of England) who had gone to Ireland to live. They
were believers in the Presbyterian religion.
People of the Jewish religion began to settle in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. They
came to our colony frommany countries. Theywere treated badly in the countries in
which they lived. They settled in our colony’s cities.
Another large group of people to settle in our colony came frommany European and
African countries. Theywere called
indentured servants
. These people could not afford to
pay for the trip across the ocean. The captain of the ship paid theirway. Thenhe sold them
to people in the colony. Indentured servantswere not slaves. Theyworked for seven years
for peoplewho paid the captain for their trip. Then, theywere released as free people.
Themain idea of this story is that people frommany different countries and races
came to our state. They came becauseWilliam Penn promised them freedom of religion
and other important freedoms.
Digging Deeper
1. What two things didWilliam Penn promise to peoplewho came to Pennsylvania?
2. How did peoplewho could not pay for the trip across the ocean get here?
Our state’s African-American population grew
slowly but steadily. African-Americanswere free
people in Pennsylvania. Free African-Americans
started a church in Philadelphia in 1787.
At one time in our history, slaverywas
allowed. However, many people in our colony
were against slavery. Andwhywouldn’t they be?
Remember, our statewas startedwith the ideas of
religious freedom. Nomatter how rich or poor
peoplewere, theywere to be treated the same. In
fact, in 1780, Pennsylvania became the first state
to end slavery.
Mother Bethel African
Methodist Episcopal Church
in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania’s
African-American
Population
