Chapter 6
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93
The Colonies Become
AngryWithEngland’s Rule
L E S S O N 1 8
Key Questions
1. What are our state’s
nicknames?
2. Why did the American
colonies become angrywith
England?
3. What main events led to the
Declaration of Independence?
4. What was the importance of
Philadelphia?
5. What were the Continental
Congresses?
KeyWords & Events
keystone
tax
First Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
Declaration of Independence
Key People & Places
Philadelphia
GeorgeWashington
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Franklin
Independence Hall
Our State’s Two
Nicknames
T
oday, our state has two nicknames
that are commonly used. We are
called the
Quaker State
. William
Penn, who founded our colony, was of the
Quaker religion.
The second nickname is the
Keystone
State.
You need to know what
keystone
means in order for this nickname to make
sense. A keystone is a wedge-shaped stone.
It is placed in the middle of an arch of
stones or bricks to strengthen a building.
The early use of keystone can be said to
go back to colonial times. By the 1750s,
there were 13 English colonies located
along the Atlantic coast. Pennsylvania was
the geographic center of these colonies.
A keystone is awedge-shaped stone placed
in themiddle of an arch. Why is
Pennsylvania called the Keystone State?