Check out PA’s Contributions to Our Country in the 4th of JULY Edition

The Declaration of Independence was written and signed in PA, we were the nation’s first capital, and three different PA cities have hosted congress before Washington DC was established. Happy 4th of July!

To celebrate the 4th of July, this edition of GO PA! on kellyplanet features Pennsylvania firsts in the United States and the world. Some of these are rather obvious, while other will make you say “That came from PA?”

Declaration of Independence

The United States of America is Straight Outta PA! That’s right, not only was the Declaration of Independence written in Pennsylvania, but also signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia back in 1776. Although cities like New York, Boston and Baltimore were well established by this point, Philly was the place to be.

The First Capital

Where was the first United States Capital? Philadelphia of course – 1777. PA has hosted the seat of government for our country in several different locations. Congress would also meet in both York and Lancaster Pennsylvania, Annapolis, Princeton, Trenton, and New York City before finally settling at The Capitol in Washington D.C.

First Public Library

Pennsylvania is home to the very first (and still existing) Public Library in the Western Hemisphere. Benjamin Franklin himself founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731. The Library of Congress didn’t even exist until 1789 and had actually been located in Philadelphia before moving to Washington D.C.

First Scientific Institution

The first Scientific Institution in the United States was founded in Philadelphia in 1743. It was called the American Philosophical Society and was co-founded by – you guessed it – good ol’ Ben Franklin. Today it is part of the University of Pennsylvania.

First Public Hospital

Benjamin Franklin was a busy guy. He also co-founded our country’s first Public Hospital in 1751. Located in Philadelphia, it also housed the first Surgical Amphitheater and first Medical Library in the United States. The Pennsylvania Hospital still exists as part of the University of Pennsylvania.

Marine Corps

Oorah! The United States Marine Corps – GO PA! As every Devil Dog knows, the USMC was founded on November 10, 1755 at the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. Older than the U.S. Navy itself, the Marines have been kicking ass for over 250 years.

First Medical School

Since PA has the first hospital, it’s only fitting that we are also the home of the First Medical School in the United States. Now known as the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, it was founded in 1765. To put this in perspective, Harvard Medical didn’t exist until 1782. Go PA!

First Continuous Military Unit

Being the birthplace of the Marine Corps is pretty impressive, but Pennsylvania is also home to the First Continuous Military Unit in the entire country. Known as the First Troop Philadelphia Cavalry, this unit is extremely unique in the Service Branches and even owns its own Armory Building. This unit is even older than the Marines, it was established in Philadelphia in 1774.

First Daily Newspaper

The very first Daily Newspaper in the United States was called the Pennsylvania Packet. Originally founded in 1771, it didn’t earn its status until 1774 because so many papers were attempted but resulted in failure at the time. This paper is so old that it had to temporarily move publishing to Lancaster when the British occupied Philadelphia from 1777-1778.

First U.S. Mint

The very first United States Mint started in Philadelphia and began producing official currency in 1792. The Philly Mint is not only the oldest, but also has produced more money than any other mint – which makes sense. Pennsylvania is also home to the First Stock Exchange in the U.S., which famously has since centered in New York City.

Oldest Turnpike

Have you ever driven on the PA Turnpike? It is the Oldest Turnpike in the United States. Originally a paved road linking Philadelphia to Lancaster, ground was broken in 1792 and opened in 1795. Today the PA Turnpike goes across the entire state from New Jersey to Ohio (or vise versa).

First Civil War Battle in the North

Pennsylvania was the battleground of the First Civil War Battle North of the Mason-Dixon Line. The Battle of Hanover took place in June of 1863. A few weeks later, the Civil War’s Highest Casualty Battle was also fought in Pennsylvania at Gettysburg. After that, The Union had the upper hand in the war until victory in 1865.

First Zoo in U.S.

Of course it wasn’t the first zoo in the world, but the First Zoo in the United States (and the most advanced at the time) was founded in Philadelphia in 1873. The gates didn’t open until 1874 because of the Civil War. Philly’s 42 acre zoo is still considered in the top three in the country with San Diego and Tampa. That picture will look familiar to those visiting the zoo even to this day.

First World’s Fair in America

The World’s Fair started in 1851 and was hosted by London, Paris and Vienna. The First World’s Fair in the U.S. was in Philadelphia in 1876. Named “The Centennial Exposition”, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of our country and introduced new inventions like the typewriter, sewing machine, and a new-fangled way to communicate – the telephone.

First Department Store

Before Amazon and Walmart, a guy named John Wanamaker opened the United States’ very First Department Store in Philadelphia. Founded in 1877, Wanamaker’s was one of the first stores to allow customers to return merchandise and is also the inventor of the price tag.

First Electrified Community

Scranton, PA is known as “The Electric City”, but the First Electrified Community was set up near State College at Philipsburg in 1881. Two years later, the very first 3-wire Electrical System was installed in Sunbury in 1883. I’d like to point out that the first cable television system was in Mahanoy City, PA in 1948 because PA is awesome. Use that tidbit to win bar bets, I do it all the time. It’s great when people look it up on their phones because they don’t believe you.

Oldest Business School ON EARTH

Pennsylvania is home to the Oldest School of Business IN THE WORLD. The Wharton School was established in 1881 and is now a private Ivy League part of the University of Pennsylvania. Hundreds of important people have graduated from Wharton including Donald Trump (The President of the United States), Elon Musk (PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla Motors) and Warren Buffet (The Oracle of Omaha).

First Taxi Service

When you think of Taxis, you think of New York City, but the First Taxi Service in the U.S. was founded in Philadelphia in 1884. They weren’t yellow. That’s it for the Independence Day Edition of GO PA! on kellyplanet. As you can see, the United States wouldn’t be what it is today without The Keystone State.