The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – July 2021: Pennsylvania

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The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – July 2021: Pennsylvania

1bhabeck
Bearbeitet: Jul. 1, 2021, 2:55 am

Each month, we will visit a different state in the United States of America for the Monthly Reading Challenge in the Mystery & Suspense Extra! Group. This month, we travel to one of the original 13 colonies – to PENNSYLVANIA.

The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – July 2021: Pennsylvania


History

Pennsylvania is a state in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Appalachian regions of the United States. It is the 33rd-largest state by area, and the 5th-most populous state with a total population of 13,011,844 according to the most recent official U.S. Census count in 2020. It is the 9th-most densely populated of the 50 states. Pennsylvania's two most populous cities are Philadelphia (1,580,863), and Pittsburgh (302,407). The state capital and its 13th-largest city is Harrisburg. Pennsylvania has 140 miles (225 km) of waterfront along Lake Erie and the Delaware River.

The state is one of the Thirteen original founding states of the United States; it came into being in 1681 as a result of a royal land grant to William Penn, the son of the state's namesake. Part of Pennsylvania (along the Delaware River), together with the present State of Delaware, had earlier been organized as the Colony of New Sweden. It was the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, on December 12, 1787. Independence Hall, where the United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were drafted, is located in Philadelphia, the state's largest city. During the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in the south central region of the state. Valley Forge near Philadelphia was General Washington's headquarters during the bitter winter of 1777–78.

When the Founding Fathers of the United States convened in Philadelphia in 1774, 12 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress. The Second Continental Congress, which also met in Philadelphia (in May 1775), drew up and signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, but when that city was captured by the British, the Continental Congress escaped westward, meeting at the Lancaster courthouse on Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then to York. There they and its primary author, John Dickinson, drew up the Articles of Confederation that formed 13 independent States into a new union. Later, the Constitution was written, and Philadelphia was once again chosen to be cradle to the new American Union. The Constitution was drafted and signed at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, and the same building where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Pennsylvania became the first large state, and the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787, five days after Delaware became the first. At the time it was the most ethnically and religiously diverse of the thirteen States.

James Buchanan, of Franklin County, the only bachelor president of the United States (1857–1861), was the only one to be born in Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg—the major turning point of the Civil War—took place near Gettysburg. An estimated 350,000 Pennsylvanians served in the Union Army forces including 8,600 African American military volunteers.

Pennsylvania was also the home of the first commercially drilled oil well. In 1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania, Edwin Drake successfully drilled the well, which led to the first major oil boom in United States history.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Pennsylvania's economy centered on steel production, logging, coal mining, textile production and other forms of industrial manufacturing. A surge in immigration to the U.S. during the late 19th and early 20th centuries provided a steady flow of cheap labor for these industries, which often employed children and people who could not speak English.

Geography

The Commonwealth is bordered by Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and New Jersey to the east, while the Appalachian Mountains run through its middle.

Pennsylvania is 170 miles (274 km) north to south and 283 miles (455 km) east to west. Of a total 46,055 square miles (119,282 km2), 44,817 square miles (116,075 km2) are land, 490 square miles (1,269 km2) are inland waters, and 749 square miles (1,940 km2) are waters in Lake Erie. It is the 33rd-largest state in the United States. Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. Of the original Thirteen Colonies, Pennsylvania is the only state that does not border the Atlantic Ocean.

The boundaries of the state are the Mason–Dixon line (39°43' N) to the south, the Twelve-Mile Circle on the Pennsylvania-Delaware border, the Delaware River to the east, 80°31' W to the west and the 42° N to the north, except for a short segment on the western end, where a triangle extends north to Lake Erie.

The state has five geographical regions, namely the Allegheny Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Erie Plain.

In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge established the Allegheny National Forest under the authority of the Weeks Act of 1911. The forest is located in the northwest part of the state in Elk, Forest, McKean, and Warren Counties for the purposes of timber production and watershed protection in the Allegheny River basin. The Allegheny is the state's only national forest.

Fun Facts
Pennsylvania is a state of many "firsts:"
  • The first Zoo in the United States of America was opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 1, 1874.
  • the first public library was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731 in Philadelphia.
  • the first automobile service station opened in Pittsburgh in 1913
  • In 1909 the first baseball stadium was built in Pittsburgh
  • Pennsylvania is the first state of the fifty United States to list their web site URL on a license plate
  • In 1946 Philadelphia became home to the first computer
  • The first daily newspaper was published in Philadelphia on Sept. 21, 1784.
  • In Philadelphia in 1775 Johann Behrent built the first piano in America calling it under the name “Piano Forte.”


Punxsutawney citizens are proud to be over shadowed by their town’s most famous resident the world-renowned weather forecasting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil. Punxsutawney is billed as the weather capital of the world.


Crayola Crayons makes all of their products in Pennsylvania. They produce nearly three billion crayons each year, enough to encircle the globe six times.


Caused by a series of system malfunctions and human errors, the worst nuclear accident in United States history occurred on March 28, 1979, on Three Mile Island near Harrisburg. Fortunately, the health effects of the Three Mile Island accident are widely, but not universally, agreed to be very low level.


Pennsylvania is also home to one of the largest manufacturer of chocolates in the world – “Hershey”. The company is headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company’s products are sold in over 60 countries.


Pennsylvania has more than 200 covered bridges, the most that any state has in the country.

Pennsylvania was nicknamed “The Keystone State” because of its geographical location among the thirteen original colonies. A keystone is a stone on which the associated stones depend for support. Because of the state’s central location along the arch of the original thirteen colonies, the state is nicknamed the keystone state.

In 1943, the Steelers and Eagles formed a combined team because neither could field a full team due to World War II. The team was called the Steagles and they finished with a winning record, something the Eagles had yet to achieve.

The Philadelphia Mint is the oldest coin producer in the U.S. The life expectancy of a circulating coin is 30 years, while paper money usually only lasts for 18 months. In 2018, production facilities in Philadelphia and Denver shipped over 13.1 billion coins to Federal Reserve Banks.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), nearly two-thirds of the white button mushrooms consumed in the United States comes from Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has the highest concentration of Amish (known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern technology) in the U.S.


Notable Residents


Actor Jimmy Stewart was born and raised in the town of Indiana. Each year at Christmas the downtown area is decorated in the theme of the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

Baseball Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Ken Griffey, Jr. were both born in Donora, Pennsylvania, on September 21 (though separated by 49 years). Stan Musial played on a high school basketball team with Griffey’s grandfather.

The Pittsburgh area was the childhood home of six Hall of Fame quarterbacks: Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, and George Blanda.

Authors from Pennsylvania include: John Updike, Conrad Richter, Jennifer Chiaverini, Martha Grimes, Poul Anderson, Joseph Heller, Lisa Scottoline and David Welling – to name just a few. Actors from Pennsylvania include: Bill Cosby, Mary McDonnell, Bob Saget, Mr. (Fred) Rogers, and Mathew Fox. Athletes are Kobe Bryant (basketball), Wilt Chamberlain (basketball), Arnold Palmer (golfer), Larry Holmes (boxer), Mario Andretti (racer) and Mike Ditka (football)

In honor of PENNSYLVANIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "First," "Color," "Chocolate," "Independence/Independent," or "Money" in the title OR has a picture of money, something chocolate, or a zoo/wild animal on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Pennsylvania OR involves a man-made disaster (nuclear meltdown/dam bursting/climate change/etc) OR is the first in a series; and

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in PENNSYLVANIA.


Happy Reading ❤

2bhabeck
Bearbeitet: Jul. 15, 2021, 12:46 am

Brenda's Americana Challenge - July 2021: Pennsylvania
3 of 3 complete


In honor of PENNSYLVANIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "First," "Color," "Chocolate," "Independence/Independent," or "Money" in the title OR has a picture of money, something chocolate, or a zoo/wild animal on the cover;
The Color of Light by Karen White; finished 7/6/21; 3 stars

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Pennsylvania OR involves a man-made disaster (nuclear meltdown/dam bursting/climate change/etc) OR is the first in a series; and
Cause to Kill by Blake Pierce; first in a series; finished 7/8/21; 2 stars

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in PENNSYLVANIA.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner; finished 7/14/21; 3 stars

3Carol420
Bearbeitet: Jul. 10, 2021, 12:00 pm


📌 - ★
3/3 - DONE 7/10
Carol Shares Her Chocolate Bar in Pennsylvania

📌1, A Mystery/Suspense book with "First," "Color," "Chocolate," "Independence/Independent," or "Money" in the title OR has a picture of money, something chocolate, or a zoo/wild animal on the cover;
Darkness First - James Hayman- 5★

📌2. A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Pennsylvania OR involves a man-made disaster (nuclear meltdown/dam bursting/climate change/etc) OR is the first in a series
Witchbane - Morgan Brice - 5★

📌3. A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in PENNSYLVANIA.
The Look Alike - Erica Spindler- 4★ (E & S)

4Sergeirocks
Bearbeitet: Jul. 22, 2021, 6:26 pm

Flight of a Witch - Ellis Peters 4★s (Authors initials in PENNSYLVANIA)
The Salton Killings - Sally Spencer 4.5★s (First in a series)
First Frost - James Henry 4★s ("First" in the title)

5gaylebutz
Jul. 3, 2021, 9:49 pm

I’m going to read One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline. It takes place in Pennsylvania and the author’s initials are in Pennsylvania.

6jguidry
Jul. 7, 2021, 8:31 pm

Jaret used to live in Philadelphia
(0/3 completed)

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "First," "Color," "Chocolate," "Independence/Independent," or "Money" in the title OR has a picture of money, something chocolate, or a zoo/wild animal on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Pennsylvania OR involves a man-made disaster (nuclear meltdown/dam bursting/climate change/etc) OR is the first in a series; and

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in PENNSYLVANIA.

7Olivermagnus
Bearbeitet: Jul. 25, 2021, 8:39 pm



The State Dog of Pennsylvania is the Great Dane

3
of 3 Complete

🗽 A Mystery/Suspense book with "First," "Color," "Chocolate," "Independence/Independent," or "Money" in the title OR has a picture of money, something chocolate, or a zoo/wild animal on the cover.
A Sharp Solitude - Christine Carbo - 4.5 Stars - 7/17/21


🗽 A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Pennsylvania.
Cold Heart Creek - Lisa Regan - 4 Stars - 7/7/21

A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in PENNSYLVANIA.
The Leopard's Prey - Suzanne Arruda - 4 Stars - 7/23/21 - SA

8Carol420
Jul. 10, 2021, 12:01 pm

I'm done. I think the dog is finished also with my chocolate bar:) Thanks Brenda. I enjoyed the trip.

9bhabeck
Jul. 15, 2021, 12:47 am

>8 Carol420: congrats!

10bhabeck
Jul. 15, 2021, 12:48 am

>2 bhabeck: I’m done too. Nothing very exciting this month :(

11Carol420
Jul. 15, 2021, 8:14 am

>2 bhabeck:



Well done!

12gaylebutz
Jul. 15, 2021, 3:59 pm

Done. One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline - 3.5 ★
It takes place in Pennsylvania and the author’s initials are in Pennsylvania.

13bhabeck
Jul. 16, 2021, 3:01 am

>12 gaylebutz: congrats!

14Carol420
Bearbeitet: Jul. 16, 2021, 7:10 am

>12 gaylebutz:

Good job, Gayle

15Olivermagnus
Jul. 25, 2021, 8:40 pm

Hat trick. All Done!

16bhabeck
Jul. 26, 2021, 1:38 am

>15 Olivermagnus: nice! congrats!

17bhabeck
Jul. 26, 2021, 1:39 am

>4 Sergeirocks: Well Done Sergei!

18Carol420
Jul. 26, 2021, 7:26 am

>4 Sergeirocks: >15 Olivermagnus:



Congratulations, Sergie and Lynda & Oliver.

19Sergeirocks
Jul. 31, 2021, 7:56 am

>17 bhabeck: >18 Carol420: We're all brill at this challenge, ☺️👍. Well Done, Everyone!

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